Wednesday, October 4, 2017

It is a start anyway.



Historical Picture
Dale Evans and Roy Rogers (circa 1948)

The start of the screen porch.

With a sky looking like rain but none in the forecast I started working on the back porch. Yep a little drizzle did arrive, so the porch is sorta crowded with stuff. I first had to saw 8 blocks to compensate for the drop on the floor. They are lined up awaiting a break in the drips.


Here is the block laid but no caps on the top.



Mixing mortar is a tough job also. Every time I mix mortar my mind goes back to being 5 years old and seeing my dad, the preacher, mixing mortar and supplying brick for 4 masons. Dad was a worker. Later in life on my building sites I would tell the mason's helper that and they would say, 'That is pretty hard to believe, it works me to death to keep two masons supplied using a mortar mixer.' Dad mixed it all by hand.

The day’s work is done, tools cleaned up. Now to wait for the mortar to set up before continuing with the framing.

Some things slip up on you. These are small four inch by eight concrete blocks. While I was not looking, the manufacturer has added some lead or something, they are much heavier than I remember.  All brick/block jobs are tough on the ground, it is back breaking work because it is all done bent over or on your knees.

I came in and asked Sherry, “Do you know why I feel Old?”

My sweetie retorted, “Because you are.”

“Not fair, that was going to be my line!” but I am really tired.  Just the mixing of the mortar and laying 18 block and 36 brick took six hours without a break. A real mason would have did it in about an hour and a half.  That hurts. But to my aid. I did have to spend an hour cleaning tools that someone else had left uncleaned after the last job.

Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it.

Nite Shipslog

Above is our coach when I was building the Condos Shirl lives in.  Below is a wheel on that coach once in Wyoming  when the interstate was shut down because of an early winter storm. This had never happened to us. Icicles are pointing out from the nuts like a big star.


7 comments:

betty said...

You made great progress for your first day! I'm sure the end product is going to look great. When we had our brick wall put in, we had an "older" mason doing it (we figured he was in his early 60s). His helper quit on him right before our job. He was doing all the hauling of the bricks; hard work but he managed to get it done (a little over the promised time, but still nicely done). Hard work indeed! Hope you get a good night's rest.

betty

Lisa said...

You are such a hard worker. I know your gal is gonna be so happy. Your dad is probably smiling at you right now too. Sure hope your not too sore this morning. The porch is coming along great! It’s a good start! I dont know how many “old” people can do the things you do. I think you two are pretty much concidered “senagers”.

Beach bound
Lisa

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

Great Job! You do more in a day than a lot young folks I know. Nice to see the work in progress. It's going to be great having that area screened in.

Chatty Crone said...

Well you did an excellent job for the best price ever. My husband is kind of going through the same thing. Things are heavier and harder. Getting on the knees is tough too. And keeping the concrete soft for a long time is no easy task either. Sandie

Mevely317 said...

'Sitting here wishing I'd said what Chatty, Ma, Lisa and Betty already said!
This is going to be such a great place to sit and sip. Aside from those weighty blocks and achy muscles, does it feel really good getting back building something again? You're awesome!

PS - Roy Rogers and Dale Evans were my childhood heroes!

Dar said...

WOW JACK, You're really getting after it. I'm not surprised. Bill and I notice more and more that things do take longer. He was just saying that making firewood is no longer his favorite thing to do. We switched to LP but still burn some firewood. It isn't fun admitting we're slowing down but like Mom says, we've earned a rest. That goes for you two also. You will soon have it when that wonderful space is all screened in and no bugs can get in.
I'm enjoying your work in progress...now rest.
love n' hugs from up north where we made one load of firewood ' for the fun of it,' fed the deer, made a couple batches of dehydrated apples, a batch of dried parsley for the pantry, and cut 10 bags of apples for pies, not to mention piling the wood, peeling a bucket of corn, and, and, and. Phew, no wonder I'm tired tonight. Two 5 gal. buckets of apples to go....

TARYTERRE said...

looks like you got a nice start on the porch. i borrowed your line about being old. my husband loved it.