ginny, really, not to worry.you're o.k. if you had a shattered piece, it would be awful but i think with cmeent and a clean break there's no huge worry. and yes, mark's solution is for outdoors cement. also, i think the treflers person you spoke to probly was just giving the 'lawsuit safe' answer. they could definitely fix it if you don't want to try it yourself. they've done a number of things for me over the years. you might also want to talk to your local masonry yard; they do sell concrete/cement sealants. we used such on an outdoor slate fntn because of flaking potential but we have never treated our outdoor cement sculptures. best, mindy

Thanks for the advice. Per your suggestion, I will be moving the electrical box out of the ground and onto the vinyl siding. It will be mounted at the same height as my garden hose bib which means I'll be able to drill through the sill plate instead of drilling through cinderblock. A couple of other things...the electrical box (which I've already removed from the ground) is still in very good shape. It has a like-new GFCI outlet in it and I plan to reuse it. Since the outlet in my garage is on the same breaker (but not in series with the light switch that controls the outdoor outlet) should it be changed to a GFCI outlet as well? I was always under the impression that you could only have on GFCI outlet per breaker. When mounting the outlet box I will be drilling a hole through my sill plate to the exterior of the home. I assume you just keep drilling (eventually through the vinyl siding) until you see daylight. The question I have is how to mount the box in such a way to make the hole I just drilled protected from moisture? First I have to install a romex connector in the knockout and snake the wire through the wall. Then what? Is there a compound that fills the hole? Next question....specifically what type of wet-rated wire should I use from the box inside the basement to the outlet on the outside of the house. I will only need about 18 inches or so of this wire so I'm hoping it can be purchased in very short lengths. Maybe at HD I can buy it by the foot off a spool. After I run the wire through the hole should I seal it from the inside in my basement with any type of cement before mounting the metal box? Below is another video I posted showing the new plan, some work already in progress, and more questions that I have moving forward. Additional help would be greatly appreciated... Here is a link that might be useful: revised re-wiring plan

Good advice above re cutting back the tall tree and choosing replacements. I'm in the mid-Atlantic region, so wouldn't venture to suggest plants for your region. I would, however, suggest that you think carefully about the river rock. Many people have rued the day they installed it, or purchased a home with it in the landscape. It's a huge project to remove. Organic matter will collect among the stones, where weed seeds will germinate and grow. The stones collect and radiate the sun's heat, leading to a warmer & dryer soil, whereas an organic mulch like shredded wood will lead to conditions more like those on a forest floor - cool and moist - and will eventually decompose and improve soil structure and bio-activity. If the stones are light in color, they will also reflect the sun's light back up to the undersides of the leaves (an unnatural situation) and, according to some sources, increase certain pest activity. If you are considering the river rock as a way to brighten that northern exposure, instead consider some plants with variegated green and white foliage. These really pop in the shade. Chartreuse also works very well for this purpose, but I'm not sure how it would look with the colors of your house.

The TV show Fixer Upper did a house that looked similar to yours. The episode referred to the house as the "Prickly Pear" house. Link: https://magnolia.com/our-show/episode-11-the-prickly-pear-house/ They removed the bushes and trees blocking the house (& the prickly pear cactus near the street) and created dormers & a pergola in front -where your red trees are touching the roof)-Also- they installed 2sets of French doors to the front of the house and removed wall in the kitchen.