Garden Stone Creations & Cascading Creations Blog

Making A Mole Hill Out Of A Mountain

2011-07-15T16:49:00.000-07:00

Here is what I started with....

2 Truck loads of Boulders

6 Truck loads of topsoil

5 Truck loads of Gravel

Here is what it ended up looking like....

Just a mere 6 hours later......

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Retaining Wall In A Box

2011-06-27T19:29:00.000-07:00

Well it's more like two boxes really. I wanted to take a minute and show you the results of two boxes (dump truck loads) of coulumn boulders and a day's hard work. This wall turned out really nice. There was even a drain right in the middle of the wall (rain gutter drain from the house) that I turned into a nice dry river bed. Too bad this wall is in the middle of a field and no one will ever see it.....

Until they read this post of course.....

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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It's Just A Little Dinger

2011-06-21T16:07:00.000-07:00

This is a small job we did this week. I say small because it was a half day project.

We call these little jobs our "Dingers".

I am, however, keenly aware that this is the biggest thing this couple will do for probably the next two years. In their eyes it was no "Dinger". That is why we pay just as much attention to this small half day job as we would to one that lasts two weeks. The detail was the same just on a smaller scale. These folks were happy as heck and were amazed how qickly we got it done.

Just Sayin'

Have a great tomorrow!

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Now you see it...Now you don't

2011-06-14T18:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes what we do isn't always that pretty.......

I should say that a little tongue and cheek.......

Tearing stuff out to put stuff back in is what we do!

I know it ain't all that beautiful.........

Yet...

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Bathroom Suite Complete

2011-06-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

My wife wrote this today. You can see this post and many more at...

My Take On Life

Jun

Outdoor Bathtub Suite ~ Vision Complete

Kelly

Do you remember that old Moen Faucet commercial, where the couple goes to a architect with a kitchen sink faucet and tells him to design a house around it?

Well that is kind of what happen here. I have had this beautiful cast iron claw foot tub for about a year now. On Memorial Day, while enjoying the day outside with Monte and the kids decorating our vintage tents. I made a comment to Monte on how great it would be to have a outdoor bathtub set up by our tent.

Instantly, I heard the gears grinding in Monte’s head…

We tossed a couple of ideas back and fourth, then Monte jumped into the skid and broke ground next to our Hirsch-Weis vintage tent.

What happened over the next 5 days it simply stunning. Keep in mind that we did ALL the work ourselves a couple hours in the evening after work and a full days effort yesterday to complete the project.

For those of you who may not know, my husband Monte is a “Hardscape Landscape Contractor”. Which basically means, he is a “Rock Guy”. So, of coarse his vision of the space included a stone floor, boulders and lots of rock. He laid in a beautiful Eagle Mt. Flagstone floor and surrounded it with Woodstone (which is a gorgeous bark replacement stone product).

He built a boulder retaining wall with stone steps, so you actually step down into the space. This was Monte’s vision to make the space more intimate.

Look how pretty that is. This picture is somewhat deceiving. The Flagstone slab in front of the tub is 5 feet across and about 3 feet wide.

Monte installed a vintage farm house door in the entry way. Again, this was purely a vision thing. The space does not have permanent walls, only curtains. So a door was not needed, but it added so much to the overall look and feel.

I had been hanging onto a old farm house sink that I wanted to build a base under to use as a potting bench. Well, I got my base and now it has become a vanity in my new outdoor bathtub suite.

Monte installed a propane burner under my tub, so I can enjoy a relaxing warm bath anytime of the year.

Now that all the chore pieces are in place, it was time to start on the finishing details to make the space intimate, relaxing and private. We live out in the country on 6 beautiful acres. Are neighbors are not in our backyard so to speak, but we do have a road that is about 75 yards away that leads down to the lake. Even with as outdoorsy as I am, I did not want to worry about flashing my neighbors or there company while enjoying my space.

The solution: I made curtains using chocolate brown and tan burlap. I added a contrasting ruffle to the panels. With Monte’s help, I put grommets in all the panels, so I could tie them with pink fabric to the cable Monte installed. This way I can just slide open the panels I want to enjoy the view and still have privacy. See what I meant by the door, not a necessary item, but it adds so much to the space.

I just love how it fits in with all our vintage tents. The two tents in the background our the kids outdoor bedrooms. Tony and Colby share the green 9′ x 11′ and Madison has the cute little 9′ x9′ all to herself.

Now when it comes to the decorating, I had a vision. Adding touches of vintage and a dash of pink to make this space truly inviting to me.

This great little vintage chair is perfect, burlap flower pillow and my signature “K”.

Pink Gerber Daisies, lavender soap and a candle are all must have’s in a space like this. They scream girly-girl and just make me happy.

Look how pretty it is all pulled together. I will be adding some other finishing touches, such as a couple of hanging flower baskets from the poles Monte added across the top, yet another vision of his to make the space cozy. I also will add plants to the lovely vintage planter box by the sink base and tuck in some chicken & hens into the boulder retaining wall.

This is my wonderful husband, Monte.

If you are interested in seeing more of his beautiful work, click on the links below:

Cascading Creations on Facebook

Cascading Creations Website

I just want to shout from the roof tops, how much I love my husband. He truly embraces me for all that I am without question.

Thank you honey for creating such a beautiful bathtub suite!

You Totally Rocked It…

There is something so divine about sitting in a bathtub under the stars in all your glory that god gave you, that just speaks serenity.

Ta Ta For Now

Give Me A Day And I'll Give You A Wall

2011-06-04T20:26:00.000-07:00

Thant is what it takes.

This wall was 90 ft long and required 3 dump truck loads of topsoil for back fill.....

Actually it only took us about 6 hours.

And that included the steps on the left.

You too could change the look of your home in less than a day!

Just check out what we had to start with......

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

Check out our whole portfolio

Another Happy Customer

2011-05-31T14:40:00.000-07:00

Rian and I just had a house built in Eagle Ridge and had basically a half acre sand box, a sand box on the side of a hill no less.

…I called Monte shortly after we moved… he walked the sandbox with me, we discussed the ideas Rian and I came up with, and Monte had some as well…I had a clear estimate, which was decidedly more affordable than the other bids we received, that same day. The scope of our project was quite large, and for us was a bit intimidating, as whomever took it on would be building the foundation for what our landscape would permanently become. We felt most comfortable with Monte and his team, so off we went!

Once the weather finally gave us a chance Monte was ready to roll. The transformation was dramatic, and with no greenery on our property the sheer amount of rock was a bit overwhelming. Monte was great about listening to our concerns along the way, changing things that we didn’t quite like, and making adjustments on the fly. Between Monte’s ideas and our ideas during the actual job we probably tweaked a dozen things we originally planned, Monte rolls right through the changes in a professional manner.

What we were left with was a beautiful foundation for our entire landscape plan. Monte transformed the sloping sandbox into a usable, unique, eye catching outdoor living space that has already garnered us many compliments from the neighborhood. Monte was great to work with, has a tremendous vision for projects, and thoroughly met our hopes and expectations.

Wes Oliver
Regional Development
University Relations
Gonzaga University

Outdoor Living Space

2011-05-30T20:22:00.000-07:00

If you have read my blog posts with any regularity you will know that I am always up for a challenge. I have seen many outdoor baths in the past but I have never seen one that is incorporated into a rock retaining wall. I am loving this challenge. We are creating an outdoor living space like no other. This will be a long process due to the fact that I will be taking my time with this one. Truth be told the home owner also washes my clothes....so I had better get this one right!

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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We Have A Goal

2011-05-25T17:18:00.000-07:00

What is our goal?

Our goal is to get a testimonial on each and every job we do.

I believe this will do......

I hired Monte and Cascading Creations to expand my driveway into a sloped back yard. The project included two sets of stairs, a double-level retaining wall and a significant amount of fill. I knew this was a challenging job but Monte was able to take my vision and turn it into a reality better than I expected!

He responded quickly with a reasonable quote, started the project when promised, worked quickly and listened to my input while using his experience and creativity to build a beautiful addition to my property. I am very happy with my experience working with Monte and will recommend him to friends and family.

Regards,

Dan Morris

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Doing The Right Thing

2011-05-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

If you have been in business for any length of time you will encounter an unhappy customer. We recently had such a situation. I will man up and say right now that the customer had every right to be unhappy. I didn't give her project the attention it deserved and did the project while she was out of town. It is this exact situation that can separate the men from the boys per-se. We addressed her concerns within the day and rectified the project to her satisfaction within a couple of days. I have often told you that I will tell it like it is. The good and the bad. It just so happens that this bad has turned into a good due to my reaction to her concerns. Apology accepted and a customer retained. If I do nothing else for the week I will be satisfied with how this one turned out.

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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A Rock Guy's Heaven

2011-05-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what heaven looks like to a guy that loves to work with Column Rock?

Well....I would have to say.

This would be it!

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Matching A Look For Our Customers

2011-05-21T18:38:00.000-07:00

We go to the ends of the earth....Well at least Cheney, to find just the right rock.

You see, this cusomer wanted to match the rock that was already around his home, but he needed a retaining wall to build an extra parking place for his extra vehicle.

Here was the problem....

We didn't have any of that type of rock in stock.

So...It was off to the races.

Well, It was off on a rock hunt.

I found some rock that was a great match....But you wouldn't believe where I found it....

It was all over the ranch where I grew up...

The customer loved it and so I set it up.

We harvested rock from the fields and hills were I grew up and made a wall out of um.

Let's just say that this wall has some extra special meaning to me....Those same rocks are what made me love what I do so much and here I was making a wall out of them for a customer.....

I wonder if he will ever understand the significance......

I doubt it, but I always will!

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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What To Do With A Couple Of Hours To Kill

2011-05-15T12:56:00.000-07:00

Well.....Here is what you do when you have a few hours to kill at a job site.

1. You start with a pile of boulders.
2. You tear out old RR tie retaining wall.
3. You build new retaining wall with previously mentioned boulders.
4. You dress it off with a fresh load of gravel.
5. Strategically place decorative rock in the right spots

Wa-La you have a brand spankin' new driveway with decorative accents.

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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A Little Quickie Before And After

2011-05-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

Now that I have your attention. Take a look at this small wall we put up today....

Just a little quickie. But I have to say it was a fun one!

Wanna know how much this cost?

Send me an email and I'll tell ya....

MONTE'S EMAIL ADDRESS

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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The Mark Project Complete

2011-05-07T14:26:00.000-07:00

We finished the Mark project yesterday....

On time and, as always on budget.

We put the finishing touches around the fire pit the 4 sets of steps and the play area.

It was a great experience working with this family.

Jake gave me the creative lisence to do as I wished and transform his back yard into an outdoor living space.

Check out the before picture to see what we had to work with!

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Day Four At The Mark Project

2011-05-05T17:03:00.000-07:00

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well.....We are almost done. I am very pleased with the progress. One more day and we will have it dialed in and cleaned up. Stay tuned for the complete before and after pictures!

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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The Fire Pit: Day Three At The Mark Project

2011-05-04T17:36:00.000-07:00

Today was the funnest day yet on the Mark Project.

We got to play with column boulders and pieces of column all day long.

I love it when a home owner gives me the creative license to just let the rock place themselves.

And I Create...

Enjoy the pictures!

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Day Two At The Mark Project

2011-05-03T16:51:00.000-07:00

Day two at the Mark project went well.

We placed over 40 Ton of boulders and built three more retaining walls.

We even had a little extra time to Stack some rocks....

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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One Day Before And After

2011-05-02T17:06:00.000-07:00

Above is a picture of the Mark project at 10 am this morning....

Below is a picture from the same spot at 3 pm....

I'm pretty happy with the progress today...

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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No Rest For The Weary

2011-04-28T16:25:00.000-07:00

No complaints mind you....

Our season has kicked into high gear!

We were raking in the final touches on the O'Callahan project while the equipment was burnin' fuel on the Owen project.

Building a retaining wall for them.

Life is good!

Wait till you see next week.

We are starting on the Mark project.....

This should be spectacular!

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Flagstone At Its Finest

2011-04-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

The clouds parted and the rain stopped and revealed a clean new patio.

And it was good.

Ok....I crack myself up, but what can you do when it rains for 24 hours strait.....

The O'Callahan project has come to fruition.

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Well It's A Start

2011-04-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

It came out for awhile today....

Well....

It's a Start.

Spring.

BRING IT!

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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It's Not Always About Working

2011-04-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

If you spend your whole day worrying about production and deadlines then you will miss the moments that make it all worth doing.

Snow In April?!?

2011-04-21T19:35:00.000-07:00

This is how we started our day....

Let's just say.

It didn't get much better......

Well there is always tomorrow right?

Cummon Spring...Enough already!

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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The Challange Has Been Met

2011-04-20T19:04:00.000-07:00

We finished up the O'Callahan Stairs today.

This was one of the most challanging set of steps I have ever completed.

It may not look that difficult from the picture.

What you can't see is that we had a rise of over 12 feet in a 15 foot run, with only 10 feet between house and property line.

What does that mean? You may be asking yourself....

Well let's just say it was like stuffing 10 lbs of potatoes in a 5 lb sack.

I will show more pictures as I get further along in this project.

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Just A Fun Picture

2011-04-19T20:12:00.000-07:00

Our Customers take some of the coolest pictures while we are working...

Just Thought I would Share.

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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The O'Callahan Project Day One

2011-04-15T20:38:00.000-07:00

Working in the rain

Putting in Steps

Wow these are turning out great.

13 Treads

In a 15 foot Span

No room to work

Yea...It's a challange

But oh so rewarding when done!

It truly was a dance of man and machine

I only wish you could see the tight quarters we

are working in.

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Wrapping Up The Oliver Project

2011-04-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

Well we finished up the Oliver project today....

One last set of steps.

A small retaining wall for some plantings.

And of course the dirt work.

All in all I feel this project went supurb......and according to them...

So did they....

I'll have to see if I can get Wes to slow down enough to write a little something for the blog.....

Like maybe a guest post or something.

Until tomorrow....

Keep Smiling!

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Has Anyone Seen My Chicken?

2011-04-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

We have a funny chicken....

Nothing more today......

Just thought I would share in the funny.....

Being it's family day and all.

What Do You Do When It Rains?

2011-04-12T18:55:00.000-07:00

I know....It didn't rain today

But it did yesterday....

When the job is shut down due to rain.

We go on the hunt.

This is Jessie from Blue Slate running the excavator sorting out some slabs of Eagle Mountain rock that we will be using on our next job.

If you have been following our blog for any length of time you will know that we are "Quarry Direct".

That means.....

Monte bids the Job....

Monte goes to the Quarry to pick out the material for your job......and

Monte and his team does the work on your job.

Can you say "Quality Controll"?

Have a great day!

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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More Rock Placing Today

2011-04-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

We moved on to the front of the house today.

The agenda for today's work was to install a pathway with basalt column steps from the front of the home down to the street.

Things went very smooth. Installing the pathway was a breeze with Eagle Ridge flagstone as a pathway material.

I think the steps turned out quite nice. Once again bear in mind that these are pictures of the work in progress so....

The finished product pictures will come on Tuesday (estimated day of completion for this project)

It may not look like a whole lot got done today but......

Here is what we started with....

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Da Colmuns.....Da Columns are here!

2011-04-08T19:48:00.000-07:00

The Columns arrived around 11 am today....

We wasted no time sorting the columns into usable treads and decorative handrails.

From there it was on to building some steps for the back yard.

The ones above were the first project.

Then we moved on to the main stairs to the garage.

If memory serves there were 10 different treads and 7 landings in this set of stairs.

Note the mock handrails along the edge.

We wrapped up the day around 3 pm and put the equipment to bed.

If you think these look cool now just wait till we finish them tomorrow!

.....and if you were wondering what we did till 11 am this morning

Just a little finish work from Thursday's time on the job.

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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And....Drum Roll Please....Our Season has kicked off!

2011-04-07T20:27:00.000-07:00

Our next series of blog posts will track with our first large job of the season. With permission from the Oliver Family (heck Wes is taking the pictures) up in the Eagle Ridge Development. Enjoy the photo's as we start with a blank canvas and transform it into an outdoor living space. Both the front and rear of the home. We are starting with the back yard.

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Cascading Creations and MerchantCircle

2011-04-05T07:28:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the corporate page on MerchantCircle lately?

You might just recognize the mug on the front.

Bare in mind this is a Multi-National Coorporation...

Really? A Water Feature Here?....Well OK.....

2011-04-04T16:37:00.000-07:00

We have put some water features in some pritty prcarious places.....

This was one of them!

OH how I enjoy a good challange!

It did turn out pretty nice though.

Don't ya Think?

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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It's Not All About The Small......

2011-04-03T19:43:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just gotta grab that big piece of equipment and move some serious material.

Here we are moving 300 yards of sand as a Site Prep for a new pole building.

Just one of the many services we offer

No Job too small....

or too big for that matter.

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Barn...What Barn?

2011-04-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

Take a look at what we can do....

We enjoy tearing stuff down.

And quite honestly our specialized eqipment is ideally set up for demoltion.

Even Barns!

As you can see in this picture it's not as daunting as it would appear at first.

We had more trouble with the mud than the barn!

But all is well that ends well.

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Did Anyone Say Kids?

2011-04-01T20:35:00.000-07:00

Many times on a jobsite all work will stop until the kids have had a chance to learn or at least ride the equipment.....

I apologize in advance for any delay of work.

But some things are just that important.

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Cleveland Park Airway Heights Washington

2011-03-31T07:23:00.000-07:00

Last year The City of Aiway Heights commisioned us to engrave park markers for their new park.

You can see our work all over the Northwest.

This is just an example of what Innovative Ideas we can bring to the table.

And hey.....

If the City of Airay Heights likes our work....

I think you will too......

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

Check out our whole portfolio

Greenwood Memorial Gardens

2011-03-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

As You all know by now.

I love doing Water Features.

Here is one we did for Greenwood Memorial off Government Way.

It was a dedication for their Japanese Garden area on the upper terrace.

Drive by and take a look if you get a chance.

It one of the funnest ones I have done yet.

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Spokane County Road Restrictions

2011-03-29T20:58:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what it means if your road is restricted?

Well here is the official sign you see posted.

What it means to us who make a living by moving large quantities of material by dump truck is.....

We need to wait till they decide to remove the signs before we can begin our season.

Moral of the story.

Patients is a virtue.

Tap....Tap....Tap......

We wouldn't want this to happen now would we.

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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What do you do when you are waiting for road restrictions to be lifted?

2011-03-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

You build a Donkey coop of course......

This is what we do with our weekends.

How do you spend your free time?

We love our animals.

From the chickens to the goats....

And now the Mini Donkeys!

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Feeding the Critters....

2011-03-26T18:57:00.000-07:00

Did I ever think that when I bought my John Deere 322 Skid Loader that I would be using it to haul hay to feed the critters?

In a word...

No.

Just a fun picture for the day......

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Spring Clean up dosen't need to be a hastle.....

2011-03-25T19:29:00.000-07:00

Did you know we did equipment based Spring Clean ups?

We can get rid of all kinds of junk for you and save you all kinds of time...

Most of the time we can be in and out in less than a day and be under a grand including disposal.

Food for thought as you are muddling through all of that junk that seems to accumulate over the winter.

Big or Small....Well trash it all!

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Can you say Jackass?

2011-03-24T17:47:00.000-07:00

If you thought building a chicken coop was interesting....Just wait till we start on the Donkey Coop.....More to come soon.....

Yep...We got a Jackass.....

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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I picked up a new field guide today

2011-03-22T20:21:00.000-07:00

Soooo....I picked up our new field guide for the season.....

Whadda ya think?

Do you think it might come in useful?

I hope this made you smile like it did for me.

(no I didn't really buy it, but it did make me smile)

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Geting a testimonial is our goal on every job.....

2011-03-21T19:59:00.000-07:00

Monte,

I met you thru a family connection week 1. Week 2 we had the whole idea dialed in. And week 3, we were breaking ground. How punctual is that???? I can't thank you enough for the ideas, and the thorough work you did on my blank canvas of a back yard. You and your crew did a great job on our new home!!! The materials you provided were top notch, and the work you did could not have turned out better. And I really appreciate you going the extra mile to do all the "small things" that needed to get done in the process to make the job COMPLETE!!!!! I have had countless neighbors pull up while I'm working in the yard asking "who did that for you??" "WOW, that looks great," "where did you get that stuff??" I would strongly recommend Monte, Cascading Creations, and the materials they use to anyone in the market for a landscaping creation, makeover, or addition without a doubt! Thanks Monte, for giving me, my family, and my home something to enjoy for many years to come.

Samuel R. Hess
SRH Appraisals
1009 W. Highpeak Dr.
Spokane, WA 99224

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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The Chicken Coop final chapter

2011-03-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

We had a ball putting the Chicken Coop together as a family.

I had my son Tony wander around towards the end of the day and shoot some pictures of the finish work we were doing.

He did a wonderful job capturing the day and the weekend.

Don't ya think?

This last one is my favorite I think.....

Happy Wife.....Happy Life....

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Chickens....and.....Kids. In no particular order.

2011-03-19T20:21:00.000-07:00

I know you may be tired of hearing about the chicken coop saga but....

Let me tell you.

It has been a wonderful experiment in doing a "family" project.

I don't think I have ever seen my kids work as hard for something so simple.

It's a chicken coop for Pete's sake.

But think about that from a kids perspective.

Chickens are fun and something they can wrap their heads around for a long time to come

Now they all have a stake in the continued success of these small but rather interesting little creatures.

I have to say that I am extremely proud of my kids today.

They ALL pitched in and worked their butts off.

But it was not without it's own reward!

For Japan with Love: Blogger’s Day of Silence

2011-03-17T18:00:00.000-07:00

The devastation in Japan after the gruesome disaster last week is harrowing. Experts are estimating a death toll of 25,000 or more, it’s something that’s hard to grasp from thousands of miles away. But a reality all the same.Cascading Creations will be joining with bloggers across the world in the For Japan with Love: Bloggers Day of Silence organized by Utterly Engaged and Ever Ours tomorrow to raise awareness and acknowledge the devastation going on in Japan, which means there won’t be a post tomorrow.

For Japan with Love has hand picked Shelter Box to donate to. Shelter Box is a non-profit that provides emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies for families around the world who are affected by disasters. Their volunteers are already in Japan working in the relief efforts, so you can be sure your money is going to a good cause.

Be a part of the relief, donate here. The campaign has already raised over $15,000 and counting!

My daughter Madison.

2011-03-16T20:30:00.000-07:00

This is my daughter Madison.

She is always ready to help.

She never complains.

She almost whistles while she works.

She is my little Punkin' Butt....

I love her dearly.

The picture below is the fruits of this afternoon's labor.

Everyone pitched in to help finish the fire pit.

It turned out pritty cool.

The Chicken Coop gets a fire pit......Yeah.....Really.

2011-03-15T17:21:00.000-07:00

As you can see our foreman was on task this afternoon.

She was monitoring the progress of the fire pit.

Yeah....I said it.

Fire Pit....

What self respecting coop doesn't have a fire pit?....

Well I can think of a few.

My thought is that it's just a more convenient way of preparing a meal.

If you catch my drift...

TTT

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

Check out our whole portfolio

The Chicken Coop Saga part II

2011-03-14T19:09:00.000-07:00

Every Chicken coop needs a set of stairs right?

Well from the top of the deck down to the actual coop was about a 5 foot drop.....

So my Wife needed steps...

I brought home a couple of flat rocks and an hour later....

Boom!

Steps for "The Coop"

TTT

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

Check out our whole portfolio

The Chicken Coop Saga begins.....

2011-03-13T18:57:00.000-07:00

I know it's not a major "Landscaping" event to chronicle but hey I am having fun. And in the process I may just learn something that might add value to any landscaping project.

If a customer ever asks me if I can do a Chicken Coop I will most certainly be able to tell them "yes I can build you a Chicken Coop"....

Plus....There are plenty of things involved in building "The Perfect Chicken Coop" (my wife's term) that can be applied in any excavation project.

It shows our versatility.....

Yea......I'll keep telling myself that....

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

Check out our whole portfolio

What Chickens have do do with landscaping....

2011-03-12T19:46:00.000-08:00

What do chickens have to do with landscaping?

Absolutely nothing

I just spent the day getting all the things we will need to build a chicken coop to make my wife happy.

Ok I have to admit......

I kinda like the idea too.

But as you all may already know....

Happy Wife.....Happy Life.....

And lets just say....

Life is Happy

Nuf Said.....

TTT

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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What to do with that ugly propane tank.....

2011-03-10T09:14:00.000-08:00

Many of you that have gas (propane) heat and appliances are strapped with that UGLY Tank to deal with outside your house.

Well.......

We have a solution.

Incorporate it into your landscape plan.

They are easy to hide and decorate around

(we just have to be really careful)

Even though this is a good picture of the finished job.....

It dosen't do the project any justice.

We built steps from the back of the garage.

Down to the patio in the back yard.

The Customer was very happy with the end result.

Here is what he had to say:

Jeremy's City Search Review of Cascading Creations

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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My Son Colby...

2011-03-09T07:53:00.000-08:00

As I have told you before....

Wednesday is Family day.

I could write a blog just about my kids.

They make me so proud on a daily basis.

Colby is 8 years old and can drive the equipment with ease.

Don't worry....all saftey precautions were observed.

Have a fantastic day

TTT

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

Check out our whole portfolio

What is WoodStone?

2011-03-08T07:25:00.000-08:00

We suggest WoodStone when we do our hardscaping.

Why? You may ask....

It is by far the most versatile ground cover product we offer.

The color is amazing and it covers with an average two inches of coverage because it is a flat rock.

The color matches Column rock and as you know (if you have read our previous post)

We love to hardscape with Column rock.

WoodStone comes in 2 inch for great bark replacement.

or 3/4 inch for that pathway thru the ground cover.

An amazing product we get right here in the Northwest

and as you know

We love supporting businesses right here in the Northwest.

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

Check out our whole portfolio

One more Testimonial....Just in case you wanna read it.....

2011-03-07T20:03:00.000-08:00

Jim Wilson here.

We recently decided to rejuvenate and regravel our lengthy driveway and two other gravel areas on our property where we maintain equipment and a turnaround.

Historically, we have always relied on our builder to contract out such work, but at this point so many years had passed since our initial construction, we felt we should not impose. I have to admit, I was somewhat hesitant to simply guess on a contractor, as you hear so many horror stories.

I requested bids from several landscape contract firms. Not only was Cascading Creations the first to respond, they ultimately were the most reasonable in price.

Monte came out to our property within one week of the initial contact and provided me with an estimate a day later.....impressive.

We made arrangements for the work to be completed, which occurred on time and on budget. So much for the horror stories.

I think what impressed me the most was a piece of work performed for which we did not contract. When I walked the property with Monte, I casually mentioned I was going to have find time to get my tractor out to scrape weeds from a rocky portion of sloping hillside (about a half acre). There was no more discussion about this.

However, the day after the project was completed I was taken aback when I noticed Cascading Creations had completed the weed project for me. Even more amazing was that the worker on the project was not Monte. This meant Monte remembered my comment, conveyed it to his employee and the employee completed the work (despite finishing up in the dark-and taking time to come up to the house to let us know the work was done and to contact him if there were any problems).

So in the end, the whole experience was low maintenance for us, on budget with what I would consider superior service. We intend to reinitiate a significant landscape redesign project at some point (halted by the economic crisis). When we do, you can be certain our landscape design architect will be in touch with Cascading Creations.

James K. Wilson, CFP

Northern Capital Management, Inc.

2700 S. Southeast Blvd., Suite 205

Spokane, WA 99223

Old meets new.....

2011-03-06T14:07:00.000-08:00

WE DO,

ROCKS!

I've told you that before and I stick to that....

Most of the time....

I love to decorate our water features with antiques.

I have a (not so secret) passion for any antique relating to farms.

I was raised on a farm, and we used, on a daily basis, many of the items we now decorate with.

We have a yard full of antique wagons, wheels, farm implements, gears, hand tools and other miscellaneous farm equipment.

And somehow.....Mysteriously.....most of those kind of things find their way into the water features and rock-scapes I build.

Amazing how that happens...

Just thought I would share.....

TTT

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

Check out our whole portfolio

Our 50/50 Rule....

2011-03-05T15:50:00.000-08:00

We joke every year that we have a 50/50 Rule to doing business....

NO it dosen't mean we do 50% of the work 50% of the time......

Ok.....That kinda made me laugh a little

Nope here is what that means to us.

The phone starts ringing when the temperature hit 50 degrees in the Spring......

AND

It stops ringing when it dips below 50 degrees in the fall.

This fall was no different but 50 degrees came alot earlier and with a little more vengance with record snow fall for Spokane in Novemeber. It seemed like we just skipped fall and moved right into winter.....

The differience this year it would appear....

it has changed into a 50/40 rule....

We are already booked for April and the temperature hasn't been above 50 but save for a handful of times. Even though the plants want it to be so.

I'm not complaining, mind you....

I'm just making an observation.

I'm thinking that people are tired of hearing all the rehtoric about a bad economy and are ready to move on......

We can only hope.......

TTT

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

Check out our whole portfolio

I love my job....

2011-03-03T18:34:00.000-08:00

In the last couple of days I have criss crossed this whole county at least twice....

And let me tell you.....

It never gets old.

You can go from downtown to something like this in 10 minutes.....

Simply amazing.

Sometimes it's ok to just stop and take a picture.

So far I have looked at 7 of the 19 leads we got at the Spokane Home And Yard Show. This was by far my favorite little jaunt through time.

Just thought I would share how much I love the Northwest....

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Sometimes it's just about a cool picture....

2011-03-02T16:50:00.000-08:00

I have decided that my blog posts on Wednesdays were going to be short and sweet from now on. I want to introduce you all to my family...

This is Tony

He is my first born....

It is a picture from a few years ago

But I really Like it

I hope you do too.

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

Check out our whole portfolio

A little love......

2011-03-01T18:37:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I just want to share with you some of our testimonials...

Heck we earned um...

Our goal for each job is the same.....

To get a testimonial from our customers

You can't do that without surpassing expectations.....

"I hired Cascading Creations to transform a botched water feature, add steps in my very large rock garden and a walking path in my yard. I'm so pleased with the results. From the moment I met Monte Tareski and crew I was impressed with their creativity, knowledge and professionalism. The work began and ended as promised. But beyond that, they went to great efforts to protect my grass from their heavy machinery and accommodate the safety of my dogs in my back yard. I was very comfortable having Cascading Creations on my property. The results are evident in the photos. They were professional, respectful and friendly. I'd certainly hire them again, if needed. I miss them already!"

Connie Suchomel --Five Mile Heights--

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Sometimes it's not all pritty and stuff...

2011-02-28T19:24:00.000-08:00

Some of our best work isn't all that pritty.

We excell in finish excavation with our precision equipment. We pride ourselves in a finished product no matter how ugly it may be.

The picture above was of a 150 foot building and it was so big that I couldn't get the whole thing in the picture......just half.

We finish graded the floor (after dropping it 12" in the center) to make it ready for pea gravel and concrete retaining walls

This was a round pole building for tribe meetings just outside of Grand Coulee in Nespelem

We work for some of the best contractors in the Northwest. This particular project we completed for Stimson Contracting.

And just to clarify....The dirt was ugly...the building....

Beautiful

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

Check out our whole portfolio

What does "Quarry Direct" mean for you?

2011-02-27T19:26:00.000-08:00

After a long weekend at the Spokane Home & Yard Show....

I just wanted to reflect for a moment......

I spent a lot of time this weekend explaining to prospective customers that we are "Quarry Direct"

What does that mean to you? (the prospective customer)

Well it means a significant cost savings. That's what it means!

We have relationships with all of the rock quarries in the Pacific Northwest and when we make a plan for your project that involves boulders, I get on the horn and get the ball rolling. We send our drivers out and get your materials directly from the source.....

No Middle Man.....

We are the middle man....

Other landscapers around Spokane buy their materials from us.

What that translates into?

More material for your hard earned dollar when you hire us to do your project

And you wanna know the kicker?

A lot of the time I go and sort the material out for your project myself.

So in summary.

I come to your home and look at your project, I go to the quarry to find just the right material for your project and I do the work on your project.

Talk about Quality Control.....Just sayin'

TTT

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

Check out our whole portfolio

Artistry in motion

2011-02-26T18:18:00.000-08:00

Making a water feature isn't just putting in a liner and throwing down a couple of rocks and hoping for good water flow over the top. It has taken me quite awhile to get to the point where I can look at a rock and tell immediately if it will fit in "my" design. The background work I put into each and every one of my water features is really never something the customer sees. I spend many an hour pouring over our endless plies of rocks searching for those ever elusive falls rock. I always find them....just sometimes it takes longer than others. Each feature I put together is unique to the surrounding yard and the rocks I pick need to reflect that as well....

Because

When I get done and turn on the pump I truly want it to be artistry in motion.....

I can't draw worth a darn but I can sling a heck of a rock...

TTT

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

Check out our whole portfolio

Having a little fun....Just part of the job

2011-02-25T16:20:00.000-08:00

I was raised with the notion that if you didn't enjoy what you were doing that......

1. You weren't going to do it very well.

or.

2. You were going to be a grouch doing it.

Let me tell you right now that

We love what we do

and it shows

There is no reason that you cannot have fun while you work.

As long a the job is getting done well

If you enjoy what you are doing

You will do a better job

So if you hear us laughing and hanging off the equipment for a picture just remember that your project will look better because of it......

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

Check out our whole portfolio

The request for Jaden's Journey

2011-02-23T09:05:00.000-08:00

It was brought to my attention by a comment in this blog that I have been discussing Jaden's Journey in this blog but have never really explained what Jaden's Journey really was. Well in the last two weeks I have been blogging about this Journey in another blog called Spokane Grapevine.

If you would like to read more about Jaden's Journey please follow the link below.....

Jaden's Journey on Spokane Grapevine

Jaden's Journey and The Home & Yard show...Can you say Juggle?

2011-02-22T16:38:00.000-08:00

We took a few minutes today to break away from Jaden's Journey

We went down to the Fairgrounds

and

Set up our booth at

The Home & Yard Show

I thought it was gonna look pritty pathetic

BUT......

It ended up looking kinda cool

Very simple and to the point

WE DO ROCKS!

That is what we do

That is what are booth says

and quite honestly....

Jaden is more important than spending thousands of dollars putting up a booth that you tear down in 3 days.

I do believe that our potential customers will understand

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

Check out our whole portfolio

My friend Scott Travis

2011-02-20T16:43:00.000-08:00

My Friend....

Scott Travis

(he's the one on the right)

I just wanted to say a few words about Scott before I put in the Testimonial he wrote for us

Scott is one of the nicest guys on the planet

always willing to pitch in and lend a hand

I am honored to call Scott

My Friend.....

He is the co-owner of Twisted Pair

They do Web Streaming

Let me just say that I didn't really get to know him until after he wrote this testimonial

I met Monte from Cascading Creations on a cold snowy day in December. He was plowing an adjoining businesses parking lot. He had already without being asked plowed out a path for some of our News vehicles that were having difficulties in the snow. I hired him on the spot. He took a pro-active interest in the safety of clearing our lot. He was calling before it snowed not after it snowed to get permission. I have received many complements on the condition of our lot as compared to others around town. And in the midst of the worst snow year Spokane has ever experienced. Monte's equipment allows him to clear the snow almost to the pavement and to place it where you want it rather than just push it into piles. We lost very few parking spots to piles of snow. The safety of our employees is very important to us and most of the credit goes to Monte.

Sincerely

Scott Travis

KXLY Broadcast Group

Engineering/Building Maintenance

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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The story behind the steps.....

2011-02-19T17:54:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you may look at one of our projects and say.....Cool.....

Well, behind every one of our projects is a story.......

Here is the story behind this unique set of steps.....

Their was a gentle slope of grass following along the concrete edging granting easy access to the flower bed. That is, easy access for someone without M.S.

You see....this gentleman came to me with a problem. His wife loved her flowers but could no longer tend to them because of the gentle slope of grass. Her balance would be thrown off by the slope and she was prone to falling. Her husband was just beside himself because his wife had lost yet another one of her passions to the disease.

His wife was scheduled to be out of town for a couple of days

He asked us for our help.

This was our solution......

We put this set of sandstone steps along the flower bed so each step was a level landing

We finished the project and were raking out the flower bed when she arrived home

She had no idea

She cried.......

So did I......

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

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Yep...It's that time of year agian. The Home and Yard show time

2011-02-18T18:56:00.000-08:00

Well...it's that time of year again.

We will be in the Spokane Home & Yard show agian this year.

Last year we had a huge 30 foot display.

This year is a little different

Due to Jaden's Journey and The Extreme Team we have decided to shrink our display to just one 10 foot booth.

We feel it is more important to be with Jaden this year

I hope you understand

We will be there with bells on Starting Thursday the 24th of February and ending on the 27th.

You can find the schedule on the Jim Custer website

I really hope to see you all there....

TTT

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

Check out our whole portfolio

Just workin' for the little man.....

2011-02-17T19:24:00.000-08:00

He is my boss for the next week or so

Nothing really to report today

I just wanted to share

TTT

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

Check out our whole portfolio

We pay the sales tax

2011-02-16T14:21:00.000-08:00

We run a Home and Yard show special every year

This year we are opening it up to our blog followers

and

FACEBOOK FANS

If you sign with us on any project we bid

Before March 1st

WE WILL COVER THE SALES TAX

It's that simple

Call now for a bid and save some money

509-244-0900

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

Check out our whole portfolio

Commitment to our community.

2011-02-15T17:03:00.000-08:00

Commitment to our community.

It's not just something we say

It's what we do....It is how we live

This community supports us....We know that....We give back

So do our employees

Thank you Jake for helping Jaden on your day off.

He was watching!

My hat is off to you my friend

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

Check out our whole portfolio

The Grapple and The Flower

2011-02-14T18:32:00.000-08:00

There is nothing substantial with this post....

It is just that sometimes you need to stop and pick the flowers

This is how I do it...

I hope this made you smile....

TTT

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

Check out our whole portfolio

Speaking of Column Rocks!

2011-02-13T14:44:00.000-08:00

Did you know we can supply Column Rock in Spokane Cheaper than anyone else?.....

How do I know?

Because I checked!

and Guess what?

It comes from the same place!

We charge by the truck load not by the foot!

We can deliver a dump truck load of Column Boulders 4' tall and under (appx 35 columns). for a mere $1500.00 + tax. If you do the math on that same truck load of columns from our competitors you would be looking at a load of rock that could exceed $5000.00!!!

Yea.......I'm not kidding.

You want to know the funny part?

We still make a small profit at that price.

So it makes you wonder why they charge so much huh?

Well to be honest....

So Do I

And if you are so inclined to have us place those rocks after we drop um off we can accommodate that as well. Keep that in mind the next time you think you may want to decorate with this beautiful natural rock from right here in the Great Northwest. We carry plenty of them in stock so come take a look for yourself.....you wont be dissapointed!

TTT

Monte Tareski

Cascading Creations

Check out our whole portfolio