Stucco

   After spending years espousing the opinion the stucco is nothing but a lazy shortcut, I decided it was the best option for what was needed.  The house itself will be cement lap siding.  If I had done the same siding all the way to the ground, though, it would have looked funny---the house is quite a bit taller than it is wide.  So, everything from the deck level down will be masonry.  This smooth stucco will get stained to look like big granite blocks.
   First step is getting the K-lath up.  The 100' roll unrolled itself down the hill---no pics of THAT.  I shoulda, though.  It was funny.  You nail it up while stretching it tight as possible and cut out various openings with tin snips.  You can get pretty scratched up...  Then the 'weep screed' flashing goes in any edges, and corner lath on corners.
   Now you mix up your stucco.  I'm going with a one coat process since the finish is smooth.  Most homes the stuff is actually sprayed on in a three coat process (Scratch, brown, top)
   I used a tub and a mixing attachment on my 1/2" drill.  Like Byron pointed out, it's just like frosting a cake.  Even the mixing of the frosting.

Then you gotta apply it.  I have a new respect for stucco-ers.. It is a real forearm workout.  You slap some stucco on a flat board (hod, for you crossword puzzlers) scoop some up and smear it on.

It's very important to work the stucco in around the wire.  This first pass is a bit thin to get it in, then the next pass is after it's set up a bit.  The stucco ends up about 3/4" thick.