Those neighboring boulders

When our neighbors due east of us built their house a few years ago, they had to deal with LOTS of boulders. This monster - the size of a VW bus - took a bulldozer and a trackhoe all day to wrestle out of the ground to make way for their driveway!

But as they say, when life gives you lemons... They incorporated those boulders into a massive "retaining wall" at the side of their house. (That's our arena, barn, and house uphill in the distance.)


We have been fortunate on our little acreage; we haven't had to contend with any boulders to speak of. We unearthed a few rocks when we built our house, and there were some boulders already incorporated into the landscaping when we moved here, but that's it.

Halfway down the hill we live on, an old prune orchard has been uprooted this summer in order to replace it with a vineyard. After clearing off the trees, a big bulldozer with huge "tines" on the back worked the ground. I don't know what those prune trees were growing in - there's more rocks in that field than soil! They've been using all manner of heavy equipment, including this trackhoe with a special slotted bucket, to remove the rocks and boulders and haul them away by the truckload.

Some material was used to create a long, low retaining wall in front of the existing house. I can't imagine the cost the owners are incurring in this process....

Across the road and up the hill a short distance, an existing vineyard is bordered by this wall of rocks and boulders.


Do you want to "get a piece of the rock"? Consider visiting us at Boulderneigh - I'm sure the neighbors would send some home with you!