# My new back stepping stones



## FaeryBee

*Well, as many of you know, I recently finished installing 71 plants and spreading 25 bags of mulch in "Faery's Corner", a "common area" of the Townhouse Cluster where the Reston Association Pathways intersect near my home.

I thought after finishing Faery's Corner I was done with my BIG outdoor projects for the summer... Wrong!! 

A new neighbor, who moved in a few houses down from me just last month, was disposing of several very nice large flat stones that happen to match some stepping stones I have in my front yard and said I could take what I wanted. 

I had wanted to get some nice attractive stepping stones to lead from our back gate down through the common area behind our fence to the Reston Pathway and this opportunity was just too good to pass up.

Holly was having one of her friends come to haul the stones away on Sunday which meant I needed to get the stones I wanted prior his arrival.
Of course, I found all this out early Saturday evening. :wow:

The stones are fairly large and pretty heavy for someone my size, but I managed to lift one and carry it from her house down the path to the area behind my fence. At this point it was thundering and lightening pretty fiercely but the rain had not yet started. Off I went to get another. I managed to move three stones Saturday evening before the torrential downpour started.

At 5:30 Sunday morning, I was back outside to get the rest of the stones I needed to make my walkway. It turns out that total was nine.

Yep -- I muscled each and every one of those stones from her house down to my house all by my little lonesome! 

I spent most of my afternoon on Sunday digging out the beds for each of the stones and setting them into the dirt so they are nice and secure.

It probably sounds more than a bit silly to be so pleased I managed to finish my little project --but there you have it.

I did all the heavy work, the placement, digging and clean-up by myself and felt a nice sense of accomplishment when I was done -- tired, sweaty, dirty and happpy!

Here's a picture of "my" new pathway of stepping stones.



Thanks for letting me share my little acomplishment with you!​*


----------



## StarlingWings

A valiant and successful victory indeed, Lady Deborah! Clearly you fought hard for what you believed in and with a strong set of arms and a level head you did well. Three cheers for Deb and her biceps  
Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah!

Oh, and they look very nice 

My dad randomly announced he bought some huge stones for our garden a few weeks ago, but they were wayyy to big to carry and mum told him he was an old man and shouldn't do that :laughing: But he did it anyways, we're making some stone benches for our yard now


----------



## FaeryBee

*


StarlingWings said:



They look very nice 

My dad randomly announced he bought some huge stones for our garden a few weeks ago, but they were wayyy to big to carry and mum told him he was an old man and shouldn't do that :laughing: But he did it anyways, we're making some stone benches for our yard now 

Click to expand...

Thank you! 

When your new stone benches are finished I'd love to see a picture of them.

I'd love to have a single family home with a large yard although I'm not positive I'd be able to maintain it all on my own. *


----------



## RavensGryf

Yay Deborah!! Nice accomplishment !! It looks great too... How do you get them to go recessed into the ground a bit? It looks like they're not just laying on top of the dirt. 

Not counting going to the gym, I always look at physical things (especially if they're no fun at all) as welcome 'extra' exercise!


----------



## MascaraRabbit

I was wondering the same thing Julie was; Do you have to dig up a little dirt to stick those stepping stones in? I've always wanted stepping stones in my garden. Perhaps one day when I don't have a homeowners association to answer to and have more of a yard! :laughing2:


----------



## LynandIndigo

Well done Deb. When you put your mind into doing something you like it is all worth it in the end to see a lovely walk way to enjoy every day... Did you have to dig the holes to put the Stones in... Now that you have finished you can rest your weary bones and have a massage and also have a coffee or Coke... Your place looks beautiful...


----------



## Didoushkaya

Woohoo! There's nothing like hard sweaty work in the dead of summer! It was all worth it though, look at your garden -gorgeous.


----------



## Budget baby

I think Miss FaeryBee is ready for some well earned, nice ,quiet, relaxing and enjoyable forms of entertainment.:budgie:


----------



## FaeryBee

*


RavensGryf said:



Yay Deborah!! Nice accomplishment !! It looks great too... How do you get them to go recessed into the ground a bit? It looks like they're not just laying on top of the dirt.

Not counting going to the gym, I always look at physical things (especially if they're no fun at all) as welcome 'extra' exercise! 

Click to expand...

I dug down into the ground two or three inches and then leveled is out as needed to fit the stone. After that, I laid the stone into the earth and used the soil I had removed to pack it in tightly filling any little crevices and all the areas around it securely to ensure they are "set".

When it rains and then the soil dries back out, it serves to "lock" the stone into place.

The area where the stepping stones have been placed (the incline between the pathway and the fence is NOT actually our property. It is considered part of the HOA "common grounds". We only own the area between our townhouse and the back fence which is shown in the picture.

You can see the grass I've tried to put in back there is still very patchy due to the white pine tree and the area is full of weeds. That ground is supposed to be maintained by the HOA but since they do nothing with it, I try to make it look a bit better and work to prevent erosion in the area as best I can. *


----------



## Didoushkaya

I think Miss FaeryBee is the kind of person who finds it really hard to sit down and do nothing...


----------



## despoinaki

I love it- great work and I know how tiring this can be, as I did the same thing in my job some years ago and in my garden.. It looks so nice!


----------



## RavensGryf

Sounds like the HOA doesn't really care what's done as long as it's in good taste and they don't have to spend money on it! Maybe they are secretly loving the fact that someone (you) is making it look nice .


----------



## jrook

Didoushkaya said:


> I think Miss FarryBee is the kind of person who finds it really hard to sit down and do nothing...


Methinks you are most correct, Ms Didoushkaya!  I wish I could be more like that. I seem to have very few issues with doing nothing.


----------



## Jedikeet

Now we can add masonry to Miss Faerybee's broad range of talent and expertise.:thumbsup::hug:

Looking forward to your next project of paving a Yellowbrick Road to Faeryland!


----------



## Didoushkaya

Jedikeet said:


> Now we can add masonry to Miss Faerybee's broad range of talent and expertise.:thumbsup::hug:
> 
> Looking forward to your next project of paving a Yellowbrick Road to Faeryland!


Can it be rainbow coloured?


----------

