Oak Trees and Stucco

We got to watch the second coat of stucco going on. Can't wait to see the third coat since that when the color goes on.


I find the whole process quite interesting. The changes in materials, technology, etc., fascinate me.







Now, stucco gets blown on, then any smoothing, etc., happens by hand. Wonder what it was like in the days before big equipment??











Ditto thoughts about tile. We are told you "have" to have green board on walls and tile backing on any upstairs (w sub-floor) tile areas; that tile "can't" be put up/down otherwise. So, how did it happen in ancient Rome and Greece? How has all that beautiful tile held up for centuries w/o green board?


Somewhere along the line craftsmanship has given way to technology. Now don't take that to mean I'm unhappy with the house we are building. I'm not. It's going to be just right. It simply baffles me how we becomes so convinced that something "has to be" a certain way.

At one point I had considered wide pine plank floors, figuring let the dog nails, etc., scratch, let the dents happen, and it will simply develop it's own age and character. I was told you "can't" put pine, a soft wood, on floors. Yet, all over America there are beautiful wide plank pine floors that have been in place for decades.

Oh well, enough of my mental meandering.
If you scroll up and look at the first photo in this post you'll see the oak trees to the left of our house. Here are the ones to the right.


I'm pretty convinced that the name is Sheltering Oaks. I've also found a guy who can do a sign for us. Now I need to design it.

Rock wall starts Thursday. Stay tuned for photos.