Mystery Solved, More Stones Laid, Questions Answered and Eating Out.

Our Location today is McGregor, Ontario, Canada. 

Even though we had spent very little time outside yesterday we both slept like a couple of rocks last night and were wide awake by 8:00 this morning. While having breakfast we discussed our plans for the day which involved getting as much of the Patio Extension completed as possible.

A  different view of our yard.

Since there were still plenty of Clouds in the sky we took the time to have our Coffee/Tea at the Computers. We still managed to have our inside chores finished and heading outside by 10:00. I took the trash down to the Park Trash and Recycle Area before coming back and getting the tools that would be needed. 

This is a picture of the last Patio Stone we laid on Friday.
Upon inspection this morning it had to be reset.

When we were ready to start laying more of the newer Patio Stones I noted the last Stone we laid on Friday was not quite flush with the Patio itself which could have become a Tripping Hazard for anyone walking along. It may have only been a ¼” Difference but that is all it would take. The Stone was reset numerous times until I was comfortable with the joints. We managed to set three Patio Stones by the time we stopped for lunch. 

We shared this for lunch.

Kathy kept it healthy but filling knowing we would be burning those calories off serving us each a Half a Ham Sandwich with Pickles and a tasty Plum for dessert. Kathy also took the time to wash the Dishes before joining me back outside. 

Fine tuning the fit of the second last 97 lb. Patio Stones.

It was close to 1:30 by the time we laid the last of the 97.3 lbs. Patio Stones because we were hand leveling the six Stones they had to be reset an average of ten times each to avoid any Tripping Hazards or Rocking. To reset these Patio Stones meant that they had to be repeatedly lifted out of the way to shave or tamp the ground then lifted back into place to try again. 

Starting to lay the thicker Patio Stones.

At this point our neighbour Stan came over for a quick chat. If you recall they had no Hot Water the other night that turned out to be a broken Fitting on the back of the Water Heater. The night after their Dealer’s Tech repaired the Water Heater their Battery was practically dead and I loaned them my Battery Charger. Today Stan was looking in the basement and found the reason to the second problem. When the RV Tech repaired the Broken Fitting on the Water Heater he noted that everything behind the basement wall was getting sprayed with water and one of those things was the Converter. Not wanting to get himself Electrocuted he unplugged the Converter, replaced the Broken Fitting and left without plugging it back in which resulted in the Battery losing power because it wasn’t being charged. 

Examining what adjustments need to be made.
My hat in the grass was too wet to wear.

After he went back home we started laying the second row of Patio Stones. These were older slightly larger and nearly a ½” Thicker which means these 24” x 30” weighted closer to 120 lbs. each.  Having to shave more ground took much more time on these thicker Patio Stones trying to eliminate the Tripping Hazards and Rocking. It took about fifteen attempts each before they were in their proper spot. 

Skim a bit here, fill a little there.
Notice how wet my shirt is.

Nichol stopped by for brief visit to see the changes we’ve made to their former site. That gave me the chance to ask what size Gazebo they had on the site before. She wasn’t sure and didn’t stay long because we were still working on the Patio Stones. Minutes later she returned with the dimensions of their Gazebo and where the legs had been positioned. 

Another Patio Stone down, repeat process.
The pails are full of dirt shaved for the Stones.

It was only a few minutes after Nichol left the second time that we started getting a light sprinkle from the Dark Clouds. It was already after 4:00, the Humidex was 100 F (38 C) and we both looked like a couple of Wet Rags. Since we moved nearly Five Tons of Patio Stone today, Kathy said we were done. 

Ten down, Four to go. Making certain everything fits tight.

The warm shower felt Wonderful but being in dry clothes even better. Neither of us felt like cooking so we drove to the Michigan Diner in Essex for supper. The place was packed but they were just cleaning an empty table as we got there. Being inside an Air-Conditioned Building and enjoying our meal was Heavenly. 

Our Mid-Yard Garden.

With four more Patio Stones to lay before the project is finished we are really looking forward to its completion. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

Words of Inspiration

Experience is simply the name we give to our mistakes.

Oscar Wilde, Irish Poet and Playwright