We are still pinching ourselves that we're here! We're wishing we could put everything else on hold and just rearrange and play with things in the apartment. The living room is really taking shape - Jim even put the sound bar on the TV for the first time in NY!
In anticipation of today's work which was installing our mailbox, Jim had to do some maintenance on the Bobcat. He changed the oil...
And greased everything...
Jim took his lunch and headed to the Drywall Center to pick up his steel order. He ordered more steel to build another set of steel shelves in the metal shop.
When he got back, he saw that we got a delivery - our new trash cans for our trash service. We checked into a few options but decided that at least in the beginning we will go with this company that offered the best price for pickup.
We have to decide if we are going to keep the trashcans by the road or not, but for now Jim loaded them up in the Bobcat and took them up by the house.
Then it was time to start working on the mailbox. Before we moved, Kyle and Julia bought this mailbox for us in anticipation of this day! It's very hefty and is locking, so it will be very secure. It weighs probably 25 pounds so Jim wanted a very beefy post so that the snowplows wouldn't knock it over.
We brought this steel with us from Ohio - Jim used it in the shoring process for our raised concrete deck. Now it will have new life as our mailbox post! Jim first had to straighten out the ends so he did that using his metal band saw.
He made the "foot" of the base which will help stabilize the post underground. Here he's using the grinder to clean the edges where he will weld.
The completed post!
Getting ready to put the mounting plate on the post...
With the special Tapcons Jim has, he's able to screw the fasteners through the steel.
The completed post probably weighs 100 pounds! Jim is carrying it outside...
The plan was to use the excavator to dig the hole but when Jim put the battery in it, the battery was dead. So he put the battery on the battery charger for awhile.
Meanwhile, he brought the Bobcat up and loaded the post in the bucket.
We had to decide on a good spot - somewhere that hopefully wouldn't be too susceptible to the snowplows yet still be accessible for us and the mail carrier. Once we decided, Jim used the Bobcat to clear some of the ground cover.
Jim put the address numbers on the mailbox while we were waiting...
Once Jim put the charged battery in the excavator, it started immediately even though Jim hadn't started it in over 7 months!
Then he started digging...
This area is right where the original stone wall is located, so it is full of rocks for a couple feet below grade.
The excavator made this job possible - it would have taken absolutely forever to dig by hand with all the rocks. Trying out the post in the hole...
Leveling it...
Then backfilling...
There's always hand shoveling involved...
Doing some grading with the Bobcat...
And by hand, of course...
Sliding the mailbox onto the mounting plate...
Attaching it...
Ta da - we are official residents with a mailbox now!
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| High 75/Low 65 - beautiful! |
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