Finally found the fireplace pics. Blogger only allows a maximum of five photos per blog therefore the two fireplace blogs.
Little history: Jug has a lifetime of construction starting when he was seven years old! His father, Ven, and Shumate uncles were brick/block layers. Ven took little Jug with him to work during the summers as their "helper". But it was not a cute little title for a little boy--he actually was worked like a pack mule. He hated summers. All his boyhood friends got to play all summer while Jug worked like a man. He couldn't wait for school to start back every year so he could rest! But he learned a trade and he learned strong work ethics--and he learned to cuss like a sailor!! Funny--my brother Jim tells me (Jim worked with Jug and Ven during the 80's some) that Jug and his daddy would cuss and swear so that his ears would burn but I've never heard Jug talk like that!
Course as Jug grew to a man he learned to lay the brick and block too. Eventually they expanded to laying rock during the recession of the late 70s, early 80s. Jug says that to keep work they knew they needed to find the folks that could afford to build during those hard times and the people that had money enough were wanting rock. They worked a lot in Winston during those years. Jug taught himself how to design and became the rock mason with his daddy helping him.
Another interesting bit of history: Jug and I were talking recently about his building/construction skills and how fortunate he was to have learned such a valuable trade. I asked him how that came about--just when had he learned to build? I knew he'd learned to lay brick/block and then later rock but what about carpentry? His father was not a carpenter. He said he'd just really watched the carpenters on the construction sites and just picked it up--he's a natural engineer--with an aptitude for how things work, taking something apart and putting it back together, that sort of thing. So I then asked him: "So what was the first thing you ever built on your own?" And his reply: "I guess it was our kitchen!" I 'bout fell off the chair! He was referring to our kitchen that we added on to our house on the lake right after we got married. I had no idea! I thought at the time that he already knew everything he needed to know to build our kitchen! And he was just flying by the seat of his pants the whole time! Just learning as he went!! Amazing what a little confidence and a bit of knowledge but a huge amount of desire to learn more can do!!
Jug studies and measures.... That's the hardwood floor lumber piled up behind him.
Grant and Olivia learned a thing or two about rock laying. We actually used man-made rock--it lays just like real rock but is much lighter and costs less too. Kim didn't lay a single rock! Painting was my contribution.
Jug's always said that rock laying was like fitting a puzzle together. See how they've got the rocks laid out like that? That's so they can scan the pile looking for that perfect piece to go in the hole they're filling. Jug's rock laying style has very little mortar showing and I believe he calls it "dry laying"? Or some such.
And on it goes....note Grant's graffiti. Can't remember what it says--I'll have to ask him.
More next post.
