24.2 West Terrace and 23.21 Front porch

The evolution of a terrace.

parkingAreaInFrontOfHouse Christmas lights
Note the yew and rhododendron by the front deck are hardly visible. And how small those two oaks in front of the master cedar are.
parkingAreaInFrontOfHouse Feb, 2013
Parking area under snow. Note the growth in the oaks on the right.

parkingAreaInFrontOfHouse
removing steps, prepping for extension of concrete pad
This oak was too close to the new house, soit had to come down. I dropped it within a few inches of where I'd wanted and was very happy I had someone else to help clear it out and help move the final log. Eventually decided to use this log as rounds to add to the garden path paving. Rob and Shannon helping trim up the oak after I dropped it pretty close to where I wanted it to go.

west retaining wall
This will be steps at some odd angles due to drainage needing to go underneath and some kind of link up with existing sidewalk.
Path to the home front door
extend the french drain to the stump, cover with combination of RR ties, gravel and plastic. Make steps straight up to slab, six feet wide or so.

West border of studio parking lot
I think go with RR tie. I do need a hardstand somewhere for working on vehicles and this would be a good location, but would have to actually do a pour for the whole lot, just this part would interfere with parking. Problem is that without concrete, nature has the upper hand and someone has to be constantly on the look out for plant invaders.
moving fill
extra from under oak, with a lot of gravel, moved over here, to firm up the circle driveway.

Cutting rounds for garden path
This oak orginally stood just outside the steps that were demolished to make the studio extension. It took five adults to lift it from where it had lain since cut down last summer up onto these sawhorses. (good sturdy sawhorses built by the builder Allen had on the project and left behind, thank you.) Put tarps down so I could gather the sawdust and add it to the mulch pile rather than have it just add more organic matter to the driveway surface. I keep an eye on the chips as I'm sawing, and when they start becoming too fine, stop and sharpen the chain. Oak is tough. After cutting, giving each side a coating of boiled linseed oil (that I mixed in with a bit of left over TWP). The big rounds are heavy.
4 inch thick rounds to be used in path
Nope, turned out not to work. Oak is not suitable for this, even when treated with at least two different water "proofing" paints. All rotted out within 5 years. The western red cedar blocks are still doing fine and I bought them used at least a year earlier than I cut these rounds.