Jon T Aguilar / Master Stonebuilder + Artist

09/01/2026

Plot Twist!

After a 3 year “divorce”, the_j_ro (Jenni) and I are getting REMARRIED!🤙😄

23 years together gives you a lot of history - and apparently, sometimes, another chance.

Our story is not finished. As it turns out, God over everything means all things are possible.
Year 26 is year 1.

08/23/2026

08/02/2026

This week 5 of us spent about 3 plus days rough-shaping sh*tty-shaped rock into near usable wall stone. Then we still have to organize it all by sizes and move all of them to the other side of the house.

Then, we organize it on the ground by sizes again along 2 sides of a 176 linear feet of wall. Then we finish shaping each piece before setting.

A rough estimate is around 6-7,500 stones just for this long wall.

(I calculated the other day that when done we will have built approximately 7,000 face feet of various types of walls.)

1- LEAD DESIGNER & PROJECT DIRECTOR:
Sam Johnson Samuel Johnson & Sam Johnson

2- TEAM:
- Tim Timnation
- Tanner
- Nate (new guy)
- Myself

3) MATERIALS, TOOLS, MISC.:

- Moving towards 900 tons of 100% raw ROCK dumped on site that we turn into STONE with tools

- 100% of every stone on this project has been shaped by us with drills, feathers/ wedges, saws, grinders, hammers and chisels

- Excavator, walk-behind, MQuip vacuum lifter are our machines

We got about another 2,000 face feet of freestanding stone wall to build and more features.

07/26/2026

I like showing the CHAOS around the CREATION. All rock and fragments laying around that then become a STONE WALL.

The rock gets shaped into usable wall stone and then set into place. The fragments get used as the HEARTING (or what I call the “drystone mason’s mortar).

These photos and videos from yesterday show you a 100’ portion of the 176’ linear foot wall + a cross section view.

(I calculated the other day that when done we will have built approximately 7,000 face feet of various types of walls.)

1- LEAD DESIGNER & PROJECT DIRECTOR:
Sam Johnson Samuel Johnson & Sam Johnson

2- TEAM:
- Tim Timnation
- Tanner
- Nate (new guy)
- Myself

3) MATERIALS, TOOLS, MISC.:

- Moving towards 900 tons of 100% raw ROCK dumped on site that we turn into STONE with tools

- 100% of every stone on this project has been shaped by us with drills, feathers/ wedges, saws, grinders, hammers and chisels

- Excavator, walk-behind, MQuip vacuum lifter are our machines

We got about another 2,000 face feet of freestanding stone wall to build and more features.

07/19/2026

“All we need is a little patience…”

These photos and videos from yesterday show you a 100’ portion of the 176’ linear foot wall + a cross section view.

(I calculated the other day that when done we will have built approximately 7,000 face feet of various types of walls.)

1- LEAD DESIGNER & PROJECT DIRECTOR:
Sam Johnson Samuel Johnson & Sam Johnson

2- TEAM:
- Tim Timnation
- Tanner
- Nate (new guy)
- Myself

3) MATERIALS, TOOLS, MISC.:

- Moving towards 900 tons of 100% raw ROCK dumped on site that we turn into STONE with tools

- 100% of every stone on this project has been shaped by us with drills, feathers/ wedges, saws, grinders, hammers and chisels

- Excavator, walk-behind, MQuip vacuum lifter are our machines

We got about another 2,000 face feet of freestanding stone wall to build and more features.

07/05/2026

A three minute stroll around the entire linear footage of all the walls on this project.

1- LEAD DESIGNER & PROJECT DIRECTOR:
Sam Johnson Samuel Johnson & Sam Johnson

2- TEAM:
- Tim Timnation
- Tanner
- Nate (new guy)
- Myself

3) MATERIALS, TOOLS, MISC.:

- Moving towards 900 tons of 100% raw ROCK dumped on site that we turn into STONE with tools

- 100% of every stone on this project has been shaped by us with drills, feathers/ wedges, saws, grinders, hammers and chisels

- Excavator, walk-behind, MQuip vacuum lifter are our machines

We got about another 2,000 face feet of freestanding stone wall to build and more features.

07/01/2026

Today, I completed the other cheek end (northeast slang) across from the one Sam built. These photos and videos show you a cross section of a drystone wall or fence. Tanner has been putting in all the low wall stones + throughstones. Enjoy.

1- LEAD DESIGNER & PROJECT DIRECTOR:
Sam Johnson Samuel Johnson & Sam Johnson

2- TEAM:
- Tim Timnation
- Tanner
- Nate (new guy)
- Myself

3) MATERIALS, TOOLS, MISC.:

- Moving towards 900 tons of 100% raw ROCK dumped on site that we turn into STONE with tools

- 100% of every stone on this project has been shaped by us with drills, feathers/ wedges, saws, grinders, hammers and chisels

- Excavator, walk-behind, MQuip vacuum lifter are our machines

We got about another 2,000 face feet of freestanding stone wall to build and more features.

06/21/2026

Here’s a moving “section” view of a finished and in-the-works drystone wall / fence. Enjoy.

1- LEAD DESIGNER & PROJECT DIRECTOR:
Sam Johnson Samuel Johnson & Sam Johnson

2- TEAM:
- Tim Timnation
- Tanner
- Nate (new guy)
- Myself

3) MATERIALS, TOOLS, MISC.:

- Moving towards 900 tons of 100% raw ROCK dumped on site that we turn into STONE with tools

- 100% of every stone on this project has been shaped by us with drills, feathers/ wedges, saws, grinders, hammers and chisels

- Excavator, walk-behind, MQuip vacuum lifter are our machines

We got about another 2,000 face feet of freestanding stone wall to build and more features.

06/07/2026

(Discovered this waterfall last week here in La Plata canyon.)

I am seriously thinking about organizing a 1-week WORKSHOP event this Fall here in Durango, Colorado to learn how to BUILD a DRYSTONE PORTAL.

The workshop would involve so much more… real human connection + total immersion in nature + fire + outdoor cooking (local venison, elk, beef & lamb) + my personal design-build principles & methods + tool learning & a lot more!

Whatever I organize is never half-ass. It’s “all out” and meant for you to have a mind-blowing experience that you take home with you whether just for you, your home and family and/or your own stonebuilding business.

If this happens I would limit it to probably x7 persons.

There would be no requirements other than full commitment. I imagine it would last a full 7 days.

If you would be interested let me know in the comments or DM.