It is with great sadness that we must announce the loss of our beloved dog Rocco.  He came into this world in 2003 and was truly loved by everyone he met. Anyone he crossed paths with is sure to say that he was the coolest dog they knew!  Rocco learned many tricks in his younger years that we were proud to show off any chance we got. In July of 2013 we decided to name our company and design our logo after him. 

Before his most recent home on 3 acres in Cedar Villa, Rocco loved walks down to the river at Furdale, and the Avalon dog park. He was extremely obedient, loving and intelligent. He was a bit of a loner around other dogs, but loved human company and was always eager to please his owners. In 2010 we adopted 2 year old Missy May who Rocco surprisingly welcomed and truly loved to protect.  They became best of buds, were always giving eachother kisses, and bounced along together where ever we went. Rocco was sure to wag his tail in circles just at the mention of her name.

Over the past few weeks his health got the best of him, to the point where he couldn't walk from a knee and shoulder condition. He also acquired an insistent cough from recent enlarged heart diagnosis, along with suspected lung cancer. Up to this point, Rocco had already been living for years with chronic itchiness that Spaniels tend to be prone to.  However, after a gazillion tests and trials, we were able to finally manage it with a cupboard full of supplements and a raw food diet. In spite of this all, Rocco's coat was as shiny as silk, his eyes as bright as ever, leaving people in shock when they found out his age!  He was a puppy at heart right til the end. 

So with heavy hearts and the ripe old age of 14, Ryan and I made the toughest decision a dog owner will ever have to make. We decided to allow him to rest in peace without anymore discomfort on Wednesday, May 17th 2017.  Our home, the office, and our job sites will never be the same without him. We miss him terribly but know with total confidence that he's in a much better pain-free place fetching sticks up in puppy heaven. #longliverocco 

Stay tuned for his hand carved headstone that is almost near completion! 

Rocco Masons was honored when asked to repair and reconstruct this 94 year old post for the gate at Woodlawn Cemetery in preparation for Saskatoon's annual Decoration Day parade and service this June. 

Our Stone Carver & Masonry Designer, Ryan Watson is seen here meticulously hand fabricating each pieces of Tyndall stone to perfection!  We replaced the damaged stones, and built the post back up again, one 200 pound piece at a time.

Stay tuned for PART TWO featuring this post being capped off to completion and check out our other videos here: ROCCO'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL

For more on the Decoration parade and service we invite you to email poppy.legion@sasktel.net or call 306-477-6774.

For the purposes of this post for our House on Hastings project, let’s go through a few quick definitions with regards to using real stone for your fireplaces versus cast concrete. Natural stone is millions of years old. It is quarried from the earth and has gone through many natural changes over time. Cast stone is a type of precast concrete designed to simulate different types of natural cut stone. 
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Let’s now review a few points about natural stone that might be considered advantageous. It is relatively strong, stable, timeless, and durable, as witnessed by monuments and works of art that are centuries old and have aged wonderfully.

Natural stone will appreciate in value when used properly, is very eco-friendly, will resist natural elements, requires minimal maintenance, and offers almost limitless design options as seen on the following three Indiana limestone surrounds for our House on Hastings project. All of our fireplace surrounds, (including these three here) were designed and hand-carved by our Stone Carver and Masonry Designer, Ryan Watson. The first fireplace above was installed in the homes must have Man Cave. The fireplace below was installed in the homes main Floor Great Room, with the final fireplace in the families Master Suite. 

Natural stone comes in various shapes, sizes, colors, textures, and patterns. There is a stone that is perfect for almost every application out there. It can be considered a one-of-a-kind building material, and in fact, hand-carved natural stone (as shown here) is a true work of art!

Stone is similar to fingerprints, in that no one has the same fingerprint, and that is something that makes choosing natural stone one of a kind. There are many natural causes that affect the graining and coloration of stone over time. They include mineral deposits, underground springs, temperature, and seismic shifts. These occurrences are impossible to re-create and can only be done by Mother Nature herself. All of the “imperfections,” what I like to think of as character, are unique reflections of the stone’s “life.”

There are a few drawbacks when considering cast stone for your fireplace surrounds, hearth and mantel included. For example, cast stone struggles to achieve the same level of detail as carved natural stone. There is only so much you can capture with the molds that produce the product, whereas the possibilities are endless when you have a sculptor carving natural stone. The hardness and density of the stone and the artistic expression of the artisan doing the work add immeasurable value that simply cannot be achieved in the cast counterpart. It can also be quite challenging for a cast stone producer to achieve a genuine visual interpretation of veining and overall stone “movement.”
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So consider all these factors before your decision is cast in stone!
Info above courtesy of: Materials Marketing

Watch our Stone Carver, Ryan Watson in action with carving chisel in hand by checking out our YouTube videos HERE. For more on this House on Hastings project that we started last year, go HERE and HERE. You will also find an album on our company's facebook page called "House on Hastings" for more cool pictures of the homes progress. Did you know we offer sneak peeks of our work on instagram? Follow us there too at rocco_masons - Stay tuned for more!