Rock Garden Chimney

origins

While visiting my friend Scott house I was admiring his rock retaining wall and noticed his wall had a little alcove - a small shelf indented into the wall with an arch over it I think a small statue stood inside. I liked it. I wanted one in my rock wall.

I was particularly keen on building an arch and located 5 rocks with nice angles for an arch. After hours of trial and error my arch stood. For some reason I didn't continue right away. Perhaps it was winter. The arch stood for some time before I returned and while making adjustments, the arch fell. I repeated this process quite a number of times until an arch kept standing and I had filled in the wall around it.

Gazing at the arch I started to imagine what I would put in my alcove, and I noticed that the inner lines of the rocks made a big "M" and since my love's name is Monica

location

chris asks a question

I feel such gratitude for you my friend, Chris for asking the question, "what do I see happening around the chimney?"

As I've sat with the question, my dream has lotus opened and I now see you sitting comfortably in front of the stove on a chilly winter night while Monica and Carmen look on from the hot tub. You're strumming your red electric slide guitar while I play tuba lines on the cello from under the Japanese maple. You croon along with Prema who toasts herself on the other side of the fire.

Alice DiMicele joins in from the couch. The night goes on every one trading places and occasionally heading over to the pool for a cold plunge.

idea

the water jacket shown in this link looks the best, could we have this fabricated?

https://www.milkwood.net/2011/08/03/our-rocket-stove-water-heater-2-5-years-on/

our stove will differ from the picture in these ways:

the firebox will be below ground inside the wall behind the "M" opening

there will be a separate air intake and fuel loading openings

• air intake will be a tunnel coming in from the right slanting downward to a hole in the lower right wall of the firebox
• fuel loading will be via an iron door on left

firebox will have window looking out thru the "M"

build a firebox out of firebrick with an opening on lower right for a air intake pipe and a large stove door opening on left. window in the front looks out from the "M". window could be a fixed stove door or mounted square of glass.

place insulated heat riser barrel and water jacket on top of the firebox, heat riser will be partly underground

lowest brick under "M" slides out for ash cleaning.