Peninsula People Feb 2018

Garden of stone
by Stephanie Cartozian
Photos by Tony LaBruno
An aerial view of the Herbrandsons’ final work of art, which encompassed a few stops and starts along the way. (Photo by Carlo Zanella, DHP Multimedia)
After collecting stones and boulders for more than two decades,
Dean Herbrandson and wife Kara finally found something to do with them
Dean and Kara Herbrandson celebrating Dean’s 50th birthday on Flag Day,
when the backyard landscaping was only a few months old. (Photo by Adam,
Treasured Moments Photography)
Dean Herbrandson had a
penchant for collecting
boulders and for decades
scouted the hill to uncover just the
right ones. For what? He did not
know. But he credits his wife Kara
for her infinite patience as he had
these enormous monoliths
dumped off for years on their
Malaga Cove driveway and in their
side yard.
“I used to drive my pickup truck
around as far back as the 2000, collecting
stones as big as I could lift.
I wouldn’t stop until the truck almost
bottomed out,” Dean said.
Later, he would bid on even
larger stones, some fossilized with
whale vertebrae and other sea
creatures, or plant material. He
would bid against contractors and
architects for the most awesome
earthly specimens.
“I was into these rocks for about
$10,000 and still hadn’t ascertained
how to utilize them.”
All along he assumed the rocks
would be cut and made into something
like stepping stones, but he
later learned that PV stone doesn’t
peel back like an onion, but is like
chalk and disintegrates when cut.
This discovery led to new concepts
on how to proceed with his treasure
trove.
Herbrandson graduated from
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a
degree in mechanical engineering.
He builds drone engines. Herbrandson
Engines is based in
Lawndale and specializes in designing
and manufacturing drone
mechanisms for military use. His
father Dale started the business.
“At work he’s Dale and at home,
he’s dad,” Herbrandson said. In the
‘70s, his dad built a 2 cylinder engine
that had very good vibration
resistance. This was a crucial enhancement
to previous drone models
because his drones could hold
a camera without vibrating, enabling
them to take sharper photos.
His drones were used for reconnaissance
during the Vietnam War
and the Gulf Wars.
30 Peninsula • February 2018