Today as I sit by my woodstove, sipping my coffee, watching the snow fall, I am wishing I could be working, but also I am thankful for all the work I have had over the past few years, and I am so thankful for my wonderful clients who make it possible for me to pursue my passion.  Lately, I have enlisted the help of my roomate and her camera to gather some more high quality images of my work.  Over the course of the summer, I hope to upgrade my pictures to a more artistic and beautiful set of photographs that will capture the enduring beauty of stone.  Here are a few of the pictures that haven't made it to the gallery yet.

Our most recent job is repairs to the stonework on the spillway for the lake at Grandfather Country club.  The project will also involve the construction of 5 stone columns supporting the guardrail for the bridge.  We were hired by Summers Taylor of Elizabethton, TN, a heavy construction specialist whose local projects include the large concrete retaining walls on 421 near New Market Center in Boone NC.

Yesterday I had the privilege of meeting with a group of Asheville stonemasons and Tomas Lipps, director of the Stone Foundation (http://stonefoundation.org/) in anticipation of the upcoming Symposium this fall.  Topics we discussed were lodging, transportation, workshop projects, catering, etc...  We are all very excited to be a part of this event, which brings stone masons and stone enthusiasts from all over the world together for education and camaraderie.

Other news is the completion of a drystone retaining wall In Banner Elk.  I used a thick TN fieldstone to create a simple stone wall which would blend and harmonize with the natural setting of the residence.  The wall is meant to support the foundations of the house which had become exposed by erosion, and to create a path for the owner to access birdfeeders.  I also used stones we reclaimed from a small landing and walls to create a simple path of stepping stones.