LAND DESIGNS UNLIMITED LLC

A Patient Craftsman Creating Exceptional Landscapes

Category: On The Stump

Old-Fashioned Craftsmanship

After a day of office work I decided to take Theo for a walk.

It was a beautiful evening. The temperature was around 68 and the sun was shining. I admit I wasn’t in the mood for a walk. Too much office time drains my energy.

After 45 minutes of walking I had a choice.

Continue straight and be home in 15 minutes or take the dirt road to the right and add an hour and a half to my walk.

I chose the road less traveled.

I love dirt roads. I love old houses. I love walking through the forest. I love walking in the rain?

This dirt road was right where I wanted to be.

As Theo and I headed down the road a shower started with the low rumble of thunder.

I didn’t mind. The rain was warm.

While walking I saw some old-fashioned craftsmanship.

The arch through this stone wall gives the stream a stylish way through.

The stream running through the stone wall. The job could have been done easier plenty of ways. None would have looked better.

Here the masons used a large boulder to support the wall over the stream. I like how the masons tied the large stone into the wall.

A rebuilt new england farm wall. Modern stone walls often have wide mortar joints and randomly cut stones for quick construction.

There’s more to the story of this fence than stone posts and cedar rails. I’m sure that fence had different rails when it was originally built.

Notice how the maple tree engulfed the stone fence post. I wonder if that Sugar Maple was planted to shade the house.

Theo and I left for our walk a little before six and returned a little after eight. We feel refreshed and renewed albeit a little damp.

April 1, 2016
Happy Easter 2016

Happy Easter 2016.

March 27, 2016
Random Acts of Kindness

There are good people in this world.

This morning I stopped at McDonald’s to pick up breakfast. I was short 85 cents and asked for a moment to go to my truck for change.

The cashier didn’t hesitate to say, “Don’t worry about it.”

It’s moments like these that I realize how wonderful the world is.

While waiting for my meal I got the cashier the 85 cents. I don’t believe in taking advantage.

Thank you for your Random Act of Kindness.

P.S. The evergreen shrub in the foreground is a Mugo Pine (Pinus mugo sp.). Be careful when planting Mugo Pines, they don’t all stay as compact as you’d think.

March 18, 2016
Learning New Things – Adobe Audition
Adobe Audition is a program that mixes and enhances sound tracks. I’m hoping to take my videos to the next level with it.

Today is the second day I’ve tried to learn Adobe Audition.

As a non tech person I find Adobe products very frustrating. You must do things a certain way or you won’t get the results you want. Details that make a project shine are hidden beneath endless twirl down menus.

If you learn Adobe Products, especially keyboard shortcuts, you can create amazing things. The juice is worth the squeeze.

But this post isn’t about Adobe Products.

This post is about learning new things.

I went for a walk with Theo this afternoon to get away from Audition (See step 2 below). While walking I thought about my process of learning new things.

For me it looks something like this.
1. Excitement about learning something new and Hyperfocus for a couple of days. There’s usually some lost sleep and a total disregard for anything else going on in life.
2. Burnout from too much focus on one thing. The need to ‘get away’ for a while.
3. While getting away thoughts of how I could have done things better. How I could have broken the learning curve into smaller pieces.
4. Starting again at a more relaxed pace or stopping because the reward isn’t worth the gain. It’s rare I take something this far and abandon it. I’m committed to learning no matter the cost.
When I install landscapes the process is similar

The first day is a throw away day. I’m happy to get equipment to the job and start work.

By the end of the day my mind is formulating a plan for the project. Every job has a unique set of challenges.

By the next morning I have a mental picture of how to complete the job and how long it should take.

The pre-job jitters are gone and I methodically create a beautiful home. I’ve re-adjusted my timeline to match the job. Work continues until job completion.

I’ve got to get back to Audition.
November 11, 2015
Fire Gazing

Sugar the cat (15 lb, 15 yrs) and Theo the Great Pyrenees puppy (90 lb, 1 yr) enjoying the warmth of a morning fire.

October 24, 2015
Refreshingly Nervous

Today I went to the barber to get my hair cut.

Who a barber is has changed for me through the years.

When I was a kid a barber was an Italian man who cut hair and talked about the old country. I started visiting my children’s stylist out of convenience since they were born.

I’ve gone to the local Great Clips for my last few hair cuts. The best I can tell they are a hair styling chain that either trains stylists or hires stylists just out of hair styling school.

I go to Great Clips because I can walk in any weekday and get what’s left of my hair cut in 10-15 minutes. I like the convenience getting my hair cut when the mood hits me.

Today my stylist was a girl with black hair with a purple-pinkish tint. The tint in her hair wasn’t the most striking thing about her.

She was exuding nervous energy.

How could I tell?

First, the station she used was the third from the front. The stylists usually use the station closest to the front door. She sought privacy to focus on her work.

Next, when she grabbed her electric shears the cord got caught in her apron. It was like Christmas lights wound too tightly the year before. She nervously struggled to free the cord through her embarrassment.

I did my best to stay calm and NOT mention how nervous she was.

The worst thing you can do when someone is nervous is tell them they look nervous. Say something positive or say nothing.

I’ve been nervous enough times to know that.

I offered, insisted, on untangling the cord to her shears. I knew she’d feel awkward. I might make her more nervous. I took the risk.

By untangling the cord she’d know how to take care of it next time. She’d be more prepared. More confident.

She commented, “That’s why I’m a stylist.” As she watched me untangle the cord.

The girl began cutting my hair with forced movements. I could feel her fighting her nerves. She pushed her shears against my head with more force than any barber or stylist had before.

Some may wonder why I didn’t get up and walk out. Why I didn’t ask for a different stylist. Why I’m not writing a nasty letter to Great Clips asking for a refund.

The reason may shock you.

Nervous people care about what they’re doing. Nervous people want to do a good job.

My stylist has some work to go to master her trade. Her nervous energy tells me she’s got the perseverance. She will learn and master her trade.

Think about people who fake it till they make it. Contrast a nervous attitude to over-confidence or arrogance.

Thanks for the great clip!

September 22, 2015
Scratch That Off the Bucket List

Last weekend, I replaced the rear brakes on my 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup.

I’m living the dream!

I started Saturday around nine and finished Sunday around 2. Yes, it took a long time.

Even though I watched many videos about changing brakes, I had to learn some things. The caliper mounting bolts were frozen, and the brake pads threw me for a loop.

A shiny new rotor and anti-rattle clips are waiting for brake pads. It’s incredible how quickly shiny rotors turn to rust.

I felt an incredible sense of accomplishment and a touch of exhaustion on Sunday afternoon. Being hyper-focused on brakes for a day and a half takes a toll.

I learned two valuable lessons over the weekend.

Focus on one thing at a time.

You can do anything you set your mind to.

Please share your goals in the comments below.

August 25, 2015
One Thing at a Time

One of my lifelong goals is know how to do brakes.

You’re probably thinking what the guy at the auto parts store said, “You should set your goals higher.”

Power and status never meant much to me. Some wealth would be nice.

Doing brakes is challenge. Many people earn a living turning wrenches. They can change brakes in their sleep. I can’t. Yet.

This week I read up on how to change brakes. I’ve read the maintenance manual for my pickup, skimmed the pages of my Haynes manual and watched a ton of YouTube videos about brakes.

I’ve talked to three different mechanics about the process.

I’m ready to go.

While reading about brakes I often grabbed a flashlight and went outside to inspect them. I wanted to compare what I was reading to what’s on my truck.

Each time I went to my truck I found the answer I was looking for and something else that needed attention.

There’s a lot of rust on the frame, several brake lines need replacement sooner than later and the front splash guards are missing rivets.

That’s just the start of the list.

I’m feeling overwhelmed.

Last night I caught myself worrying and remembered a valuable life lesson.

One thing at a time

When we multi-task we get overwhelmed. Our mind races from one thought to the next while never finishing any of them.

Motion forward stops.

It’s exhausting!

What’s the solution?

Today I took a good hard look at the truck to figure out my most pressing repair. I want to focus on that one thing.

I jiggled the brake lines, their not as bad as I originally thought.

I made a list of fasteners needed to fix the splash guards.

Next I took off my rear tires to inspect the brakes.

When I took off the driver side tire I immediately knew what to do first.

The caliper seized.

That’s where I’ll start my brake project!

If you look at the picture closely you can see the outside of the rotor has 1/2″ of metal left. The inside is almost cut to the vanes. I couldn’t even turn the rotor. The caliper clamped to it.

The research phase of brake repairs, and life, is exhausting. There are so many ways to go.

You’ll have better results if you focus on one thing at a time.

August 21, 2015
A Father’s Pride – Allison’s Chicken

My daughter Allison drew this picture of a chicken for me. She’s six years old and knows I like chickens.

Alli drew these tulips on the back of her placemat at a local diner.

Allison, I love your pictures!

August 20, 2015