Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Exactly 2 Months

      It's July 19th. 2 months ago we put in our first row, and today we placed the last row on the arch. The bagging is complete. I would like to bag some areas around the creosote bushes and some landscaping but that's AFTER the dome gets exterior plaster and interior stucco. 
     I am tired and I can't begin to explain how sore my hands are. They are messed up, to the bone! I couldn't tamp the arches so they had to be tamped by hand with a brick with every bucket full. That means slamming the rows flat with a brick while balancing on old blue or one foot on a row. Tomorrow morning I won't be able to open my hands or make a fist for a few hours. I'll be like a lego man hand. 
     Making the mix a little wet helps the mix settle like an automatic tamp. You still need to tamp it but the extra moisture help the mix cure hard, normally the mix should be just wet enough to clump in your fist. I find at the end of a row or arch or any place you need extra strength or can't tamp as hard, adding that extra moisture helps.

I pulled this guy out of the pond in my yard before heading over to the dome, but I couldn't resist sharing.
How many excuses to just stay in bed, rather than shimmy up this thing with buckets of wet sand. Then you get going and it's pure MAGIC out there!
I mean, right?! It really is too bad that is my last row.
You see how it has a slight lip and comes over just a bit. I meant to do that!

I almost hate to plaster it.
From Cowboy to Gangsta in 60 seconds. (ignore that weird hair strand)
Thar she be!
The half submerged fish head dome.
It's looking at you,
Reptiles, I love you. ( I am not talking about the ones in politics :D ) 
Orange is the new Get 'er Done
Ding dong the witch is dead! (did I make that joke yet?)
It is the mouth of the whale.
No. its just BaƱo Dome! 
Some slight ant activity.
I wonder if they appreciate the cement, if it helped their building or if they hate it? 
Whatever, I am getting desensitized to EPIC SUNSETS!
Raquel, come get your Creosote! ( Now let's plaster ;) )