Friday, January 18, 2008

Some Ideas needed...

I was out at the house site yesterday. The crew has been removing scaffolding, etc. cleaning up the site. We are getting ready for them to start moving dirt and rocks...well, actually, it's pretty much all rocks. We need to build two driveways, one on either side of this garage/workshop:



We also would like to come up with some way to soften the visual impact of this blocky garage sticking out from the hillside. We were thinking of having a bunch of native rock boulders placed on both sides, but that still doesn't hide the sheer face of it. It was not originally supposed to look like this, by the way. The whole house got moved to the left, and it put the garage much more downslope than originally planned. Be that as it may, we are stuck with it for now.

I was thinking a couple of murals on that lower "framed" looking section. (It's full of dirt under there, up to the floor level). La Gringa likes the idea of palm trees, etc. Any thoughts appreciated.

We are also looking for ideas on what to put on the top of it, temporarily, with "temporarily" possibly being a few years. La Gringa wants a Tiki Bar. I am thinking something of massive driftwood. Again, any ideas?

Speaking of La Gringa, I thought some of her fellow bad back sufferers would appreciate a photo of what is helping her immensely, the inversion table:



It's her new twice-daily hangout:



I keep trying to make jokes about bats, and sloths...but she just doesn't think those are funny. Maybe a lower back injury does something to your sense of humor...

Oh...we saw an American Kestrel soaring over the new house. I was thinking of the name "Kestrel" for the house, but didn't know if it was appropriate. It now appears that it might be.

5 comments:

Reefraft said...

La gringa is correct Palms trees. From some of the picture of other house you have shown there are Coconuts available there. It will also provide you with shade in the drive way. Use more than one type, use Montgonery palms (Grow tall and narrow)up against the house to lower the scale on the side of the house Coconuts and anything else that will provide shade but not impede the view. Good Luck. Looks Great. ralph

Unknown said...

A massive driftwood tiki bar...you like wood, you came up with the Christmas stump...You will come up with something cool.
Terrace out the slope so you can plant as the wall goes downslope, you could even put in real palm trees on the lower terraces(they would be high enough to break up the sillouett(sp) but low enough to not block any view!
I like Kestrel...

Anonymous said...

We've been watching your progress and think you need an actual planter bed above the framed area. painted murals will always have to be painted whereas live shrubs or bougainvilla will live a long time if the exposure is right.

Simply Curious said...

She does resemble a bat...I think that's kinda neat.

I can't comment on the other part of the post because I'd have your house looking like a Flintstones mansion.

Satanic Angel said...

oh yes, flintstones mansion does sound exciting.the bat thing is too funny.