pour test...

Did a little pour test yesterday with one bag of quickcrete to see how well the new gennie and mixer worked...and to see if I have enough concrete to do the whole pour.  Gennie and mixer worked fine.  Was hoping one bag would fill 1.5 blocks plus 3 inches above to fill the forms.  Came up a little short so I ordered 30 more bags yesterday afternoon and they were delivered this morning.  Now I am sure all is good to go for pour day next Monday.  73,75,39,0,B

what...work?

94,101,75,0,B

longpour/shortpour

Had to repair another blown hose on the solar shower this morning - got a little colder overnight than I thought it would....but we are in a warming trend now - looking at highs in the 80's next week with not so bad overnight lows.  Set up the solar powered pump and transferred 250 gallons from one of the greenhouse tanks to the house tank.   Poured the long section along the NE container and finished up faster than I expected.  Too much day left and not enough beer ( http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/10-surprising-health-benefits-beer ) so I built and set the form and poured the end section too...a 12 bag day.  46,66,21,0,C

all work and no play?

57,73,25,0,B

prepped to pour

Picked up Just Me's mixer today...got the work zone ready for the next pour on the north wing.  Benita went on walkabout Monday afternoon - no sign of critters for 2 days now...I hate when she does that.  51,66,31,0,W

Got this email today from a new friend in Africa:

Subject: fieldlab in Africagood evening John,

herewith two photos of an 'african fieldlab' - i did build one for my workers in Namibia.

your design was a great inspiration and the living quarters is functioning super well !

greetings from africa

markus

22 bags and a little melon...

Mixed up and poured 22 bags of concrete to fill the waiting blocks.  Short lunch break for a melon snack.
55,75,45,0,B

parts...

50,69,41,0,B

sunday step pour

65,78,48,0,B

formed'n'poured...

Formed up the south pour this morning.  Went a lot faster than I thought it would.  Turns out the fresnel lens is good for heating up a spot on rebar to get a tight bend.  Had way to much day left to quit after I finished prepping, so went ahead with the concrete - only 5 bags...hardly worth using the mixer.  Set some bolts and done in no time.  70,80,43,0,C

post poured...

Six and a half bags of concrete and post #1 is set in stone.  Finished in just over an hour so I cleaned up the area then drilled the first set of pilot holes for post #2 while I still had shade.

Ran over to Just Me's to help unload a UHaul trailer...that only took about a half hour.

Spent the afternoon running the AC in the AS while I gutted the bathroom. 

 

Looks like we will have some real rain events out here next week so working up a list for a "swamped in" supply run to Alpine.  95,105,70,0,W

last form pour pulled

Long string of visitors today....I dragged Allen Hare and his wife Ok Hwa over on their way back to civilization for a photo op.  Already looking forward to their visit next year as they are two of my all time favorite friends.  Three other tours came out today - all welcome of course.  Managed a little labor into the schedule... pulling the form off of yesterdays pour, some site cleanup, and a water run down south. Good news is the Starlight Theatre is due to re-open on Saturday!  65,80,38,0,C

set'n'poured

Early GrubShack breakfast then right to work.  Only plan of the day was to get set for the last perimeter pour.  It all came together so quickly - I decided to giteralldone....finished up by 2PM.  Once the blocks are set...I rip lengths of 2x4 and wedge them into place along the back edge of cinder blocks under the container.  Next I bend the ends of a single long piece or re bar to run the length of the blocks and fit into the left and right ends of the blocks.  The form gets set about 3' outside of the line.  Concrete fills the outside - pours into the block voids - and seals out the outside world up to the bottom of the containers.  This pour took another 24 bags because the form started to shift and blow out on the left side....caught it just in time and weighted it down with extra cinder blocks.  60,79,40,0,C

south side...

66,78,35,0,B

mix'n'pour

66,80,35,0,B

next pour prepped...

64,76,34,0,C

NE form pulled + SE prep

72,86,55,0,C

Walter

Gearing up for 3 more concrete pours in the coming days.  Built the form that will be used for the next three foundation sections to be filled in.  Set the form in place on the NE edge of the greenhouse.  Each pour will take about 20 bags of concrete so I will be bringing Walter (the cement mixer loaned to me by stilt house builder Ben) back to life this weekend to lend a hand.  74,87,53,0,C 

form pulled

Pulled the form off the SW pour and it turned out just fine. A couple of the concrete bags had more pea gravel than sand but it's all good. Just one more like this one then two more with 20 bags each...Walter (the cement mixer) will be called into service for the big pours. Tacked a shade over my solar water heater to cut the sun.....staying warm enough just with the ambient daytime air temps. 95,101,75,0,B

beat the heat...

Thunder and lightning woke me up sometime around midnight....late night storms don't happen out here very often. Sucked it up and got to work early for a change. Set the form and rebar and did the pour for the SW side of the greenhouse. Finished 11 bags of concrete just in time as I was starting to get dizzy. 9 - 1:30 was a good Saturday's labor for a change. Cooled off at the GrubShack for two hours with about a gallon of iced tea and their famous combo sandwich.

Headed out to the American Legion Post 653 for beers and dinner. First time I have been there in over a year - the interior is all spruced up with a new paint job. Hung out on the patio till sunset with my favorite neighbors Fred and Mario. Finally....a well earned day. 89,100,72, .31",C

West Side Story Sunday

Perfect weather day for mixing up 11 bags of concrete. 76,84,50,0,B