The stonemasons arrived five days ago and promptly began transforming a stretch of flat, unkempt ground into an exquisite bluestone patio. The last stones are now in place, both in the patio area proper and as stairs leading up to the area, but the guys weren't quite done with their masterful craftsmanship. In addition to placing two large stones to serve as basement door exit steps, they had to delicately open the spaces between the bluestones in order to fill the joints with a special kind of polymer sand that would anchor everything together and allow the stones to, in effect, breathe. Soon enough, the quiet will return and, if we're lucky, we'll have enough rain to wash the stone dust away. Soon enough, we'll be out enjoying the new space. Hopefully, the hummingbirds will return to keep us company.