Let the fun begin

Mid June back on island. I wonder at what point this becomes my home? I suppose it's official when my wife moves down here.

Clearly the concrete pour was a success. When you find the wild goats lounging as you get back to the "shack" you know you did good! They probably can't wait for the pool to be tiled and filled.
After a week of sloth, blaming it on jet lag of course, I get back into the post pour routine--taking down forms. Pretty straight forward stuff. Busting out the excess concrete so you can release the plywood sheets. Depending on how neat the pour was determines how much labor will be involved. As I have mentioned Thor does yeoman's work in trying to clean off all the excess before it sets. In reality despite herculean efforts its just not possible when you are pouring slabs and walls at the same time. Standard pours are effortless by comparison.

Working alone it can take a couple of weeks to take down everything, cart it off and stack it. Despite the normal mess, this time it went a lot easier because I finally located a 20lb crowbar. After a year looking I found one at Paradise lumber. I hugged it all the way to the counter. It makes short work busting out all the forms. Beautiful chiseled chunks fly out on every strike.


the bad boy in question...necessary tools, pick, hammer, crowbar and baby sledge

On the cleanup, I only had to take forms down on the lower cistern, pool and septic tank. Better still, all the ply and 2x4's on the lower cistern were staying in the vicinity and being donated to the termites. There is no way I am humping old 3/4 ply back up that hill.

This year I was on island for the conclusion of Carnival and the closing July 4th fireworks. Again, as on prior occasions, I was invited by Roger and Fran to the invitation party with the Governor. We get to sit on the hill overlooking Cruz Bay, open bar and food at the old govenment house below.

The old government building

Yup, he's a good politician. The Governor makes a point of sitting down with everyone and chit chatting. I think we discussed the crude oil market and the effect on local gasoline prices. I thanked him for his initiative in auditing the books of local suppliers. With that he was on to the next person. He was genuinely thankful for my support. Now was that him or the good politician!?

With all the forms down a casual inspection revealed a good pour. No honeycombing or serious cold seams. I still have to leave up all the forms on the unpoured upper retaining walls risking damage from the upcoming hurricane season and termite infestations. Who knows when these walls will get done?




With Thor now gone the search for another helper starts. Preferably a skilled carpenter/framer. Even though I'm building with steel most of the knowledge is the same, just a different material. The steel building and wood framing classes I took back in California were quite similar. Tricks aside it's still square, plumb and level. I admit though, the tricks are priceless. Knowing what not to freak out about is half the game. Easier said than done for a rookie.

Because I don't know any better, I have always used a Zen approach when looking for help. For the literati, think of it as the "Taoism of waiting" or in layman's terms, "if you build it they will come".

Waiting is the hard part! Sitting quietly under my bodhi tree on the porch at the Big Belly deli is my favored spot after work. All that is Coral Bay passes by. Ok, it's the only place open in the summer! Originally this is where I found Thor wolfing down a whole pizza. The weeks go by patiently waiting. Trust the process I repeat under my breath incessantly.

Meanwhile during the day I bring down more steel. The big stuff I block and tackle into position.


drag it to the top of the driveway and then let gravity help


Then it is all block and tackle. This is part of the upper wall that did not get poured.

Now it's across a small ravine. As you can see my lines are on their last legs. The rig is over sixteen years old. It has hung and weathered on a lot of apartment buildings in San Francisco.

The 400+ pound beast in place!

Back at my perch at the Big Belly deli I had previously talked to Ryan, a carpenter, a few months ago. He was working at Grand Bay in Cruz building forms. Blah, blah, blah, me telling him I had work should he need any. Stateside he had built several homes, remodelled etc, early thirties--the perfect victim! So there he sat in the middle of July. Of course I ran the same program on him again. A week later he called. He started the next Monday. It must have been the promise of paid lunches! :~))

Taoism pays, just not as much as you want sometimes.

We started putting up steel. The erector set went up as planned.


2x4's and ply stacked after their removal from the septic. Below some goats inspecting the septic.

Fort Knox starts to take shape


This is a good shot of the lower deck pour and completed pool at the corner.

Welcome to St John. Another truck goes over the edge. Of course the Park turned it into a haz mat scene because some diesel leaked out. Thankfully the driver and passenger walked away.

These goats are domesticated. They show up when the mangoes are dropping.

All in all not a bad month and a half. Forms taken down, Ryan started and the red iron was nearly completed.