My Own Personal Rock Pile

by JimP
I wanted to tell you all about my own personal rock pile. While you New Englanders were shoveling snow this past January, I was busy building a backyard pond and waterfall.

I learned a couple of things about rock piles in the process. First, how difficult it is to stack rocks. I definitely got a new appreciation for the time and effort it takes to put together a well-made cairn. It takes patience and hard work without question. It took patience and hard work just getting the jumbled pile that I made to be stable, although admittedly I had nothing but river rock to work with.

Another thing I learned is how capable we are of moving rocks of enormous size. The huge cobblestone I used for my waterfall weighed around 500 pounds apiece. I was able to lift them, carry them to the pond, and put them up on the waterfall terraces all by myself. It was definitely tough, but I did it without help. And I know how much they weighed because I had to buy them by weight. (After 36 years in New England, I never imagined I'd have to BUY rocks).

Here's a link to a photo album of my progress. The pond and waterfall both look different today, but I'm waiting for some plants to grow in and bloom before I take another picture.

http://members.cox.net/jimtheump/pondwaterfall/