8.5.2016

After Jim's ultrasound last night, we decided to go to Pope's Pizza - this was the first place that Jim ate when he was here by himself once.  It's just a small little place, but has lots of good memories for us - plus they have great, real New York style Hawaiian pizza!

While we were there, we started talking about Jim's Aunt Sylvia.  We heard from his sisters that she took a bad turn - so Jim texted his sister and asked how she was doing.  She responded that things didn't look good.  By the time we got home, we got the news that she had passed away.  In fact, she died just about 10 minutes after we were thinking about her and texting Jim's sister.

So today was definitely a more solemn day with thoughts of Jim's Ooie (his name for her from when he was tiny and couldn't say Aunt Sylvia!).  She was the last of Jim's mom's siblings - so an entire generation is gone.  While we know she's in a better place, it certainly is a reminder that life is short and we need to make sure to take time to let our loved ones know how important they are to us.

Jim's day started very early - he had put in his steel order from Albany Steel yesterday for the piece of angle he needs to connect the stairs to the landing.  If you remember, the last time they delivered, they broke our chain post.  So Jim grabbed a breakfast bar and coffee and was at the property before 7:30.  They came not too long after that and dropped the steel off.

After that, Jim headed to the DMV to get new plates for the box truck.  We need to get it back on the road again so we put the insurance back on and got new plates.

Once he got back to Angel, it was time to prep for the day's brickwork.  Putting on earthquake ties...

Jim also tried out the lintel he made and painted with hammered spray paint - looks so good!  Jim has to figure out exactly how he wants to do the brick over the openings, so for the moment we're leaving that until later.

Time for the first batch...

Starting in the front corner...

Working across the front and up another step!

Jointing...

The morning batch was kind of tough - it was just really hot plus we got a little bit later of a start due to all the other things Jim had to attend to in the morning.

We were also a little disappointed to find out that Jim won't be able to get the results of his ultrasound/x-ray until Monday - apparently the physician's assistant that ordered the tests won't be in until then.  Thankfully, Jim continues to feel good.

After lunch, we put the bucket on the Bobcat and brought it up the hill to pick up these steel beams.  We had used them for shoring up the deck and didn't need them any longer.  Jim listed them on Craigslist and someone was supposed to come this afternoon to get them.  We took them down the driveway and left the bucket there so we could continue to use the Bobcat for mortar work.  If you look closely, you can see the top of the carriage house peaking out!

Then it was more prep work for the next batch - more brick ties...

Jim made another piece of flashing to go the rest of the way over the channel for the wire to the electric box.

And of course cutting more bricks.

Ready for the next round...

Another course on the front...

Putting mortar for the next course over the next piece of flashing...

Up another step!

Now that we are just working on the front area, we have to make sure to have a plan to use up all the mortar.  Jim is putting another course on top of the course he just did with this batch so that means he has to stop and put more brick ties.

Jointing - another good day's work on the front brickwork.

Cleaning up...

There is a chance of a brief shower early in the morning so we decided we had better cover up.

We had just gotten things covered when the steel buyer called to say he was here.  That transaction went well - we're glad that someone else can use things we no longer can!

We never fail to feel blessed while we are working - the property is just so gorgeous.  Especially on a day when we were feeling sad, God's beauty never disappoints!

 

High 86/Low 68

 

8.4.2016

After some morning prep work, we're ready to start doing some brickwork!

We started in the back - not too much to finish back here!  Just the very top row of stubby bricks - although these are a little tricky for Jim to get in.

 

All done!  Just leveling to make sure everything is good!

Starting in the front...

Working down the front...

Last of the mortar takes us up another step!

Jointing the front...

...and the back! 

Cleaning up...

We could only do one batch of mortar today - Jim has an evening ultrasound appointment to see the status of his kidney stone.  So Jim decided to work this afternoon on getting his steel table back together.  Each of these pieces weigh 250 pounds!  Jim basically dragged them off the back of the truck and onto the Bobcat forks.

Then the Bobcat lifted it up to the table.  Jim had to drag the pieces off the forks and onto the table.

Ta da!  This tabletop has lots of countersunk screws all the way around it and down the middle - everything has to fit precisely in order for all the screws to fit in.  Jim just about has it all put together.  He's excited to get his table back - this is a great table for so many of his projects.  The table has some surface rust on it but that will get taken care of.

 

High 83/Low 60

 

8.3.2016

It was nice to get back to brick work today.  However, it was one of those days where things were just a little on the frustrating side.  No big issues - just lots of little challenges. 

We brought up another cube of bricks!

Time for the first batch...

Jim started in the front with one of the challenging spots - working around the electric box.

And corners are always Jim's least favorite!

But this was a bigger issue - because of the rain we had over the last couple days, there was water in some of holes in the bricks.  When Jim put mortar and the bricks on top, it caused water (now mixed with the dyed mortar) to spill all down the front of the bricks!  There was nothing we could do at the moment but press on and hope that it wasn't going to stain.

 

More bricks and more water down the front...

So...lesson learned.  Jim dropped his air compressor hose out the window and blew air into the holes to blow the water out.    These couple front areas were the only place that water had built up.

Another electric box to brick around...

Then we brought mortar around back to finish off the last row of full bricks back here!



Last full brick!

Working in the front again...

Jointing...

Once we were finished, Jim carefully power sprayed the front - avoiding the top row he just put on.  Thankfully, once it dried it seemed just fine.

After lunch, prep time for the next batch.  Jim made flashing to cover the wires leading to the electric box for the lights.

This channel is bigger - Jim is going to do the flashing in two pieces.

Time to cut more bricks...

...and put more brick ties on.

We're finally ready...batch number 2!

Putting the brick over the flashing...

Working on brick over the electric box and flashing on the other side...

Another challenge...working on this hill.  It makes everything hard - Jim has to work on a slope, in/out of scaffolding.  It's more difficult to get bricks and mortar to him too.

But at the end of the day - all's good!  The back is all finished with full bricks.

And the front is really looking amazing as Jim does the final jointing of the day!

Last clean up...

 

Since the ground was soft from the rain, Jim did a little grading work on the bottom of the upper driveway.

 

High 81/Low 57

 

8.2.2016

This ended up being kind of a discombobulated day - Jim stayed home to do paperwork this morning because he had an appointment with the urologist around noon.  Unfortunately, we still don't know anything about the kidney stone status - he has to have an ultrasound Thursday evening and we'll go from there.

By the time we got back from the doctor and ate lunch, it was a little drizzly out.  Jim took my car back to the property and did some maintenance work on it - changed the oil, put a new battery in, and even vacuumed it out!  This was the first time Jim has used the ShopVac since we finally found the right filter for it.  When he put it all together, he discovered that mice must have made it a home while it was at the barn, so it took some work to get everything cleaned out.

Then he did some stair work - he made a new template for the upper stair run.

Then started building the stringers out of the steel...

 

Hopefully tomorrow we'll be able to get back to brick work!

 

High 76/Low 57

 

8.1.2016

The forecast showed some rain for today - although we didn't get a drop!  But we had already decided that it wouldn't be a brick day.  Jim wanted to press on with a few of the projects he started yesterday.

He got the first stringer for the metal shop stairs in place this morning - very exciting to start to envision stairs down here!  Jim is going to order a few more pieces of steel angle that he wants to use to make a better connection to the landing.

 

Most of the rest of the day was spent on wiring and overhang work.  Jim got the channel cut and the wires for the outside light on the other side of the garage door in place.

 

Then he used his hot knife to cut the channel for the other light - this one will go between the second garage door and the man door.

The hot knife is such a cool tool - it just makes easy work out of cutting a pretty channel in the foam!

All cut!

 

The Jim got wire run to the box as well as the wires run from all the lights to the inside through our conduit piece that we put in the wall last year!

After that, it was overhang work.  We had decided that we wanted to extend the overhang one more section.  That required Jim to make new steel pieces and mount them.  He also had to take the front fascia backing piece off and rework that.  But, we are happier with the shape of the overhang now.

 

High 73/Low 61