In Lieu of a Proper Sidewalk

The stepping stones out front have been shifting since day 1 regardless of how many times I have gone out there to straighten them.  Not only that, but they have been sticking out of the ground which made walking up and down that steep hill a struggle for even the most balanced person.

Today I decided to dig out underneath just one stone to see if the overall appearance and stability of the stone was improved.  Strangely enough, several hours later, I had the whole path finished.  Paving stone after paving stone, all 18 of them finally nestled in their permanent resting place, NEVER to move again. Well, maybe not never, and not a perfect solution, but definitely better overall.  Who said you need a three-layer paving system?  I decided to use the pesky heavy clay to my advantage this time.

I dug a shallow indentation 1.5x1.5, not perfectly level (how could I), placed the square in the "hole" and stepped on it to make sure that it didn't rock or move.  Then I got to work with packing the clay around the stone, making sure to patch any open places tightly.  I brought the ground level even with the stone and stepped all around it, packing the clay even tighter.  When I reached the "hill" I made each stone level by creating stairs with the packed clay.

I got the approval from my better half when he got home, that not only do the stones look great but were easier to walk on.  Yay for an afternoon's activity gone obsessive!

Our house right before we moved.  Notice the beautiful
grass and absence of landscaping.

After I fixed the stones.  A cleaner look I think.