Bench Season
Some people call it mud season; those weeks when the frost goes out of the dirt roads, turning them from boilerplate hard to marshmallow soft. Until the back roads dry out and firm up again it’s a gamble driving off-asphalt. The stonework site options are limited, too. Weight restrictions on many roads mean no stone deliveries. Digging footings with heavy equipment is a mud wallow. It’s best to tread lightly for a while.
It’s a good time of year to tackle the smaller projects. Trenching by hand isn’t so bad if the shovel work can get done in the cool of the morning. A bench can be assembled with a minimum of loader travel across a spongy lawn. This month I’ve realized two designs. Both are basic, three-stone constructions but with personalities all their own. One relies on interlocking opposites, while the other counts on monolithic mass, to stand and stay put.