I started the day by heading out pretty early to the concrete supply store - we needed more brick ties and got another box of mortar color while I was there. Jim headed out to do prep work.
Just as I was filling up buckets with water to get ready to mix our first batch of mortar today, we had a surprise visitor - our insurance guy again! Still is hard to believe that he just stops by to say hi and check on the progress of the building - who does that? He's a really nice guy and we always remember how it was divine intervention that we found him on one of our visits to the area before we moved here. To recap, Jim and I were in the car on a visit here and were talking about the fact that we wanted to find a State Farm insurance rep and go over our plans before we moved. With this kind of project, having equipment here when we didn't live here plus not being on site all make having good insurance coverage even more important. We were really disillusioned with our reps in Ohio - we never got to see the actual agent; you always had to go through office people. Anyway, as we are sitting at a stop sign talking about insurance, this giant SUV drives by with a big placard on top of the car advertising this State Farm agent! We called him, talked to him, and it has been an amazing fit. I joke that it's like Cheers when we go in - they all call out, "Jim!" and talk to him like he's an old friend. And the agent just stops by to say hi!
But, he stayed for quite awhile touring the progress so it got our first batch delayed quite a bit. We were a little worried because there was a possibility of afternoon showers. As soon as he left, we got busy mixing up the first batch of mortar...
Starting on the front...
Then we moved around the back. We decided to mainly focus on the back today - first, it's more in the shade which helps with the crazy heat. Second, because of the possibility of rain, only working in one area makes it easier to get it covered.
Continuing around the back corner...
First batch done - jointing is next.
Since we got started late, lunch was late too so we got busy with prep work right after we ate. Jim had lots more bricks to cut to keep our supply going.
Second batch ready...
One more course on the front...
...then around to the back.
We went up another step on the back wall! Each of these steps has worked out perfectly - it still amazes me that every brick fits perfectly the way it was drawn up!
Jointing...
The back wall is looking really good from up on the hill too!
Clean up time...
The front at the end of the day...
...and the back.
We really lucked out with the weather - besides the fact that it was crazy hot (did I mention that already?) - no rain. But just in case, we covered everything up.
Jim stayed and did some more brick cutting at the end of the day. We were glad to get home - even though the apartment's temperature is the same as the outside temperature! Oh well, it was another great day!
 |
| High 88 (heat index 102!)/Low 68 |
No comments:
Post a Comment