We have a beautiful 2 story series of picture windows that overlook Lake Winnipeg at my parents cottage. Ever since my parents bought and started building the cottage 15 years ago, it was my fathers dream to create a 'rock wall' - a beautiful wall of stone that he spent years preparing for. First he talked about it for a few years, talking it over with my mom and trying to figure out how he was going to do it. He then spent years hand selecting rocks from our beach front, cutting them in half and he started stock piling these rocks. He looked into tools that he needed to use and even bought a 2 storey scaffolding so that he could reach the top of the picture windows.
Once all the prep work was done he laid this wire mesh, prepped the wall with mortar, and in 2009 he started to create his masterpiece... a wall that he wanted his grandchildren to look at and know that 'Gigi' (Ukrainian for Grandpa) built that wall.
When carbon monoxide poisoning took my fathers life just before Christmas in 2009, he was only half way done. For 2 summers it was a constant reminder of what we lost and all his tools, his unused rocks, mortar and scaffolding remained just the way he left it.
We contemplated contracting someone to finish this work for us....but I finally decided in the spring of 2012 that I was going to finish it. My dad would not have paid someone to finish this job, he believed in doing things himself....Now, I'm not a stone mason, but neither was my dad. Luckily I share the same characteristics as my father - that being mainly stubbornness..but also the ability to conceptualize an idea, and then will it into fruition via trial/error and a lot of patience (and the occasional swearing moment)
So on June 23rd, 2012...I started helping out my Dad - one last time.
Click the link to see the photo documentary.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwEBZcVQi5I
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