The wall and the garden environment

We continued to work on our recycled retaining wall today.  Illijana has been guiding the building while I have been wheeling the blocks up to the wall.  We are making significant progress.  Our neighbor Margaret is renovating her house and had concrete blocks used in the previous construction to spare so we are using them to build a retaining wall.  We are unsure about whether we will mortar them together, or whether we will put a finishing limestone cap on the blocks.  This was the progress today.

The dominant environmental factor in our garden is the Pacific Ocean.  We live on a bluff, at about 150 feet above sea level, but only about 500 feet from the tide line of the ocean.  The next pictures give a hint of its presence.  If you click the photo you might be able to catch a glimpse of our powerful neighbor.