I hope so Casey and Renee...and thank you both...I'll post pics soon

I have a target completion date now, November 3rd (which would have been Malukhai's 7th birthday )...looks like I'll make it too!! I have everything done, except the paw prints, which I'm working on now. I'm hoping they turn out well <fingers crossed> anyways, here's a sneak peek, haha...everything is growing really well and San Diego FINALLY got some rain last nite  

I just planted a ground cover called "Silver Carpet" in between the pathway stones...they look like lil greenish silver spiders, haha...Once I got the mulch in, the path looked very unfinished...debated about mulching in between (stuff would end up everywhere all the time though), then I thought about DG (in grey) but thought it too would always be getting everywhere , then came the idea of grass, but grass stains and I'd have to be keeping it short often so ...this ground cover seemed like the best choice...not sure how it will hold up to Kohdi's big paws but I won't worry about it, if it doesnt work out, I'll find something else.

close-up of the ground cover

Mulch is in

Changed out the clay pots that flank the fountain, for these "metal look" planters...theyre a lil darker than I thought they were but its cool

I thought these are the coolest color...theyre light blue but in the sun look silver (I wanted a lot of silver in the garden cuz Anuschka was silver and white)...so anyways, it'll be done by November 3rd, Malukhai's birthday

Wow. This looks amazing Jimmy. Everything looks great together. I can't wait to see what it looks like when it's finished.

Thank you so much Leighanna! its almost there, I just wish it'd hurry up and fill in more, haha

btw, love your new avatar

Your garden is lovely, so peaceful...

Aww, thank you Amy!! I sit out there every night and it really is peaceful

So making the paw prints...yesterday I went to Michaels and bought a clay bar but, I must have bought the wrong stuff (sux cuz this on little bar was $20)...it was not workable, it just stayed too hard, so I gave it some thought and came up with this...I took mortar mix and shaped it in the shape of a piece of flagstone, then used Malukhai and Anuschka's paw prints as "stamps", pressing them into the mortar mix. Turned out pretty good I think. I was going to maybe paint the prints themselvs once its dry but I think I like the subtelty (dont think I spelld that right, lol) of the look as is

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I like the subtlety also!

Thank you Amy...(so thats how you spell it...I knew mine didnt look right, haha)...so the single most important thing in this project, the paw prints, got messed up, ugh...I wanted to give the shape a more natural stone look so I carved out pieces along the edges to make it look more realistic, and it turned out really cool!!! BUT I must have weakened those edges cuz when I put it in the ground, it broke it got dark so I couldnt do too much to make it look better, maybe tomorrow though when I get home from work. Here's the pic (sorry its dark, damn time change, haha) but on one side I put a small stone to maybe make it look like I designed it that way, lol...I might try another on the other side, but if it doesnt look right, I'm gonna have to do it over and I was paranoid enough shoving their paw prints in cement without ruining the originals. Sux!!

 

And here are my final pics...its finished now and the only pic left to take is one with Kohdi and Mishka in it...tomorrow...the day that would have been Malukhai's 7th birthday

In this pic, th pawprints are sitting on the bench so it could dry, you can kinda see the edges I had given it...sux it didnt work out though

Jimmy, everything is beautiful, your love for your beloveds shines through in every aspect. It is indeed a labor of love, and now you will have a loving and lasting tribute, and endless new memories. Enjoy your peace and tranquility. It's inspiring!

Renee

Thank you Renee...I do dread having to do the paw prints over though. As the cement dries, it forms a "glaze" on top, looks ugly, so I had to use my finger to rough it up (stuff burns the skin right off too, my finger tips are "burnt") anyways, I had to use my finger to go around each of the toes very carefully and as I was doing that I was thinking "these are the paws that went on SO many walks with me, that used to land on my chest whenever I came home from work, that Malukhai used to put in my hand as he went to sleep at night, and yeah *sighs* the ones that dug up so much of my yard, and that used to get my clothes dirty after they ran around in the dirt and would jump on me " the paw prints are the most important thing to me in this project, and I messed them up I managed to keep all the prints intact though!! came amazingly close to losing part of them.

The broken paw print stone looks fine! I never would have known it was broken if you had not said something...The whole project is wonderful - A trained landscape architect could not have designed anything better.

Wow wow WOW. This is absolutely gorgeous. It looks fantastic! I agree with Amy, I don't think a trained landscaper could have done any better. Love it. <3

Oh wow, thank you both SO much!!! it makes me feel so good!! I did try really hard to think of everything and A LOT of thought went into everything I did (I'm anal that way, I dislike that in myself but...sometimes it pays off)

So the stone...as I just mentioned, im kinda anal...and seeing as this stone is to me, the single most important addition, its going to REALLY bother me that its not "perfect", so...I'm going to re-make it, atleast now I know what NOT to do, lol, like carving it and moving it when its not completly dry AND I'm going to see if theres a better material. I came home today and in the minutes before darkness ( I really despise the time change) I broke the paw print stone a little more (VERY carefully) and it does look a bit better, it stays for now. I do really like the way I roughed up the background but left the actual print with that "glaze", its subtle yet...not TOO subtle.

Thank you all again, your compliments mean A LOT to me.

Wow! This is beautiful. You did an amazing job, Jimmy. This looks even better than a professional's work. Malukhai and Anuschka probably love what you have done for them. Kohdi and Mishka are loving it too, I bet.


Also, good luck with making the new stone. Hopefully, it turns out exactly how you want it to.

Leighanna, thank you so much.


Now that its finished, the emotions part of it must have set in cuz, these messages are making my eyes tear, not in a bad way...I truly appreciate them all, just sad is all. Doesn't help with the time change, Malukhai always seizured a week into the time changes so I think I'm still in that mode as well. BUT, I have a place now where I won't be sad when I think of them, cuz I know in some way theyre there with me.

Thank you again Leighanna

Ahh! Sorry Jimmy for the very late response. Just been really busy the last few days. Anyways.

You're very welcome, Jimmy. They're always going to be with you, and now you have a peaceful place to sit in and remember the great times with them.