O:9:"MagpieRSS":23:{s:6:"parser";i:0;s:12:"current_item";a:0:{}s:5:"items";a:4:{i:0;a:14:{s:5:"title";s:40:"Random Pictures of Interest ? Yawwwwwwwn";s:4:"link";s:66:"http://www.stevesnedeker.com/3021/random-pictures-of-interest.html";s:8:"comments";s:75:"http://www.stevesnedeker.com/3021/random-pictures-of-interest.html#comments";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:31:34 +0000";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:5:"Steve";}s:8:"category";s:62:"Gardening and LandscapingLouisvilleWater features/Bubble Rocks";s:4:"guid";s:36:"http://www.stevesnedeker.com/?p=3021";s:11:"description";s:341:"Strictly eye candy &#8211; hopefully enough to keep everyone entertained&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;  
I am running extremely whimsical with this. In a way, I am just showing pictures from my Mighty Massive photo file system which have not appeared here before. New blood, as it were.
It also gives a chance to plain have some fun without too [...]";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:16679:"<p>Strictly eye candy &#8211; hopefully enough to keep everyone entertained&#8230;&#8230;&#8230; <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>I am running extremely whimsical with this. In a way, I am just showing pictures from my Mighty Massive photo file system which have not appeared here before. New blood, as it were.</p>
<p>It also gives a chance to plain have some fun without too much hyped-up thematic discipline, so it&#8217;s even cooler. The pic below is my brother Mike posing with our very own Mother, often referred to as &#8220;Mom&#8221;. They both seem reasonably happy, so why not etch that rare moment on historical online Eternity? <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':-)' class='wp-smiley' />  I lied, of course. Truth is, we spend <strong>most</strong> of our time laughing.</p>
<p>Anyways, sashay with me through various and sundry pictures, none of which match.</p>
<p><strong>(left click all images to enlarge &#8211; sometimes twice for real detail)</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Pictures-Chinese-Garden-022.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3053" title="Pictures Chinese Garden 022" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Pictures-Chinese-Garden-022-400x300.jpg" alt="Pictures Chinese Garden 022" width="400" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s a hole in the wall at the Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Pictures-Chinese-Garden-026.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3052" title="Pictures Chinese Garden 026" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Pictures-Chinese-Garden-026-400x300.jpg" alt="Pictures Chinese Garden 026" width="400" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>Modernistic planting, somewhere.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/BernheimYewDell-036.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3051" title="BernheimYewDell 036" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/BernheimYewDell-036-400x304.jpg" alt="BernheimYewDell 036" width="400" height="304" /></a></p>
<p>Let&#8217;s face it. You don&#8217;t see Dry Water every day&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/outdoor-glass-art-swon-design-3.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4777" title="outdoor-glass-art-swon-design-3" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/outdoor-glass-art-swon-design-3.jpg" alt="outdoor-glass-art-swon-design-3" width="480" height="384" /></a></p>
<p>A highly-suspicious plant.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/BernheimYewDell-062.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3050" title="BernheimYewDell 062" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/BernheimYewDell-062-400x304.jpg" alt="BernheimYewDell 062" width="400" height="304" /></a></p>
<p>Some interesting Iron Work a very good iron man did at a project of ours.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Apr11126.JPG"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3055" title="Apr11126" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Apr11126-400x234.jpg" alt="Apr11126" width="400" height="234" /></a></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s some iron work of Antonia Gaudi&#8217;s. Now <strong>THIS</strong> is a gate!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/000000.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4785" title="000000" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/000000.jpg" alt="000000" width="454" height="327" /></a></p>
<p>This fountain always tickles me.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/800px-Suntec_City_Fountain_of_Wealth_2_Dec_05.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4778" title="800px-Suntec_City_Fountain_of_Wealth_2_Dec_05" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/800px-Suntec_City_Fountain_of_Wealth_2_Dec_05.jpg" alt="800px-Suntec_City_Fountain_of_Wealth_2_Dec_05" width="480" height="370" /></a></p>
<p>The Portland Japanese Garden is inspiring, quiet and beautiful. Even the fish agree:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/picture-3-109.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3056" title="picture-3-109" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/picture-3-109-400x304.jpg" alt="picture-3-109" width="400" height="304" /></a></p>
<p>Yew Dell Gardens in Fall. Dude could use a haircut and a shave.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/BernheimYewDell-083.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3049" title="BernheimYewDell 083" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/BernheimYewDell-083-304x400.jpg" alt="BernheimYewDell 083" width="304" height="400" /></a></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s that big Singapore fountain at night:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/122.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4779" title="122" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/122.jpg" alt="122" width="470" height="470" /></a></p>
<p>Now, this is a river.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/BernheimYewDell-001.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3048" title="BernheimYewDell 001" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/BernheimYewDell-001-400x304.jpg" alt="BernheimYewDell 001" width="400" height="304" /></a></p>
<p>Multnomah Fall just outside of Portland.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM0700.JPG"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3046" title="HPIM0700" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM0700-304x400.jpg" alt="HPIM0700" width="304" height="400" /></a></p>
<p>I always loved traveling this stretch of road between Reno and Portland, Oregon. It was about 540 miles &#8211; which is a grind no matter how scenic &#8211; but this approach to Mt. Hood not only meant I was getting into more treed areas, it also meant I was within about 60 miles of home. Even in Summer &#8211; with the snow nearly gone &#8211; Mt. Hood was like a relaxing sight.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM0490.JPG"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3044" title="HPIM0490" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM0490-400x304.jpg" alt="HPIM0490" width="400" height="304" /></a></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s a flower!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Crystal-Springs-March-3-09-039.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-large wp-image-4784" title="Crystal Springs March 3 09 039" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Crystal-Springs-March-3-09-039-1024x778.jpg" alt="Crystal Springs March 3 09 039" width="470" height="367" /></a></p>
<p>Dealing with the desert &#8211; you can find some strangeness, for sure. Here is a mulch only a lizard could love. The good news is it grew up nicely.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/SA400015RockyRidge.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3043" title="SA400015RockyRidge" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/SA400015RockyRidge-400x300.jpg" alt="SA400015RockyRidge" width="400" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>And the desert can bloom &#8211; don&#8217;t let anyone tell you different!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/s.jpeg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4786" title="s" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/s.jpeg" alt="s" width="450" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>Prune This!!!!!!!!!! <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Crystal-Springs-March-3-09-026.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3042" title="Crystal Springs March 3 09 026" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Crystal-Springs-March-3-09-026-400x304.jpg" alt="Crystal Springs March 3 09 026" width="400" height="304" /></a></p>
<p>This is a lot of moving water. 6,000 gallons a minute, to be exact.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Img08.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3041" title="Img08" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Img08-400x266.jpg" alt="Img08" width="400" height="266" /></a></p>
<p>Narwals:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/49009450_800px-narwhals_breach.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4783" title="_49009450_800px-narwhals_breach" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/49009450_800px-narwhals_breach.jpg" alt="_49009450_800px-narwhals_breach" width="466" height="260" /></a></p>
<p>Making Bubble Rocks can put you in some tight spaces.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/April-06-023.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3039" title="April 06 023" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/April-06-023-400x300.jpg" alt="April 06 023" width="400" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>And some are tighter than others:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/April-06-027.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3040" title="April 06 027" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/April-06-027-400x300.jpg" alt="April 06 027" width="400" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>I always have liked what we did in making this little creek.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/my-pictures0005.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3038" title="my-pictures0005" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/my-pictures0005-400x266.jpg" alt="my-pictures0005" width="400" height="266" /></a></p>
<p>I absolutely love this picture. I shamelessly add it here, not knowing where I got it. I hope the author does not mind.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/051219_garden_physics_1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3036" title="051219_garden_physics_1" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/051219_garden_physics_1-400x266.jpg" alt="051219_garden_physics_1" width="400" height="266" /></a></p>
<p>&#8220;Sobering&#8221; applies to this military cemetery in Louisville, I&#8217;d think. It is amazing quiet here. Speaking as a veteran, I often wish more of us would visit these places. You&#8217;d be amazed at how many connections you have here and elsewhere.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Cave-Hill-009.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3035" title="Cave Hill 009" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Cave-Hill-009-400x304.jpg" alt="Cave Hill 009" width="400" height="304" /></a></p>
<p>You know you&#8217;re up early when this sight greets you on the drive to work. Of course, then again, it could be lunch time in the Yukon in December. <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM0549.JPG"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3034" title="HPIM0549" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM0549-400x304.jpg" alt="HPIM0549" width="400" height="304" /></a></p>
<p>Would this be called a &#8220;Green Building&#8221;?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Caixa-Forum-Museum-2.jpeg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3033" title="Caixa Forum Museum 2" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Caixa-Forum-Museum-2-267x400.jpg" alt="Caixa Forum Museum 2" width="267" height="400" /></a></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s something you DON&#8217;T want to see when you get low on gas.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/longwalk.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3032" title="longwalk" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/longwalk.jpg" alt="longwalk" width="390" height="248" /></a></p>
<p>Those nutty Barcelonans will do anything for a laugh.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/balmori_associates_bilbao_jardin_2009_garden_08_medium-1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3031" title="balmori_associates_bilbao_jardin_2009_garden_08_medium (1)" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/balmori_associates_bilbao_jardin_2009_garden_08_medium-1-271x400.jpg" alt="balmori_associates_bilbao_jardin_2009_garden_08_medium (1)" width="271" height="400" /></a></p>
<p>An interesting landscaping idea?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/3670246641_745aeb919b_o.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3029" title="3670246641_745aeb919b_o" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/3670246641_745aeb919b_o-400x290.jpg" alt="3670246641_745aeb919b_o" width="400" height="290" /></a></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s Louis XIV and an escaped horse in downtown Louisville.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Gallopalooza-091.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3028" title="Gallopalooza 091" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Gallopalooza-091-304x400.jpg" alt="Gallopalooza 091" width="304" height="400" /></a></p>
<p>This is what it&#8217;s like driving from Reno, over the mountain to lake Tahoe in Winter.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Birthday-005.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3027" title="Birthday 005" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Birthday-005-400x300.jpg" alt="Birthday 005" width="400" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>A patio and landscaping project in Portland.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM0642.JPG"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3026" title="HPIM0642" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM0642-400x304.jpg" alt="HPIM0642" width="400" height="304" /></a></p>
<p>You don&#8217;t see rocks like this every day. Nor woodwork, for that matter.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM1274.JPG"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3025" title="HPIM1274" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM1274-400x304.jpg" alt="HPIM1274" width="400" height="304" /></a>An interesting Architectural feature from the Portland, Oregon Chinese Garden.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM1244.JPG"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3024" title="HPIM1244" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM1244-400x304.jpg" alt="HPIM1244" width="400" height="304" /></a></p>
<p>The Truckee River as it courses through the midst of downtown Reno, Nevada. This shot is at the head of the fabricated kayak run, designed for competitions. Yes, it is in the middle of town.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/reno001.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3023" title="reno001" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/reno001-400x300.jpg" alt="reno001" width="400" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>A luxury swimmin&#8217; hole we helped construct in the woods near Lake Tahoe. We did everything on top &#8211; just not the pool itself. The paving, rocks and all that are ours,</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/my-pictures20002.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3022" title="my-pictures20002" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/my-pictures20002-400x225.jpg" alt="my-pictures20002" width="400" height="225" /></a></p>
<p>Another fountain, now that I am the Fountain Maven at my new blog at <a href="http://www.pondandfountainworld.info/">Pond And Fountain World</a>&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;nothing special, just quite unique.</p>
<p>And unusual.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Top-10-Worlds-Most-Shocking-Fountains-tap.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4781" title="Top-10-Worlds-Most-Shocking-Fountains-tap" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Top-10-Worlds-Most-Shocking-Fountains-tap.jpg" alt="Top-10-Worlds-Most-Shocking-Fountains-tap" width="464" height="584" /></a></p>
<p>Anyone seen my Narwal?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/nosey-Narwhal.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4782" title="nosey Narwhal" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/nosey-Narwhal.jpg" alt="nosey Narwhal" width="397" height="280" /></a></p>
";}s:3:"wfw";a:1:{s:10:"commentrss";s:71:"http://www.stevesnedeker.com/3021/random-pictures-of-interest.html/feed";}s:5:"slash";a:1:{s:8:"comments";s:1:"2";}s:7:"summary";s:341:"Strictly eye candy &#8211; hopefully enough to keep everyone entertained&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;  
I am running extremely whimsical with this. In a way, I am just showing pictures from my Mighty Massive photo file system which have not appeared here before. New blood, as it were.
It also gives a chance to plain have some fun without too [...]";s:12:"atom_content";s:16679:"<p>Strictly eye candy &#8211; hopefully enough to keep everyone entertained&#8230;&#8230;&#8230; <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>I am running extremely whimsical with this. In a way, I am just showing pictures from my Mighty Massive photo file system which have not appeared here before. New blood, as it were.</p>
<p>It also gives a chance to plain have some fun without too much hyped-up thematic discipline, so it&#8217;s even cooler. The pic below is my brother Mike posing with our very own Mother, often referred to as &#8220;Mom&#8221;. They both seem reasonably happy, so why not etch that rare moment on historical online Eternity? <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':-)' class='wp-smiley' />  I lied, of course. Truth is, we spend <strong>most</strong> of our time laughing.</p>
<p>Anyways, sashay with me through various and sundry pictures, none of which match.</p>
<p><strong>(left click all images to enlarge &#8211; sometimes twice for real detail)</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Pictures-Chinese-Garden-022.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3053" title="Pictures Chinese Garden 022" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Pictures-Chinese-Garden-022-400x300.jpg" alt="Pictures Chinese Garden 022" width="400" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s a hole in the wall at the Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Pictures-Chinese-Garden-026.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3052" title="Pictures Chinese Garden 026" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Pictures-Chinese-Garden-026-400x300.jpg" alt="Pictures Chinese Garden 026" width="400" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>Modernistic planting, somewhere.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/BernheimYewDell-036.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3051" title="BernheimYewDell 036" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/BernheimYewDell-036-400x304.jpg" alt="BernheimYewDell 036" width="400" height="304" /></a></p>
<p>Let&#8217;s face it. You don&#8217;t see Dry Water every day&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/outdoor-glass-art-swon-design-3.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4777" title="outdoor-glass-art-swon-design-3" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/outdoor-glass-art-swon-design-3.jpg" alt="outdoor-glass-art-swon-design-3" width="480" height="384" /></a></p>
<p>A highly-suspicious plant.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/BernheimYewDell-062.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3050" title="BernheimYewDell 062" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/BernheimYewDell-062-400x304.jpg" alt="BernheimYewDell 062" width="400" height="304" /></a></p>
<p>Some interesting Iron Work a very good iron man did at a project of ours.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Apr11126.JPG"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3055" title="Apr11126" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Apr11126-400x234.jpg" alt="Apr11126" width="400" height="234" /></a></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s some iron work of Antonia Gaudi&#8217;s. Now <strong>THIS</strong> is a gate!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/000000.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4785" title="000000" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/000000.jpg" alt="000000" width="454" height="327" /></a></p>
<p>This fountain always tickles me.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/800px-Suntec_City_Fountain_of_Wealth_2_Dec_05.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4778" title="800px-Suntec_City_Fountain_of_Wealth_2_Dec_05" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/800px-Suntec_City_Fountain_of_Wealth_2_Dec_05.jpg" alt="800px-Suntec_City_Fountain_of_Wealth_2_Dec_05" width="480" height="370" /></a></p>
<p>The Portland Japanese Garden is inspiring, quiet and beautiful. Even the fish agree:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/picture-3-109.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3056" title="picture-3-109" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/picture-3-109-400x304.jpg" alt="picture-3-109" width="400" height="304" /></a></p>
<p>Yew Dell Gardens in Fall. Dude could use a haircut and a shave.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/BernheimYewDell-083.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3049" title="BernheimYewDell 083" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/BernheimYewDell-083-304x400.jpg" alt="BernheimYewDell 083" width="304" height="400" /></a></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s that big Singapore fountain at night:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/122.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4779" title="122" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/122.jpg" alt="122" width="470" height="470" /></a></p>
<p>Now, this is a river.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/BernheimYewDell-001.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3048" title="BernheimYewDell 001" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/BernheimYewDell-001-400x304.jpg" alt="BernheimYewDell 001" width="400" height="304" /></a></p>
<p>Multnomah Fall just outside of Portland.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM0700.JPG"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3046" title="HPIM0700" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM0700-304x400.jpg" alt="HPIM0700" width="304" height="400" /></a></p>
<p>I always loved traveling this stretch of road between Reno and Portland, Oregon. It was about 540 miles &#8211; which is a grind no matter how scenic &#8211; but this approach to Mt. Hood not only meant I was getting into more treed areas, it also meant I was within about 60 miles of home. Even in Summer &#8211; with the snow nearly gone &#8211; Mt. Hood was like a relaxing sight.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM0490.JPG"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3044" title="HPIM0490" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM0490-400x304.jpg" alt="HPIM0490" width="400" height="304" /></a></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s a flower!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Crystal-Springs-March-3-09-039.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-large wp-image-4784" title="Crystal Springs March 3 09 039" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Crystal-Springs-March-3-09-039-1024x778.jpg" alt="Crystal Springs March 3 09 039" width="470" height="367" /></a></p>
<p>Dealing with the desert &#8211; you can find some strangeness, for sure. Here is a mulch only a lizard could love. The good news is it grew up nicely.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/SA400015RockyRidge.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3043" title="SA400015RockyRidge" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/SA400015RockyRidge-400x300.jpg" alt="SA400015RockyRidge" width="400" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>And the desert can bloom &#8211; don&#8217;t let anyone tell you different!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/s.jpeg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4786" title="s" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/s.jpeg" alt="s" width="450" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>Prune This!!!!!!!!!! <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Crystal-Springs-March-3-09-026.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3042" title="Crystal Springs March 3 09 026" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Crystal-Springs-March-3-09-026-400x304.jpg" alt="Crystal Springs March 3 09 026" width="400" height="304" /></a></p>
<p>This is a lot of moving water. 6,000 gallons a minute, to be exact.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Img08.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3041" title="Img08" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Img08-400x266.jpg" alt="Img08" width="400" height="266" /></a></p>
<p>Narwals:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/49009450_800px-narwhals_breach.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4783" title="_49009450_800px-narwhals_breach" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/49009450_800px-narwhals_breach.jpg" alt="_49009450_800px-narwhals_breach" width="466" height="260" /></a></p>
<p>Making Bubble Rocks can put you in some tight spaces.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/April-06-023.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3039" title="April 06 023" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/April-06-023-400x300.jpg" alt="April 06 023" width="400" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>And some are tighter than others:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/April-06-027.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3040" title="April 06 027" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/April-06-027-400x300.jpg" alt="April 06 027" width="400" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>I always have liked what we did in making this little creek.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/my-pictures0005.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3038" title="my-pictures0005" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/my-pictures0005-400x266.jpg" alt="my-pictures0005" width="400" height="266" /></a></p>
<p>I absolutely love this picture. I shamelessly add it here, not knowing where I got it. I hope the author does not mind.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/051219_garden_physics_1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3036" title="051219_garden_physics_1" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/051219_garden_physics_1-400x266.jpg" alt="051219_garden_physics_1" width="400" height="266" /></a></p>
<p>&#8220;Sobering&#8221; applies to this military cemetery in Louisville, I&#8217;d think. It is amazing quiet here. Speaking as a veteran, I often wish more of us would visit these places. You&#8217;d be amazed at how many connections you have here and elsewhere.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Cave-Hill-009.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3035" title="Cave Hill 009" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Cave-Hill-009-400x304.jpg" alt="Cave Hill 009" width="400" height="304" /></a></p>
<p>You know you&#8217;re up early when this sight greets you on the drive to work. Of course, then again, it could be lunch time in the Yukon in December. <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM0549.JPG"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3034" title="HPIM0549" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM0549-400x304.jpg" alt="HPIM0549" width="400" height="304" /></a></p>
<p>Would this be called a &#8220;Green Building&#8221;?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Caixa-Forum-Museum-2.jpeg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3033" title="Caixa Forum Museum 2" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Caixa-Forum-Museum-2-267x400.jpg" alt="Caixa Forum Museum 2" width="267" height="400" /></a></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s something you DON&#8217;T want to see when you get low on gas.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/longwalk.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3032" title="longwalk" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/longwalk.jpg" alt="longwalk" width="390" height="248" /></a></p>
<p>Those nutty Barcelonans will do anything for a laugh.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/balmori_associates_bilbao_jardin_2009_garden_08_medium-1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3031" title="balmori_associates_bilbao_jardin_2009_garden_08_medium (1)" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/balmori_associates_bilbao_jardin_2009_garden_08_medium-1-271x400.jpg" alt="balmori_associates_bilbao_jardin_2009_garden_08_medium (1)" width="271" height="400" /></a></p>
<p>An interesting landscaping idea?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/3670246641_745aeb919b_o.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3029" title="3670246641_745aeb919b_o" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/3670246641_745aeb919b_o-400x290.jpg" alt="3670246641_745aeb919b_o" width="400" height="290" /></a></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s Louis XIV and an escaped horse in downtown Louisville.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Gallopalooza-091.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3028" title="Gallopalooza 091" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Gallopalooza-091-304x400.jpg" alt="Gallopalooza 091" width="304" height="400" /></a></p>
<p>This is what it&#8217;s like driving from Reno, over the mountain to lake Tahoe in Winter.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Birthday-005.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3027" title="Birthday 005" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Birthday-005-400x300.jpg" alt="Birthday 005" width="400" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>A patio and landscaping project in Portland.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM0642.JPG"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3026" title="HPIM0642" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM0642-400x304.jpg" alt="HPIM0642" width="400" height="304" /></a></p>
<p>You don&#8217;t see rocks like this every day. Nor woodwork, for that matter.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM1274.JPG"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3025" title="HPIM1274" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM1274-400x304.jpg" alt="HPIM1274" width="400" height="304" /></a>An interesting Architectural feature from the Portland, Oregon Chinese Garden.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM1244.JPG"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3024" title="HPIM1244" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/HPIM1244-400x304.jpg" alt="HPIM1244" width="400" height="304" /></a></p>
<p>The Truckee River as it courses through the midst of downtown Reno, Nevada. This shot is at the head of the fabricated kayak run, designed for competitions. Yes, it is in the middle of town.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/reno001.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3023" title="reno001" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/reno001-400x300.jpg" alt="reno001" width="400" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>A luxury swimmin&#8217; hole we helped construct in the woods near Lake Tahoe. We did everything on top &#8211; just not the pool itself. The paving, rocks and all that are ours,</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/my-pictures20002.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3022" title="my-pictures20002" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/my-pictures20002-400x225.jpg" alt="my-pictures20002" width="400" height="225" /></a></p>
<p>Another fountain, now that I am the Fountain Maven at my new blog at <a href="http://www.pondandfountainworld.info/">Pond And Fountain World</a>&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;nothing special, just quite unique.</p>
<p>And unusual.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Top-10-Worlds-Most-Shocking-Fountains-tap.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4781" title="Top-10-Worlds-Most-Shocking-Fountains-tap" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/Top-10-Worlds-Most-Shocking-Fountains-tap.jpg" alt="Top-10-Worlds-Most-Shocking-Fountains-tap" width="464" height="584" /></a></p>
<p>Anyone seen my Narwal?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/nosey-Narwhal.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4782" title="nosey Narwhal" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2010/02/nosey-Narwhal.jpg" alt="nosey Narwhal" width="397" height="280" /></a></p>
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1298489494;}i:1;a:14:{s:5:"title";s:39:"Musical Interlude ? Weather Report 1983";s:4:"link";s:76:"http://www.stevesnedeker.com/4770/musical-interlude-weather-report-1983.html";s:8:"comments";s:85:"http://www.stevesnedeker.com/4770/musical-interlude-weather-report-1983.html#comments";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Sun, 20 Feb 2011 21:40:38 +0000";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:5:"Steve";}s:8:"category";s:18:"Musical Interludes";s:4:"guid";s:36:"http://www.stevesnedeker.com/?p=4770";s:11:"description";s:350:"Pretty much my all time favorite musical people &#8211; once again with the Weather Report love.
Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter make my All World team. From a concert in Singapore, 1983, the tune &#8220;The Peasant&#8221; &#8211; peaceful, lyrical, sometimes nice and surprising. I find it incredible sometimes at how simple it all can be. These [...]";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:989:"<p>Pretty much my all time favorite musical people &#8211; once again with the Weather Report love.</p>
<p>Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter make my All World team. From a concert in Singapore, 1983, the tune &#8220;The Peasant&#8221; &#8211; peaceful, lyrical, sometimes nice and surprising. I find it incredible sometimes at how simple it all can be. These guys made New music.</p>
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";}s:3:"wfw";a:1:{s:10:"commentrss";s:81:"http://www.stevesnedeker.com/4770/musical-interlude-weather-report-1983.html/feed";}s:5:"slash";a:1:{s:8:"comments";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:350:"Pretty much my all time favorite musical people &#8211; once again with the Weather Report love.
Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter make my All World team. From a concert in Singapore, 1983, the tune &#8220;The Peasant&#8221; &#8211; peaceful, lyrical, sometimes nice and surprising. I find it incredible sometimes at how simple it all can be. These [...]";s:12:"atom_content";s:989:"<p>Pretty much my all time favorite musical people &#8211; once again with the Weather Report love.</p>
<p>Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter make my All World team. From a concert in Singapore, 1983, the tune &#8220;The Peasant&#8221; &#8211; peaceful, lyrical, sometimes nice and surprising. I find it incredible sometimes at how simple it all can be. These guys made New music.</p>
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";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1298238038;}i:2;a:14:{s:5:"title";s:50:"Bill Hermant ? One Of My 5 Most Interesting People";s:4:"link";s:87:"http://www.stevesnedeker.com/3930/bill-hermant-one-of-my-5-most-interesting-people.html";s:8:"comments";s:96:"http://www.stevesnedeker.com/3930/bill-hermant-one-of-my-5-most-interesting-people.html#comments";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Tue, 15 Feb 2011 18:25:24 +0000";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:5:"Steve";}s:8:"category";s:6:"People";s:4:"guid";s:36:"http://www.stevesnedeker.com/?p=3930";s:11:"description";s:326:"
The over-sized racer on the inside/right, above, is my good friend and former business partner, Bill Hermant. The camera is not deceiving anyone &#8211; yes, he&#8217;s is that much bigger! This particular shot, as I recall, comes from a race in Denver, Colorado where he continued a pretty good year in 2007 with a 7th [...]";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:14461:"<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/bill150den1.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4746" title="bill150den" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/bill150den1.jpg" alt="bill150den" width="486" height="361" /></a></p>
<p>The over-sized racer on the inside/right, above, is my good friend and former business partner, Bill Hermant. The camera is not deceiving anyone &#8211; yes, he&#8217;s is that much bigger! This particular shot, as I recall, comes from a race in Denver, Colorado where he continued a pretty good year in 2007 with a 7th place finish in the World. And just ignore the couple hundred cleats on those tires, too. Bill was an interesting entrant in those races for a number of reasons &#8211; one, he was over 50, racing in a sport with a slew of 20 something&#8217;s and, two, because he is 6&#8242; 3&#8243; and around 210 pounds, hardly the predictable size either in a sport where the average size and weight is usually around 5&#8242; 9&#8243;, 155.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s my Reno friend and ex-business partner, Bill Hermant, who is among the 5 Most Interesting people I have ever met in my life. This rough-and-ready guy meets every criterion as a &#8220;Man&#8217;s Man&#8221;, yet to watch him with his lovely grandchildren, you see a heart as big as the sky itself. He has the love of his very devoted wife, LaDonna, of his children, Kim and Bill, Junior, and of his employees. He also scores lots more love when he sponsors or else runs the softball teams I had played on for over a decade.</p>
<p>Most importantly, when the time comes, if necessary, this guy goes to war for you. We&#8217;re talking always. Bill is a man of intense loyalties. He has been &#8216;let down&#8217; by his friends more than once, but in the Dictionary, when you look up the term &#8220;Loyalty&#8221;, then Bill Hermant&#8217;s mug shot should be right there.</p>
<p>Here is a shrunken &#8217;screengrab&#8217; shot of what Bill actually owns:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.renocycles.com/"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4738" title="phpk9BilkPM" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/phpk9BilkPM.jpg" alt="phpk9BilkPM" width="432" height="232" /></a></p>
<p>(click on the image and it will take you to the website itself for &#8216;Reno Cycles &amp; Gear&#8217;)</p>
<p>Bill began selling motorcycle parts for a living while living in Hayward, California. Bill grew up across the bay, in San Fransisco. Living in South San Fransisco, where the streets can be just a bit &#8220;mean&#8221;, Bill used to be a regular at Giants games in Candlestick Park. In fact, maybe one of the funniest things he ever told me was that he thought every kid went to hundreds of major league baseball games as a kid. <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' />  He was literally shocked when he heard that wasn&#8217;t always the case. But his upbringing grounded him and made him a very focused business person later in life &#8211; a focus he has always maintained to this very moment in time.</p>
<p>Anyway, he moved to Reno in about &#8216;95 or so, setting up his &#8216;Reno Cycles &amp; Gear&#8217; brand and store. Here&#8217;s where he moved and also why he decided to ask about maybe partnering up in landscaping. He needed help, lol.</p>
<p>(click all images to enlarge)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/oct1139-800.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4751" title="oct1139-800" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/oct1139-800.jpg" alt="oct1139-800" width="480" height="326" /></a></p>
<p>Bill had developed a huge love for the game of baseball, then &#8220;mutatis mutandi&#8221;, softball. It was here &#8211; adult, slow pitch softball &#8211; where we met and subsequently stayed on teams together, playing literally hundreds of games. We honestly appreciated each other for a mutual competitive fire.</p>
<p>Then, incidentally, when I found myself out of work one Autumn&#8230;&#8230;..we&#8217;re talking at the worst possible time for a landscaper to be out of work in Northern Nevada,&#8230;&#8230;. Bill saw my need &#8211; (and he showed me his personal residential need, lol) &#8211; and we developed a game plan to make a run at business together. Bill sprung for the purchase of a Bobcat &#8211; and a killer, heavy duty one at that which we bought through our third baseman, Brent Adams, (another oft-overlooked benefit of actually playing sports) which was in excellent, though very &#8220;broken in&#8221; condition. We bought a cheap little truck and we were off to the landscaping races. With the Bobcat, we went a little crazy and then accomplished a few wonders around his home.</p>
<p>We made a small creek and waterfall way out back at his home which Donna was so crazy about she kept her window open at night &#8211; in Winter &#8211; to be able to hear it. It started humbly enough &#8211; man it was dusty back there.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/oct1025.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-large wp-image-4752" title="oct1025" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/oct1025-1024x688.jpg" alt="oct1025" width="480" height="360" /></a></p>
<p>It evolved. Bill&#8217;s first comments as we were installing the first plantings were something along the lines of: &#8220;You mean I paid $350 for those sticks??&#8221; <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' />  Hell, it turned out Bill was normal! He didn&#8217;t know Jack Squat about landscaping!</p>
<p>The &#8220;sticks&#8221; worked out just fine, OK, just as our softball team did. He smiled later. We went from this&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/oct1144-800.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4753" title="oct1144-800" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/oct1144-800.jpg" alt="oct1144-800" width="480" height="329" /></a></p>
<p>To this:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/sa400169-800.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4754" title="sa400169-800" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/sa400169-800.jpg" alt="sa400169-800" width="480" height="360" /></a></p>
<p>And this:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/sa400161-800.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4755" title="sa400161-800" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/sa400161-800.jpg" alt="sa400161-800" width="480" height="359" /></a></p>
<p>And this&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;. and then it was just the other parts of the bizz and sports we spoke of. At home, life was good.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/sa400168.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4756" title="sa400168" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/sa400168.jpg" alt="sa400168" width="480" height="305" /></a></p>
<p>Bill became &#8211; or always was &#8211; crazy about <strong>participating</strong> in sports in general. This is a key element here. He didn&#8217;t spend his time watching &#8211; this is a guy who wants to be in things, deeply. He was never the most gifted athlete, but Bill found ways to make himself valuable is what he did, in softball. He used strength, great reflexes and plain competitive spirit to lead every team he played on to just a little higher plane. We could lose games and he would often get morose, lol, while the rest of us were on our way to grab beer and yuk it up. Naturally, we pulled him hard enough in a bunch of cases to make sure he joined. No one wanted Bill frowning. But also, no one missed his reaction, either. His is the sort of influence you can&#8217;t buy.</p>
<p><strong>Racing</strong></p>
<p>Bill loves to race. He has become every bit the motor head but his competitive spirit is far more in tune with racing things. Bill loves speed, mechanical crap and loves to race. He raced often in Auburn, California in car races, on their dirt track. He still does. More importantly, however, what Bill ended up happening onto was the bizarre, crazy and hyper-competitive <strong>Ice Racing</strong> field, which he jumped into in the mid-90&#8217;s and which this 50-something meat eater even still enjoys.</p>
<p>He is quite highly-regarded in Europe, where this sport was actually invented to give the amazingly huge number of motorcycle racing fans something to watch during Winters in the off season. What happened instead was the bloom of yet another wildly popular racing niche which became an organization and category all its own. He once showed me an interview he made with an English magazine, where he spoke about how invigorating it was to race in front of relatively huge crowds of Europeans who, he said &#8220;Already know who I am.&#8221; Hell, he had fans, 6,000 miles from home!</p>
<p><strong>The &#8220;Downside&#8221;</strong> <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>Naturally, among other things aside from international Notoriety, what became of all this was an incredibly long and varied litany of injuries. He is also one of the the hardest-headed humans in history too. Just ask Donna!</p>
<p>Once, he and Donna flew to Washington, DC because the airport in North Carolina had been &#8217;snowed out&#8217;. It was during a real mega storm, dropping 3 feet of snow on the Eastern Seaboard. He had a certain number of hours to make Greensboro in time to race so they rented a car and drove, he and LaDonna. It sounded very thrilling as they did indeed make it on time &#8211; but just. By the time he got out of the car, it was almost race time.</p>
<p>On his first lap, someone takes him out and he crashes face first into the hockey boards (all indoor ice racing events are in hockey rinks). He breaks his nose and really hurt his shoulder, as I recall. (I believe the legs were another year <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' />  )</p>
<p>Anyway, what he remembers is looking up, dazed, and some woman pointing at him and screaming &#8220;Oh my God! Look at his face!!&#8221; Knowing Bill, he had blood spattered all over himself. Another ghoulish portrait in Red! <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>The world can be cruel. Well, he made all the other races that day, broken stuff and all and then flew home for his patch-up. After all, there was softball within a couple weeks. No one could picture that scenario &#8211; LaDonna, his wife was apoplectic about his even thinking about practicing in his various casts (a yearly lament, lol) - but he proved up to the task! And we probably won our softball championship as per usual. There were quite a few.</p>
<p>I go on about all the personal stuff because he is just easy to talk about. But there&#8217;s more to him.</p>
<p>Bill has historically given oodles of time and energy to Reno Special Olympics. He has a depth of concern over infant retardation which might just be his finest quality. And let me include his lovely wife here as well. He can always be counted on to donate time and green energy to this cause, as well as many others.</p>
<p>His social standing in the community of Reno is large and respected. His premises host the yearly Christmas Ride Rally For Tots, an event where bikers gather presents for disadvantaged youth. His shop also hosts a very cool Reno-specific festival called <a href="http://www.road-shows.com/street_vibrations.php"><strong>Street Vibrations</strong></a>, which is a motorcycle equivalent of their famous Hot August Nights. With the local Harley Davidson dealership, Bill and his Reno Cycles &amp; Gear provides a place for partying and collecting.</p>
<p>Here, Bill is seen with Arlen Ness, famous motorcycle constructor and developer, at Street Vibrations in Reno:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/dsc035311.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4761" title="dsc03531" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/dsc035311.jpg" alt="dsc03531" width="480" height="360" /></a></p>
<p>(Bill&#8217;s the big guy &#8211; <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':-)' class='wp-smiley' />  )</p>
<p>And here is probably what Arlen arrived in Reno riding (The Victory Vision):</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/dsc035331.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4762" title="dsc03533" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/dsc035331.jpg" alt="dsc03533" width="480" height="360" /></a></p>
<p>Bill sells more Polaris off road vehicles than any dealer west of the Mississippi. His shop is probably the best shop in Reno. He speaks with clients personally and in depth, not just to sell things, but to ascertain and assess their needs. He advocates spending wisely.</p>
<p><strong>Landscaping Partners</strong></p>
<p>Bill and I oversaw a 5 year run of varied successes. In the end, the economy reduced our chances at success to pretty much zero with the advent of the Economic Crisis and I have to admit to my own personal exhaustion causing the end of our run together. He would never have given up, the truth is. I admit this freely.</p>
<p>Our successes were pretty cool, however. We did tons of great work in all sorts of different ways &#8211; using the newest machinery and products and constructing the bulk of project we see in this blog. Yes, almost everything in here which is Ren0-based was done during our partnership. He loved visiting projects, knowing the working guys intimately, rubbing elbows with clients and simply developing the business. He had far more business acumen than I could ever dream of possessing. And more patience.</p>
<p>It was also very cool talking in the third inning of a game where our opposition was spitting nails in frustration as we paraded to the plate scoring huge runs, when Bill would ask: &#8220;How&#8217;s Juan&#8217;s back?&#8221;</p>
<p>Bil Hermant &#8211; extremely good businessman, high achiever, a loyal and fantastic partner and a hell of an interesting man.</p>
";}s:3:"wfw";a:1:{s:10:"commentrss";s:92:"http://www.stevesnedeker.com/3930/bill-hermant-one-of-my-5-most-interesting-people.html/feed";}s:5:"slash";a:1:{s:8:"comments";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:326:"
The over-sized racer on the inside/right, above, is my good friend and former business partner, Bill Hermant. The camera is not deceiving anyone &#8211; yes, he&#8217;s is that much bigger! This particular shot, as I recall, comes from a race in Denver, Colorado where he continued a pretty good year in 2007 with a 7th [...]";s:12:"atom_content";s:14461:"<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/bill150den1.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4746" title="bill150den" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/bill150den1.jpg" alt="bill150den" width="486" height="361" /></a></p>
<p>The over-sized racer on the inside/right, above, is my good friend and former business partner, Bill Hermant. The camera is not deceiving anyone &#8211; yes, he&#8217;s is that much bigger! This particular shot, as I recall, comes from a race in Denver, Colorado where he continued a pretty good year in 2007 with a 7th place finish in the World. And just ignore the couple hundred cleats on those tires, too. Bill was an interesting entrant in those races for a number of reasons &#8211; one, he was over 50, racing in a sport with a slew of 20 something&#8217;s and, two, because he is 6&#8242; 3&#8243; and around 210 pounds, hardly the predictable size either in a sport where the average size and weight is usually around 5&#8242; 9&#8243;, 155.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s my Reno friend and ex-business partner, Bill Hermant, who is among the 5 Most Interesting people I have ever met in my life. This rough-and-ready guy meets every criterion as a &#8220;Man&#8217;s Man&#8221;, yet to watch him with his lovely grandchildren, you see a heart as big as the sky itself. He has the love of his very devoted wife, LaDonna, of his children, Kim and Bill, Junior, and of his employees. He also scores lots more love when he sponsors or else runs the softball teams I had played on for over a decade.</p>
<p>Most importantly, when the time comes, if necessary, this guy goes to war for you. We&#8217;re talking always. Bill is a man of intense loyalties. He has been &#8216;let down&#8217; by his friends more than once, but in the Dictionary, when you look up the term &#8220;Loyalty&#8221;, then Bill Hermant&#8217;s mug shot should be right there.</p>
<p>Here is a shrunken &#8217;screengrab&#8217; shot of what Bill actually owns:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.renocycles.com/"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4738" title="phpk9BilkPM" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/phpk9BilkPM.jpg" alt="phpk9BilkPM" width="432" height="232" /></a></p>
<p>(click on the image and it will take you to the website itself for &#8216;Reno Cycles &amp; Gear&#8217;)</p>
<p>Bill began selling motorcycle parts for a living while living in Hayward, California. Bill grew up across the bay, in San Fransisco. Living in South San Fransisco, where the streets can be just a bit &#8220;mean&#8221;, Bill used to be a regular at Giants games in Candlestick Park. In fact, maybe one of the funniest things he ever told me was that he thought every kid went to hundreds of major league baseball games as a kid. <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' />  He was literally shocked when he heard that wasn&#8217;t always the case. But his upbringing grounded him and made him a very focused business person later in life &#8211; a focus he has always maintained to this very moment in time.</p>
<p>Anyway, he moved to Reno in about &#8216;95 or so, setting up his &#8216;Reno Cycles &amp; Gear&#8217; brand and store. Here&#8217;s where he moved and also why he decided to ask about maybe partnering up in landscaping. He needed help, lol.</p>
<p>(click all images to enlarge)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/oct1139-800.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4751" title="oct1139-800" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/oct1139-800.jpg" alt="oct1139-800" width="480" height="326" /></a></p>
<p>Bill had developed a huge love for the game of baseball, then &#8220;mutatis mutandi&#8221;, softball. It was here &#8211; adult, slow pitch softball &#8211; where we met and subsequently stayed on teams together, playing literally hundreds of games. We honestly appreciated each other for a mutual competitive fire.</p>
<p>Then, incidentally, when I found myself out of work one Autumn&#8230;&#8230;..we&#8217;re talking at the worst possible time for a landscaper to be out of work in Northern Nevada,&#8230;&#8230;. Bill saw my need &#8211; (and he showed me his personal residential need, lol) &#8211; and we developed a game plan to make a run at business together. Bill sprung for the purchase of a Bobcat &#8211; and a killer, heavy duty one at that which we bought through our third baseman, Brent Adams, (another oft-overlooked benefit of actually playing sports) which was in excellent, though very &#8220;broken in&#8221; condition. We bought a cheap little truck and we were off to the landscaping races. With the Bobcat, we went a little crazy and then accomplished a few wonders around his home.</p>
<p>We made a small creek and waterfall way out back at his home which Donna was so crazy about she kept her window open at night &#8211; in Winter &#8211; to be able to hear it. It started humbly enough &#8211; man it was dusty back there.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/oct1025.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-large wp-image-4752" title="oct1025" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/oct1025-1024x688.jpg" alt="oct1025" width="480" height="360" /></a></p>
<p>It evolved. Bill&#8217;s first comments as we were installing the first plantings were something along the lines of: &#8220;You mean I paid $350 for those sticks??&#8221; <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' />  Hell, it turned out Bill was normal! He didn&#8217;t know Jack Squat about landscaping!</p>
<p>The &#8220;sticks&#8221; worked out just fine, OK, just as our softball team did. He smiled later. We went from this&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/oct1144-800.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4753" title="oct1144-800" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/oct1144-800.jpg" alt="oct1144-800" width="480" height="329" /></a></p>
<p>To this:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/sa400169-800.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4754" title="sa400169-800" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/sa400169-800.jpg" alt="sa400169-800" width="480" height="360" /></a></p>
<p>And this:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/sa400161-800.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4755" title="sa400161-800" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/sa400161-800.jpg" alt="sa400161-800" width="480" height="359" /></a></p>
<p>And this&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;. and then it was just the other parts of the bizz and sports we spoke of. At home, life was good.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/sa400168.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4756" title="sa400168" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/sa400168.jpg" alt="sa400168" width="480" height="305" /></a></p>
<p>Bill became &#8211; or always was &#8211; crazy about <strong>participating</strong> in sports in general. This is a key element here. He didn&#8217;t spend his time watching &#8211; this is a guy who wants to be in things, deeply. He was never the most gifted athlete, but Bill found ways to make himself valuable is what he did, in softball. He used strength, great reflexes and plain competitive spirit to lead every team he played on to just a little higher plane. We could lose games and he would often get morose, lol, while the rest of us were on our way to grab beer and yuk it up. Naturally, we pulled him hard enough in a bunch of cases to make sure he joined. No one wanted Bill frowning. But also, no one missed his reaction, either. His is the sort of influence you can&#8217;t buy.</p>
<p><strong>Racing</strong></p>
<p>Bill loves to race. He has become every bit the motor head but his competitive spirit is far more in tune with racing things. Bill loves speed, mechanical crap and loves to race. He raced often in Auburn, California in car races, on their dirt track. He still does. More importantly, however, what Bill ended up happening onto was the bizarre, crazy and hyper-competitive <strong>Ice Racing</strong> field, which he jumped into in the mid-90&#8217;s and which this 50-something meat eater even still enjoys.</p>
<p>He is quite highly-regarded in Europe, where this sport was actually invented to give the amazingly huge number of motorcycle racing fans something to watch during Winters in the off season. What happened instead was the bloom of yet another wildly popular racing niche which became an organization and category all its own. He once showed me an interview he made with an English magazine, where he spoke about how invigorating it was to race in front of relatively huge crowds of Europeans who, he said &#8220;Already know who I am.&#8221; Hell, he had fans, 6,000 miles from home!</p>
<p><strong>The &#8220;Downside&#8221;</strong> <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>Naturally, among other things aside from international Notoriety, what became of all this was an incredibly long and varied litany of injuries. He is also one of the the hardest-headed humans in history too. Just ask Donna!</p>
<p>Once, he and Donna flew to Washington, DC because the airport in North Carolina had been &#8217;snowed out&#8217;. It was during a real mega storm, dropping 3 feet of snow on the Eastern Seaboard. He had a certain number of hours to make Greensboro in time to race so they rented a car and drove, he and LaDonna. It sounded very thrilling as they did indeed make it on time &#8211; but just. By the time he got out of the car, it was almost race time.</p>
<p>On his first lap, someone takes him out and he crashes face first into the hockey boards (all indoor ice racing events are in hockey rinks). He breaks his nose and really hurt his shoulder, as I recall. (I believe the legs were another year <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' />  )</p>
<p>Anyway, what he remembers is looking up, dazed, and some woman pointing at him and screaming &#8220;Oh my God! Look at his face!!&#8221; Knowing Bill, he had blood spattered all over himself. Another ghoulish portrait in Red! <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>The world can be cruel. Well, he made all the other races that day, broken stuff and all and then flew home for his patch-up. After all, there was softball within a couple weeks. No one could picture that scenario &#8211; LaDonna, his wife was apoplectic about his even thinking about practicing in his various casts (a yearly lament, lol) - but he proved up to the task! And we probably won our softball championship as per usual. There were quite a few.</p>
<p>I go on about all the personal stuff because he is just easy to talk about. But there&#8217;s more to him.</p>
<p>Bill has historically given oodles of time and energy to Reno Special Olympics. He has a depth of concern over infant retardation which might just be his finest quality. And let me include his lovely wife here as well. He can always be counted on to donate time and green energy to this cause, as well as many others.</p>
<p>His social standing in the community of Reno is large and respected. His premises host the yearly Christmas Ride Rally For Tots, an event where bikers gather presents for disadvantaged youth. His shop also hosts a very cool Reno-specific festival called <a href="http://www.road-shows.com/street_vibrations.php"><strong>Street Vibrations</strong></a>, which is a motorcycle equivalent of their famous Hot August Nights. With the local Harley Davidson dealership, Bill and his Reno Cycles &amp; Gear provides a place for partying and collecting.</p>
<p>Here, Bill is seen with Arlen Ness, famous motorcycle constructor and developer, at Street Vibrations in Reno:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/dsc035311.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4761" title="dsc03531" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/dsc035311.jpg" alt="dsc03531" width="480" height="360" /></a></p>
<p>(Bill&#8217;s the big guy &#8211; <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':-)' class='wp-smiley' />  )</p>
<p>And here is probably what Arlen arrived in Reno riding (The Victory Vision):</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/dsc035331.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4762" title="dsc03533" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/dsc035331.jpg" alt="dsc03533" width="480" height="360" /></a></p>
<p>Bill sells more Polaris off road vehicles than any dealer west of the Mississippi. His shop is probably the best shop in Reno. He speaks with clients personally and in depth, not just to sell things, but to ascertain and assess their needs. He advocates spending wisely.</p>
<p><strong>Landscaping Partners</strong></p>
<p>Bill and I oversaw a 5 year run of varied successes. In the end, the economy reduced our chances at success to pretty much zero with the advent of the Economic Crisis and I have to admit to my own personal exhaustion causing the end of our run together. He would never have given up, the truth is. I admit this freely.</p>
<p>Our successes were pretty cool, however. We did tons of great work in all sorts of different ways &#8211; using the newest machinery and products and constructing the bulk of project we see in this blog. Yes, almost everything in here which is Ren0-based was done during our partnership. He loved visiting projects, knowing the working guys intimately, rubbing elbows with clients and simply developing the business. He had far more business acumen than I could ever dream of possessing. And more patience.</p>
<p>It was also very cool talking in the third inning of a game where our opposition was spitting nails in frustration as we paraded to the plate scoring huge runs, when Bill would ask: &#8220;How&#8217;s Juan&#8217;s back?&#8221;</p>
<p>Bil Hermant &#8211; extremely good businessman, high achiever, a loyal and fantastic partner and a hell of an interesting man.</p>
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1297794324;}i:3;a:14:{s:5:"title";s:54:"The Most Modern Tools Of The Trade ? Landscaping Notes";s:4:"link";s:91:"http://www.stevesnedeker.com/4701/the-most-modern-tools-of-the-trade-landscaping-notes.html";s:8:"comments";s:100:"http://www.stevesnedeker.com/4701/the-most-modern-tools-of-the-trade-landscaping-notes.html#comments";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:58:24 +0000";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:5:"Steve";}s:8:"category";s:40:"Design ThemesThe Landcaping Trade Itself";s:4:"guid";s:36:"http://www.stevesnedeker.com/?p=4701";s:11:"description";s:429:"This is all about mental and physical things&#8230;&#8230;.
The &#8220;mental tools&#8221; and the wherewithal to use the &#8220;physical tools&#8221; can and most often come from various combination of events &#8211; general osmosis, class, on the job comparisons and experience. But both are extremely real, and each can be either modern or classical&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;.to some degree.
Mental Tools
Landscaping requires [...]";s:7:"content";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";s:10935:"<p>This is all about mental <strong>and </strong>physical things&#8230;&#8230;.</p>
<p>The &#8220;mental tools&#8221; and the wherewithal to use the &#8220;physical tools&#8221; can and most often come from various combination of events &#8211; general osmosis, class, on the job comparisons and experience. But both are extremely real, and each can be either modern or classical&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;.to some degree.</p>
<p><strong>Mental Tools</strong></p>
<p>Landscaping requires at least a rudimentary knowledge of the following fields:</p>
<p>Electrical Trades, Carpentry, Cement Technology, Hydrology (the behavior of water), Gas and access to the various kinds of gas used outdoors.</p>
<p>Additionally, we arrive at very trade-specific assumptions of competence, dealing with issues like Farming; Horticulture in general; Soils; Irrigation issues, including wells and water pressure; issues of relative Compaction under surfaces as well as the detriments of compaction regarding root growth in lawns and plants and trees.</p>
<p>In terms of design alone, an awareness of issues of compatible colors, structural architecture, and successful arrangements which include the tiniest elements of duplicity, for lack of a better word. Hidden wonders which magically appear on our walks around a property well illustrate a potentially pleasing scenario, designed with just that visual &#8211; or even aromatic or aural &#8211; pleasure.</p>
<p>Enough of that. Now come the Machines. Where will one learn these?</p>
<p><strong>Installing All That</strong> <strong>- More Importantly &#8211; Making It Work</strong></p>
<p>Other helpful considerations &#8211; <strong>and most importantly at the level of installation</strong> &#8211; involve the latest technologies, built to save the poor backs of our minions in the game. Below is a &#8220;Soil Thrower&#8221;, made to toss soil up to 50&#8242; to an otherwise impossible area. As the picture below this one shows, it can deliver it <strong>up</strong> a few floors worth of territory too!</p>
<p>(enlarge any image by clicking)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/HPIM0494.JPG"><img class="alignleft size-large wp-image-4702" title="HPIM0494" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/HPIM0494-1024x778.jpg" alt="HPIM0494" width="480" height="375" /></a></p>
<p>Does this guy have a great toy or what??!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/HPIM0495.JPG"><img class="alignleft size-large wp-image-4703" title="HPIM0495" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/HPIM0495-1024x778.jpg" alt="HPIM0495" width="480" height="375" /></a></p>
<p>Combine that gorgeous masterpiece of dirty technology with this &#8220;Bark Dust Blower&#8221; and you have a quicker project in areas once considered nearly impossible to work in.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/T1-blower-web.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4704" title="T1-blower-web" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/T1-blower-web.jpg" alt="T1-blower-web" width="480" height="275" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/BarkMulchApplication_new_cropped.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4710" title="BarkMulchApplication_new_cropped" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/BarkMulchApplication_new_cropped.jpg" alt="BarkMulchApplication_new_cropped" width="504" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>Nor do the newer technologies stop there. For heavy duty work in small  places, hydraulic science and the wonders of newer and more reliable  engines have made lifting easier as well.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/asp_resize_edit.asp.jpeg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4705" title="asp_resize_edit.asp" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/asp_resize_edit.asp.jpeg" alt="asp_resize_edit.asp" width="400" height="600" /></a></p>
<p>If you think this is a &#8220;small deal&#8221;, then you&#8217;d be wrong. What one man can do with these machines is staggering &#8211; these are a productive increase of exponential dimensions, frankly.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/Brickforks.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-4706  alignleft" title="Brickforks" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/Brickforks.jpg" alt="Brickforks" width="250" height="226" /></a></p>
<p>This next baby looks like something only wrecker could love. You&#8217;d be wrong. This is a &#8220;Knuckling Grappler&#8221;, which can grab a boulder or a log or a piece of wood and rotate in absolutely any direction &#8211; 360 degrees. You could literally insert things sideways into a hole if you wanted.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/tree-pole-grapple-bucket-2_640x1028.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-large wp-image-4711" title="tree-pole-grapple-bucket-2_640x1028" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/tree-pole-grapple-bucket-2_640x1028-637x1024.jpg" alt="tree-pole-grapple-bucket-2_640x1028" width="315" height="480" /></a></p>
<p>Consider its use in the construction of walls such as this one:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/brt_gallery_header.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-4716 aligncenter" title="brt_gallery_header" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/brt_gallery_header.jpg" alt="brt_gallery_header" width="480" height="188" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">These don&#8217;t get built by themselves. <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/106.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4715" title="106" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/106.jpg" alt="106" width="400" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>As dilapidated as this machine looks, it has built one heck of a lot of gorgeous walls. In fact, this technology can only be improved on by quantity &#8211; not quality. This one can handle a ton or two at a time. The next generations provided more stable footing and huger capacity, but they all do the same work.</p>
<p>Diamonds and modern cutting technology. The <strong>Diamond Drill</strong> has become a paving guy&#8217;s primary utensil. Cutting road surfaces, bricks and coring into upstanding cement or solid rock are all easily accomplished now with this rapidly-expanded and amazingly efficient new technology. One can now take a boulder and bore a hole completely through it, down many feet, until it becomes a clearly-perforated stone, fit for making into a Bubble Rock water feature. Here is a nice close look at one such blade &#8211; this one for coring.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/macro_drills.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4718" title="macro_drills" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/macro_drills.jpg" alt="macro_drills" width="300" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>Each of the 3 stones below has just that &#8211; a long cylindrical hole running down its length, under which a pump runs water to its base and out the top. This technology has produced an entire new galaxy of Bubble Rock Water Features.</p>
<p>The truth is, a closer look at the pavers forming the patio in the foreground of this shot &#8211; which were also cut by a diamond blade on a table saw &#8211; show how exact <strong>that</strong> aspect of paving has become as well. Now very cool curves and more appropriate fits are made to increase the overall curving appearance of hard, severe surfaces.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/sa400244.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-4719  alignleft" title="sa400244" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/sa400244.jpg" alt="sa400244" width="480" height="300" /></a></p>
<p><strong><br />
</strong></p>
<p>Here is an even better, closer look from the same project looking back, at how the most modern diamond blade technology can result in very satisfying curving appearances: (enlarge this one)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/Doug-and-Ed-003.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-large wp-image-4736" title="Doug-and-Ed-003" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/Doug-and-Ed-003-1024x768.jpg" alt="Doug-and-Ed-003" width="480" height="375" /></a></p>
<p><strong>A Summary Of Modern Tool Impacts</strong></p>
<p>The tools themselves have opened up the entire field of landscape design. What was once a massive, intensive labor, requiring lots of folks struggling over a long period of time can now be done in a day, using 2 men, with the right machines. This relieves costs and increases possibility.</p>
<p>Ask yourself this. When you see this picture below &#8211; of the Portland, Oregon Chinese Garden &#8211; how long do you think it would take to plant all the big plants and trees there? Since the whole place is a block square, let&#8217;s peek in from the outside:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/hpim1214.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-large wp-image-4723" title="hpim1214" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/hpim1214-1024x778.jpg" alt="hpim1214" width="480" height="375" /></a></p>
<p>That&#8217;s 20% of the big trees planted there, a few which weighed a nice solid 5-8 tons, complete with hand-dug root balls. We even designed a special chain for quick-release.</p>
<p>Well, if I told how long, on one would believe me, but I can say this much. We cheated like crazy. Here&#8217;s what we used to place the trees:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/GMK5225.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4724" title="GMK5225" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/GMK5225.jpg" alt="GMK5225" width="448" height="298" /></a></p>
<p>180 tons of landscaping love!</p>
<p>He can sit in one place and deal with an entire city block. Which, fortunately, was exactly what we had! He is also good for dropping in a few thousand tons of dirt, for the record. In other words, in the immortal words of Dana Carvey in his spoof of George Bush&#8217;s post-Berlin Wall statement:</p>
<p>&#8220;Before the crane &#8211; no dirt. After the crane &#8211; Chinese Garden.&#8221; <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>If you think that&#8217;s something, wait &#8217;til I talk about landscaping that Vancouver high rise!!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/sikorsky-34.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-large wp-image-4732" title="sikorsky-34" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/sikorsky-34-1024x680.jpg" alt="sikorsky-34" width="480" height="320" /></a></p>
";}s:3:"wfw";a:1:{s:10:"commentrss";s:96:"http://www.stevesnedeker.com/4701/the-most-modern-tools-of-the-trade-landscaping-notes.html/feed";}s:5:"slash";a:1:{s:8:"comments";s:1:"4";}s:7:"summary";s:429:"This is all about mental and physical things&#8230;&#8230;.
The &#8220;mental tools&#8221; and the wherewithal to use the &#8220;physical tools&#8221; can and most often come from various combination of events &#8211; general osmosis, class, on the job comparisons and experience. But both are extremely real, and each can be either modern or classical&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;.to some degree.
Mental Tools
Landscaping requires [...]";s:12:"atom_content";s:10935:"<p>This is all about mental <strong>and </strong>physical things&#8230;&#8230;.</p>
<p>The &#8220;mental tools&#8221; and the wherewithal to use the &#8220;physical tools&#8221; can and most often come from various combination of events &#8211; general osmosis, class, on the job comparisons and experience. But both are extremely real, and each can be either modern or classical&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;.to some degree.</p>
<p><strong>Mental Tools</strong></p>
<p>Landscaping requires at least a rudimentary knowledge of the following fields:</p>
<p>Electrical Trades, Carpentry, Cement Technology, Hydrology (the behavior of water), Gas and access to the various kinds of gas used outdoors.</p>
<p>Additionally, we arrive at very trade-specific assumptions of competence, dealing with issues like Farming; Horticulture in general; Soils; Irrigation issues, including wells and water pressure; issues of relative Compaction under surfaces as well as the detriments of compaction regarding root growth in lawns and plants and trees.</p>
<p>In terms of design alone, an awareness of issues of compatible colors, structural architecture, and successful arrangements which include the tiniest elements of duplicity, for lack of a better word. Hidden wonders which magically appear on our walks around a property well illustrate a potentially pleasing scenario, designed with just that visual &#8211; or even aromatic or aural &#8211; pleasure.</p>
<p>Enough of that. Now come the Machines. Where will one learn these?</p>
<p><strong>Installing All That</strong> <strong>- More Importantly &#8211; Making It Work</strong></p>
<p>Other helpful considerations &#8211; <strong>and most importantly at the level of installation</strong> &#8211; involve the latest technologies, built to save the poor backs of our minions in the game. Below is a &#8220;Soil Thrower&#8221;, made to toss soil up to 50&#8242; to an otherwise impossible area. As the picture below this one shows, it can deliver it <strong>up</strong> a few floors worth of territory too!</p>
<p>(enlarge any image by clicking)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/HPIM0494.JPG"><img class="alignleft size-large wp-image-4702" title="HPIM0494" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/HPIM0494-1024x778.jpg" alt="HPIM0494" width="480" height="375" /></a></p>
<p>Does this guy have a great toy or what??!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/HPIM0495.JPG"><img class="alignleft size-large wp-image-4703" title="HPIM0495" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/HPIM0495-1024x778.jpg" alt="HPIM0495" width="480" height="375" /></a></p>
<p>Combine that gorgeous masterpiece of dirty technology with this &#8220;Bark Dust Blower&#8221; and you have a quicker project in areas once considered nearly impossible to work in.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/T1-blower-web.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4704" title="T1-blower-web" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/T1-blower-web.jpg" alt="T1-blower-web" width="480" height="275" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/BarkMulchApplication_new_cropped.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4710" title="BarkMulchApplication_new_cropped" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/BarkMulchApplication_new_cropped.jpg" alt="BarkMulchApplication_new_cropped" width="504" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>Nor do the newer technologies stop there. For heavy duty work in small  places, hydraulic science and the wonders of newer and more reliable  engines have made lifting easier as well.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/asp_resize_edit.asp.jpeg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4705" title="asp_resize_edit.asp" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/asp_resize_edit.asp.jpeg" alt="asp_resize_edit.asp" width="400" height="600" /></a></p>
<p>If you think this is a &#8220;small deal&#8221;, then you&#8217;d be wrong. What one man can do with these machines is staggering &#8211; these are a productive increase of exponential dimensions, frankly.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/Brickforks.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-4706  alignleft" title="Brickforks" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/Brickforks.jpg" alt="Brickforks" width="250" height="226" /></a></p>
<p>This next baby looks like something only wrecker could love. You&#8217;d be wrong. This is a &#8220;Knuckling Grappler&#8221;, which can grab a boulder or a log or a piece of wood and rotate in absolutely any direction &#8211; 360 degrees. You could literally insert things sideways into a hole if you wanted.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/tree-pole-grapple-bucket-2_640x1028.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-large wp-image-4711" title="tree-pole-grapple-bucket-2_640x1028" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/tree-pole-grapple-bucket-2_640x1028-637x1024.jpg" alt="tree-pole-grapple-bucket-2_640x1028" width="315" height="480" /></a></p>
<p>Consider its use in the construction of walls such as this one:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/brt_gallery_header.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-4716 aligncenter" title="brt_gallery_header" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/brt_gallery_header.jpg" alt="brt_gallery_header" width="480" height="188" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">These don&#8217;t get built by themselves. <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/106.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4715" title="106" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/106.jpg" alt="106" width="400" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>As dilapidated as this machine looks, it has built one heck of a lot of gorgeous walls. In fact, this technology can only be improved on by quantity &#8211; not quality. This one can handle a ton or two at a time. The next generations provided more stable footing and huger capacity, but they all do the same work.</p>
<p>Diamonds and modern cutting technology. The <strong>Diamond Drill</strong> has become a paving guy&#8217;s primary utensil. Cutting road surfaces, bricks and coring into upstanding cement or solid rock are all easily accomplished now with this rapidly-expanded and amazingly efficient new technology. One can now take a boulder and bore a hole completely through it, down many feet, until it becomes a clearly-perforated stone, fit for making into a Bubble Rock water feature. Here is a nice close look at one such blade &#8211; this one for coring.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/macro_drills.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4718" title="macro_drills" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/macro_drills.jpg" alt="macro_drills" width="300" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>Each of the 3 stones below has just that &#8211; a long cylindrical hole running down its length, under which a pump runs water to its base and out the top. This technology has produced an entire new galaxy of Bubble Rock Water Features.</p>
<p>The truth is, a closer look at the pavers forming the patio in the foreground of this shot &#8211; which were also cut by a diamond blade on a table saw &#8211; show how exact <strong>that</strong> aspect of paving has become as well. Now very cool curves and more appropriate fits are made to increase the overall curving appearance of hard, severe surfaces.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/sa400244.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-4719  alignleft" title="sa400244" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/sa400244.jpg" alt="sa400244" width="480" height="300" /></a></p>
<p><strong><br />
</strong></p>
<p>Here is an even better, closer look from the same project looking back, at how the most modern diamond blade technology can result in very satisfying curving appearances: (enlarge this one)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/Doug-and-Ed-003.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-large wp-image-4736" title="Doug-and-Ed-003" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/Doug-and-Ed-003-1024x768.jpg" alt="Doug-and-Ed-003" width="480" height="375" /></a></p>
<p><strong>A Summary Of Modern Tool Impacts</strong></p>
<p>The tools themselves have opened up the entire field of landscape design. What was once a massive, intensive labor, requiring lots of folks struggling over a long period of time can now be done in a day, using 2 men, with the right machines. This relieves costs and increases possibility.</p>
<p>Ask yourself this. When you see this picture below &#8211; of the Portland, Oregon Chinese Garden &#8211; how long do you think it would take to plant all the big plants and trees there? Since the whole place is a block square, let&#8217;s peek in from the outside:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/hpim1214.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-large wp-image-4723" title="hpim1214" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/hpim1214-1024x778.jpg" alt="hpim1214" width="480" height="375" /></a></p>
<p>That&#8217;s 20% of the big trees planted there, a few which weighed a nice solid 5-8 tons, complete with hand-dug root balls. We even designed a special chain for quick-release.</p>
<p>Well, if I told how long, on one would believe me, but I can say this much. We cheated like crazy. Here&#8217;s what we used to place the trees:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/GMK5225.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4724" title="GMK5225" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/GMK5225.jpg" alt="GMK5225" width="448" height="298" /></a></p>
<p>180 tons of landscaping love!</p>
<p>He can sit in one place and deal with an entire city block. Which, fortunately, was exactly what we had! He is also good for dropping in a few thousand tons of dirt, for the record. In other words, in the immortal words of Dana Carvey in his spoof of George Bush&#8217;s post-Berlin Wall statement:</p>
<p>&#8220;Before the crane &#8211; no dirt. After the crane &#8211; Chinese Garden.&#8221; <img src='http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>If you think that&#8217;s something, wait &#8217;til I talk about landscaping that Vancouver high rise!!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/sikorsky-34.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-large wp-image-4732" title="sikorsky-34" src="http://www.stevesnedeker.com/wp-content/2011/02/sikorsky-34-1024x680.jpg" alt="sikorsky-34" width="480" height="320" /></a></p>
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