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cactusmcharris

Older and Boulder The Olde-Fashioned Way

5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago

A local rock place nearby. The offerings on hand were stupendously colourful and cheap, as long as you kept your purchased to those under 400 pounds. Those 800-pounders and up would need a crane, and that's when it starts getting pricey. Someday, I'm going to get a multi-ton rock for the yard, maybe for my wife for Christmas.



Leaving no stone unturned that I could turn



Total for three rocks (about 200 lbs worth) and three pieces of flagstone (with plant fossils on them) - $15.01. What a deal!





Comments (26)

  • 5 years ago

    WOW! That would be several hundred dollars in my area. Good for you!

    Those stones are beautiful. I’m a rock hound ... and Mr Jinx knows beautiful stones are the way to my heart. :D

    We have lots of native (Texas) stone edging, boulders, and fossils I display in the beds.

    I wanna see that Christmas rock, be sure and update us. :)

  • 5 years ago

    I love using rocks in the landscape. I often pilfer them from the old stone wall across the street. I just wish I wasn't limited to ones that can be moved with a hand cart.

  • 5 years ago

    Wow, I wish I had a place like that to get rocks for my pond in the backyard. Do you have a pic of the ones you got for that great price? How are you using them?

    Barb

  • 5 years ago

    Thanks, folks. Jinx, I'm sure it would be as popular as gifting her a vacuum. Wendy, same here. Many stops along the road, but here in one place was everything I could want, rock-wise. Barb, I knew someone was going to ask, and I haven't shot one yet, but I will. I'm going to plant the rocks in the ground with plants around them.


  • 5 years ago

    I love me a good stone yard!! :-) Here, landscape boulders are sold by the ton, average cost @ $80 per. So a 200# boulder (or the equivalent) would run less than $10!!

  • 5 years ago

    Here are the new additions.

    We rooted through the basket of pieces of sandstone, and could find only three marked like this - here's the best one:

    gg,

    The boulders are 8 cents a pound - that's what I paid for the three rocks. The flagstone was 24 cents a pound. The real expense is a crane in getting that multi-tonner to the back yard. If it only snowed here, making it easier to drag rocks.


    Interesting fact on their catalog pamphlet - (if true, and why wouldn't it be?) - boulders generally weigh 95 pounds a cubic foot.


  • 5 years ago

    Gorgeous markings! Look at those fossilized fern leaves! That’s awesome! Great find, Jeff!

  • 5 years ago

    Good choices Jeff. What a deal. I really like your gravel too.

    Barb

  • 3 years ago

    For some time I've been thinking of some larger boulders for, well, you know, you can't have too many boulders, right? ;-)

    New construction began in the next lot a month ago and they hauled in pit run gravel for fill and I asked and they said take all the rocks you want. Got a lot of smaller ones too but these are the cream.



    I 'late planted' the big one last week. It snowed the next day.



  • 3 years ago

    Nice!

  • 3 years ago

    Oh what I would give for a few boulders in our backyard and one or two out front. Those are fantastic, cactusmcharris!


  • 3 years ago

    Jeff,

    did you ever get any of those fossils identified?

    They are pretty cool!


  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Rocks. I've moved a few. It's nice when rocks are all gathered together in one place and you can pick the ones you want.

    I have been watching and HEARING heavy duty dump trunks rolling past my house taking huge landscape rocks down the mountain for the last several months. These are dry stack boulder retaining wall size rocks. Big uns. Rocks get harvested where I live.

    I used up all my close by rocks. Now they are too far away.. So I started making a conscious effort to bring rocks home. I needed more. My truck is routinely close by to all kinds of unwanted rocks. I am building a heiau. I needed more.

    @User I love your four round gumdrop collection of rocks.



  • 3 years ago

    Christopher,

    Most of the rocks I see have that rounded look, like they were tumbled for a long time. Some look like bowling balls. The only thing I can think of is it was the effects of being moved long distances by the glaciers.


    My 'bigun' I estimated in the 850-1000 lb range but the guy leveling the dirt was kind enough to scoop it up with his track cat bucket and drive it half way around the block to deposit it in my front yard. I gave him $20 to show my appreciation. I flipped it over and stood it up in a 10" deep hole by myself using a ratchet strap hooked to the vehicle and got enough exercise for the whole week that day. ;^)


    Did you pile those rocks so nice and neat?

  • 3 years ago

    Bill there were a few beaches and streams on Maui where you could see that size rounded polished rock - in black. There is something quite nice about polished rock, you just can't stack it.

    Rock wiggling with the auto attached. I may have to try that. The rocks I feel like moving are getting smaller. Yes I stacked those rocks and many others nice and neat. The only question now is how high will the heiau get before I am done? I added a few more rocks this afternoon.

  • 3 years ago

    heiau? New term for me. It looks almost like an old time foundation for a cabin.


    Ya, rocks are a lot of work. These were just an opportunity that popped up and so close to the yard. I do have a few more shrubs/trees to plant so I thought I'd try to create a little structure to break up the boring sterile lawn look. :-)

    I can get more boulders but I'll have to haul them, so yeah, we'll see how the ambition goes and if the back holds out. I'm not 30 yo anymore, except in my mind. haha

  • 3 years ago

    Bill,

    I haven't been down to visit those rocks in two years, but next month, we're breaking the chains and headed back to there. I'll try to get them ID'd.


    Have you ever used a comealong (sp?) for moving rock?

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    haha, to tell you the truth, I don't move many large boulders but I've heard that the comealong is recommended and it works good. I couldn't find mine.

    I was surprised how well the 3" wide ratchet strap worked. Even with the short throw of the lever. Tied one end to the trailer hitch and it pulled so hard on the rock that the vehicle wanted to move backward. Finally used a 8ft. 2x6 to help pry the rock up and into the hole. It helped to put a couple short 2x6 pieces in the hole to keep the rock from plowing past the hole. It was a process I'll tell you. It took an hour and a half.


  • 3 years ago

    I would shax but some of that southern hemisphere stuff just doesn't do as well up here. ;-)

  • 3 years ago

    I can't ever get enough rocks . A neighbor was digging out his yard a couple weeks ago after just moving in. He had piled a bunch of beautiful smooth rocks in a hole he intended to fill up with dirt !! oh no please can I have the best ones and I will give you some stuff I don't want. We had a trade !! I live in Rockbridge county so I have lots !! I will post some pictures tomorrow. c

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    The found rocks that neighbor was going to bury for fill!





    A 100 yr old foundation from a barn in Harrisonburg here in VA . Mennonites called my stone guy to come get it as they were tearing the barn down to build a turkey barn 😳




    Bed in a bed in a bed. Revolutionary war hospital bed with flower bed in it all sitting in new lavender bed thus the name


    Memorial water garden for our son who died on May 11,2020. my rock guy drilled a 1 1/2” hole in the boulder because i didnt want a fake rock. His guys dug a 100 gallon reservoir for the water pump.


    Pavers i have 2 walkways of these slabs


    Next project this 80’ slope will be a rock garden in Spring with a fence and several tons of rocks.


  • 3 years ago

    Beautiful stones everyone! I’ve been walking my woods looking for just the right boulder to position by the edge of our pond for diving off of. Haven’t found it yet, but it makes for some nice walks while I look. Then, of course, I have to find someone to move it for me. I don’t suppose my wheelbarrow will work for this project.

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    shax,

    Love the rocks - you re the fellow that we need for between a rock and a hard place. Send you a fiver a week for 30 years?

    ETA - have to think that when you're with them and they're that big you got some good spirits there.

    ETA2 - Unless it falls on you, because that's Australia, right?

  • 3 years ago

    cactusmcharris...yes, some very wonderful spirits all around. It's my piece of paradise. A friend visited from the city recently, and complained the next morning that he couldn't sleep because it was too quiet!









  • 3 years ago

    I think those are not fossils, but crystaline patterns called dendrites. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dendrite_(crystal) 

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