Some before and after pictures... and another stone wall

So here's a picture of what the waterfall area looked like before we got our hands on it. It was completely overgrown and it was full of old bramble branches and tree limbs. Basically, it was a dumpling ground. There was no garbage, or anything like that, but it didn't look particularly inviting. In fact, it was impossible to see the waterfall... at any angle. What was once my least favourite areas on the property has become one of my most favourite.

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This picture was taken from the same angle as the picture above, but this time showcasing the new pond that Kevin and Martin created by building a stone wall and diverting water from the waterfall.

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Martin and Nacho cleared all the trees that were obstructing the view of the waterfall. I just love this feature.

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And after doing all that work to create a new pond and clearing out the area where the waterfall flows down to the meet the river, we figured it might be a good idea to build a retaining wall by the riverbank. We're hoping this stone wall will help prevent any damage (or extreme flooding) to this area during the rainiest months. During the dry season, there isn't any real concern since the river remains quite low, but during the rainy season, we definitely experienced the rushing river. Seeing the river so low right now, it's easy to lull ourselves into complacency, but Mother Nature has a way of surprising us so it's best we don't forget what a torrent the river can be.

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It took Martin, Primo and Kevin 5 hours this morning to build this stone wall. When I went down to take pictures, I couldn't believe the size of some of the boulders. The wall is approximately 100 feet long, 3 feet high and 4 feet wide. I know Primo is as strong as an ox, but still, that's a huge amount of work in only 5 hours! No wonder Kevin collapsed on the couch after lunch. Poor guy is knackered, and rightly so! I can't imagine... I was working in the garden, just puttering around weeding and preparing the beds for more planting and I'm aching.

This wall will surely help!

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While Kevin and I were inspecting the new wall, we discovered this little guy. We have several kinds of lizards on the property, and we love them all. They are fun to watch, they eat bugs, they're completely harmless, and some have the most beautiful colouring. I have get sick of watching them. This little guy, however, we had never seen before. He looked more like a salamander. Always something new to discover around here.

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Now that the new grass and dandelions are emerging between the rocks, more butterflies can be seen as well. This butterfly is called a Gulf Fritillary. Truly beautiful. This picture does not do it justice.

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