I was up with the sun Saturday morning excited that it could be the last day of shoveling, hauling, and drilling. After running errands for a few supplies and renting a compactor, Josh and I were back to work on the bocce court. He cut the border timbers, drilled holes for the rebar and set them in place while I shoveled the crushed granite into the pit with my friend Helene. By late afternoon we were watering the granite, packing it down to a hard surface and leveling out the high areas. There were just a few more border logs to place, but the sun was gone. It was a quick job Sunday morning and soon...

Getting the down low on how to build a bocce ball court isn’t as simple as you’d think. Sure, there are some instructions and plans on the internet. But on closer inspection, they’re as basic as: dig a hole fill hole with gravel and crushed rock top off with clay, oyster shell or astroturf When you start to ask about specific, it gets fuzzy pretty fast. I’ve had some good luck – finding rescued highway guardrail timbers on craigslist, and more detailed plans from the American Italian Club. But asking where to buy clay, oystershell, or astroturf is like asking for...

Bocce ball has been a part of that fine sports tradition of throwing balls at smaller objects for thousands of years. While the Egyptians had a form of the game back in 5000 B.C., it was the Italians who transformed it into what know today. I’ve watched Italians and French play their versions of the game when I travel, and have always wanted to try. But even though it’s a neighborhood sport with courts in the medians of streets and city parks, the gentlemen playing are as serious as U.S. kids on a basketball court. You don’t jump into the pick up if you don’t know what...

Three years ago a friend I’d known only a few months volunteered to help me install hardwood floors in my house. I gladly accepted and with another helper, I transformed my house in three weeks. I thought it was a strange gesture, but have learned it is just the way Josh Pickell is. Since then, Josh has helped out with a lot of other projects and had many great adventures in between. He’s stared down grizzlies, ridden Grand Canyon rapids and searched for water in Death Valley. Now he’s taking on the biggest challenge of his life! Well, not really. But it is an adventure of another...