Last fall, after a trip to Ireland, you may recall that I wrote in a blog post how we no longer use stone to support walls and roofs, but apply it as a thin veneer to imitate structural stone construction. Sadly we have all seen too many soul-sucking examples of counterfeit stone facades that simply don’t fool anyone. It is disheartening. So it is no wonder that, as I was driving a few years back, through a little town just outside of Zion National Park in Utah, my head swiveled sharply to catch a better glimpse of a cluster of homes that were being constructed with,….. wait for it…….. huge blocks of hand-cut sandstone!
Naturally, my husband and I made a “U” turn to investigate. As it turns out, the fellow who was doing the stonework happened to drive up at that moment with a huge block of stone suspended from his rig. It was the beginning of a friendship that has led to several fine adventures because, after all, Brad is not only a superb mason, but is also an accomplished climber.
We have visited with Brad and his wife several times since and lent a hand once in the construction of their new home. Naturally, Brad cut and fit the stone for their walls and fireplace. It is truly a load-bearing stone celebration, fit for a talented mason and once renown climber.
