Wednesday, 4PM. At the PL. This is a week that won't get any shorter, even with Friday approaching (I'll likely be working Saturday anyway) plus two layoff days at work this week meaning I still have to show up for meetings.
Here's the recap... Friday night Ben and I drove over to wellsburg to pick up the bucket lift. We managed to make it to the lodge even with the rr's handiwork. Then a few well rec'd drinks at the panther before a busy Saturday.
The next morning i was up and pacing. It was hot, it was humid, but work needed to get done. Cara managed to break her tow before the construction started but she took it in good spirit. The parents showed soon and we started auguring the first 6' hole, which took some doing seeing as the extension wouldn't fit the motor shaft. Luckily I had a few spare galvanized fittings on hand and we found one that would work. Much toil and A LOT of hauling with the tractor, then the big moment. We had Ben on hand, Cam came out and even Blake and Hannah made a surprise stop in time to see if we could upright the first timber. After much consternation I continued with the bucket lift and things went off without a hitch. Plumb it, cement it, clean up and head for the smoke shack where cara, cam and i had some of the best chicken I can recall, delicious sides and even got in a few free games of pool. Sunburnt and tired, we called it an eve and got to bed with light still in the sky.
Sunday, the 'rents arrived as I was finishing auguring the initial 3' of the easternmost posthole before adding the extension. Cara , who was not doing too hot, took off to get her eye checked out leaving my dad and i to get to it. Fighting broken shear pins and the hot, wet air, finished the augor job, dragged the column into place, lifted one end onto the bucket, and then proceeded to upright and sink it into place! Cam arrived at noon in the midst of more digging and together we got the other two poles sunk and plumbed in the afternoon heat.
We broke for lunch and cool down before mixing cement, but even that went quick enough with 3 of us pouring, mixing, hauling and shoveling cement. With the job done we retreated to the lodge to meet the girls who brought pizza and breadsticks, then to the side deck to sit in the shade, have a cold one and take in a truly glorious Iowa summer afternoon, the kind that can only be appreciated in soaked shirts and jobs done.
Monday... Menards after work for more bags of cement, then an evening of mosquitos and cement mixing. Snapped a few lines and let things setup overnight.
Tuesday... Right to the bucket. Slowly but surely made my way bottom to top marking lines, fastening braces and securing the horizontal stringers every 24". Inside for dinner, then bed.
Wednesday, here i am at the PL. Tonight's agenda? Cutting 2x4's to length and attaching to the back of the stringers for rigidity. Trim the post tops...maybe paint the "extensions".
And perhaps work in a good blog-venting...
No comments:
Post a Comment