2 More Rays & 2 Posts

It's been a few days (okay, maybe a couple of weeks) since I posted last. Been pretty busy trying to get the sun rays finished, waiting on nicer weather. Yep, it snowed and sleeted here for a couple of days, so we didn't do much but stay inside and keep warm and dry.

Last Thursday it was fairly nice and I was getting ready to set a couple of posts for the cover that I'll put over the concrete I've been working on. I had hauled the posts and was getting them positioned in the back yard when a helper angel showed up. Robert Salmon, a friend, that lives up the street stopped by to help me mix and pour some cement. Boy, he couldn't have picked a better day (at least for me!!). The weather wasn't so great because the wind was blowing pretty hard. But, he was definitely a great help. Don't know if I would have been able to do it by myself. A big Thank You to Robert.

Below you can see the posts and the 6' x 18" curb we poured out from the greenhouse.

These pictures were taken Sunday after our little bit of bad weather Friday & Saturday. I poured the third ray in the middle, which you can see is still wet. The posts will be the mid supports for the roof cover we plan on putting over the concrete slab. Still lots to do!

I prepped the rest of the area yesterday (Sunday) afternoon so I could pour another ray today.

Recipe for Concrete:

Forms ready, mixer in place, sand & gravel ready. Portland Cement. Mix ingredients and add water. Easy. 

Only problem they left out the labor part. I guess you'd say that's the hard part. But, gosh, it's been fun!

Got this ray on the ground. Only one more to go and this section will be finished as far as the concrete goes. The plan is to pour the last ray Thursday. In a couple of weeks after the concrete cures and is totally dry I'll stain the rays orange & red. You can see in the pictures above that I've been experimenting with the stain already. I've got the sun looking nearly the way I'd like it to look. Maybe I can get the rays to look right with the stains I have.

Next week I'll get busy on the inside of the shop and set the cabinets and more rearranging. Seems like the rearranging is a never ending job.

That's about all for now.

Until next time......

Overthehump

A Couple of New Rays

Well, it's been a busy few days which resulted in a couple of new rays. Below is the form for the 1st one I poured on the 28th. 

Everything nearly in place and ready to go. I used the wheel barrow to mix this ray. After I was through I realized I didn't get enough cement mixed in and it came out rather grainy.

Burning scrap wood.

Finished the pour. I think it took about 8 wheel barrow loads. I sort of lose count and in the big scheme of things I guess it really doesn't matter. LOL

We poured the second ray (in the past few days) this morning. Made sure I mixed more cement in with the mix today and it turned out much better in my view. I need to pour a curb extending out from the greenhouse and then I'll have three more rays to pour to finish this section of the slab.

I finally got the east side of the house ready for the apple and peach trees. I have the apple trees in the ground (below) and we're waiting on the peach trees. They should be in sometime next week (I think??)

 

Below is my brush pile from the trees and shrubs I removed. I ran the chipper the other day most of the afternoon. I made a dent in the pile but still have quite a bit left to chip.

It took most of the afternoon to get this small pile of mulch. It really makes you wonder if all the work is really worth it. 

This is Patsi's new planter for her pansies. A friend of ours was going to take the sink to the dump but we wanted it for a planter. With no plumbing to hold it together we had to glue the sink to the stand and then glue the stand to the cinder block tiles. She'll have it full of pansies in a day or so.

Here's some shots (above) of the flower bed on the south side of our drive to the shop. There are some daffodils coming up and I have some tulips planted in this spot also.

Above is some pics of the cabinets I finished a week or so ago. I haven't installed them yet but wanted to see how they would look in place. Maybe I'll be able to get them installed next week. These will sure help on getting rid of some of the clutter.

Gonna take a break tomorrow and head out to the mud races in Nadine. A friend of mine just rebuilt his Bronco for the mud races. He's ran it for the past few years. I've only been out there once and that weekend it was raining like it never rains in NM. I think that was the last good rain we've had....must have been a couple of years ago when I went. lol

Hopefully, it will be a nice day tomorrow.

Until next time.....

Overthehump