08/21/2024
If you've been to my house for tea during the summer or fall (and I hope you have), you know that I have a small obsession with creating things from stone: walls, ledges, terraces and stairs. This summer, my project -- delayed by a month on crutches for a torn foot ligament -- was to finally finish the stairway on the far side of the upper garden (wait: in the spirit of my favorite British novels and shows, I'll make that "Upper Garden"), which falls on the west side of the hill behind us. I haven't done much gardening this year, but I've finally completed the stairs, to the ongoing fascination of the rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels and voles who dwell there and who have been watching me drag rocks around. I think they approve, but it's difficult to be sure. There's definitely been a lot of running up and down the steps; and I saw a squirrel fussing over the level I was using, left on the deck nearby. I feel there's a strong possibility he's planning to check my work for accuracy.
