From one paradise to another

Back home. This has been the "pearly gates" for over a thousand people looking for a quick way home. A day later, the annual visit to our other favorite National Park.
Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir, making it happen in 1903.
It hasn't changed from 50's!


3,000 feet, top to bottom.

Full screen, speakers on....

Over 3,200 feet straight down....I'm surprised folks have not used it they way they use the Golden Gate Bridge.

Full screen, speakers on....

The virtues of a famous city...Art likes to visit, this time from Musee d'Orsay while they remodel. 100 pieces make up the first exibit. Monet, Manet, Renoir, Cezanne and Degas among others.While Mayor Newsom looks at art he can't buy, I only see work!

I'll be laying a stone floor in the near future. You know how it is. When you need a refrig you see used ones on every corner. Amazing how that works.

A quick jump up to lake Tahoe. With my nephew now working in SF we chauffeured him to Yosemite and then the lake. The wonders of the bay area never cease. So many things within a few hours drive. Go skiing then come home and play golf. Rooms with a view. The bathroom at the 19 Lounge at Harvey's Lake Tahoe. When we stayed they were practically giving the rooms away.

Now to the Modern Museum.
Again, I only see work these days! Warhol's salute to the guys hanging his art I imagine.

When no one knows these icons and their associated memories I wonder if Warhol will command such prices.
Perhaps people will never forget these two.
Putting aside the subjects the quality of iPhone pics is remarkable. A quick snap by a friend while listening to some music in Sausalito. A loaner piece to SF from the artist. It was a traffic stopper.
Heading home after a month. Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, Texas for family where it got ugly, building supplies, more music, museums and movies. Go, go, go.
Looking down the hill at Coral Bay. National Parks rule!

St John is always full of surprises however.

Interior landscapes

The mongoose, a local critter. In typical island fashion they were brought in centuries ago to kill tree rats. But as fate would have it no one checked their schedules. Mongooses are day trippers and rats are nocturnal. So, we have a lot of both! Don't stop the carnival.


Ryan returns for another round as Thor hops a sailboat. Thor thinks he may return next winter. With Ryan returning the work changes. Back to the interior. Ryan is not to fond of working concrete, building forms etc. He has built too many custom homes with his father to waddle in the mud. There is baggage however. He brings this famous alarm clock where ever he goes--especially if he has money in his pockets.


In some respects it is best to think of St John as the summer of love moved from 1967 to now. Sex, drugs and rock and roll never had it so good. In the "day" you had to earn your sex now you have to run to keep up. Work is some where down the line. Truthfully I am surprised, this being paradise, that any work gets done here at all. That said, when Ryan works he's good, very good. Discuss what you want, as I design on the fly, he makes it happen with every short cut possible. More importantly he can give a range of doable/acceptable alternatives. When in doubt he moves forward with the adage, "you can't see it from my house". Should you ever hire him don't let him get higher on the scaffolding--you will become his "fetch bitch". He wants a drill for every bit. That way he doesn't have to change them! He must have driven his old man crazy, who I had the pleasure of meeting when his parents dropped in from Rhode Island(?). Their home building was a grandfather, father, son affair. Stamping a date on my forehead I'm aged between the grandfather and father. Yikes.

Before we could really get inside I had to finish the electrical and plumbing that I started at the end of 2009 and worked at intermittently while Thor worked alone. Now I had to finish it all and get it inspected so we could close up the walls.

To refresh some memories, before I started this house building madness back in 2003 thru 2005, I attended San Francisco City College and Laney College in Oakland. There I studied, hands-on, plumbing, electrical, steel building and frame construction. At the end of which you are certified to be an excellent apprentice. For all but few, it is job training. In my case I got to build a wood house, a steel house, wire and plumb them. I can't say enough about the programs--all free by the way. The hard part, years later, is remembering everything. But the textbooks, videos, notes etc bring it all back. Generally before I start I would spend the better part of a weekend reviewing. You put in the hours, it comes back. If you are missing anything Youtube has it now. When I was inspected I did not have to change anything. It was recommended that I add smoke detectors in the living room and den because the den at some future date might/could be changed into a small bedroom. Also I should put a sub panel downstairs as it also might become a separate unit. Good advice, I'm sure but I hated putting in the smoke detectors/alarms. The cottage is basically indoor outdoor living at its best. There are no hallways. You don't have to transit another room to exit the structure. But for me the worse part--having something stuck to the ceiling. Look up at most structures, there's crap everywhere. I like clean. I don't even like stuff sticking out of the roof! The things I'm forced to put up with. :~)) Pet peeves aside, more means more work.

In the spirit of keeping things clean, simple, economical and low maintenance I decided to frame out all the doors and windows in 2x8 treated stock. With six inch walls with 3/4" siding and 1/2" sheet rock it worked perfect. The steel studs/siding were first wrapped with Protecto Wrap protecting them from wind driven moisture and the treated lumber. The picture above shows it clearly. Ryan did have to tap every screw hole first. Standard screws will not penetrate 14 gauge steel. Ryan, left to his own devices, took care of everything as I did the electric and plumbing.

In progress....
The finished look. By using 2x8 stock it will also handle the large hinges I'll by using and the heavy 8' doors. The 1/2" reveal will also be stout enough to accommodate the storm shutters when they are closed.

Roughing in the porch. Same concept as the doors and windows. Basic stuff. When I'm done the columns will look like solid posts. Right now we are just boxing in the steel.
Ryan at the router. He used the waste strips from the columns to route the trim for the ceiling. Huge savings in time if nothing else. Try to find treated trim on the islands. If it is available I don't even want to know the price. I bought the router and table on sale at Home Depot for $100. Even Ryan thought it was a good deal not to mention that it performed better than he suspected it would.

Raw, not even sanded. Caulking and three coats of paint--we're done. Next.

Better still the job was not interrupted in a fruitless search for something that may not be available in the first place.

When it came to the windows we put 2x6's back to back with the exterior piece slightly down sloped. The seam will be hidden by the window jam. Yes, I'll be building my own windows. Standard french panels, easy to make(well, nothing is easy) and great to look through and at. By building my own windows there was no prior constraints because of monies spent and sizing. I framed the view I saw. In fact I replaced three windows with doors. Better still the windows will be opening inwards with a fixed screen out. No pass thru hardware to crank the windows open, no rust to freeze parts and all the associated wear and tear maintenance. A simple latch. Save the leaking problems, I've heard them. Europe has been living with these kind of windows for almost 1000 years. It's the reason god invented little kick boards at the bottom of doors and windows. Sure there will be some leakage in a hurricane if I don't close my storm shutters but my waterproofed stone floors will handle it. Meanwhile I get to enjoy handmade beautiful windows. You know, the Tuscan look!

My long lost cousin, Stephen, shows up. Vegan power. They might not let him back into Hell's Kitchen if he loses his junkie tan! He hung out about a week or so. One of the completed window sills is above him.

Add boats, booze and the beach and you have washed ashore at St. John
After the inspections sheet rock purgatory started. Most jobs the truck stops by and drops off your supply. How quaint. For us it was the trek up the hill to the containers. Load the truck with 4x9 sheets by sliding each under the camper shell, drive back down, unload and gingerly move it over the ramp and down the stairs, stacking it inside. The goal, don't break any. 60 trips! Remember, slippery when wet!

I can attest that the promos for Dens Armour sheet rock are true. Mold and mildew resistant, there was none on mine and also termite proof because there is no paper to eat. Made with fibre glass its solves a lot of tropical problems. Like my siding and borate treated plywood, I found the sheet rock under a termite mound with no damage other than countless trails on the top and bottom sheets touching the pallets. The one drawback--you have to handle it fully dressed with long sleeves, pants and gloves. Try it any other way and you will do it only one time.

The ceiling as it looked at the end of 2009.

Dressed to handle the Dens Armour.

I really did not have the right screws for the sheet rock. They were too robust and much harder to screw than they needed to be. That translates to holding the rock in place a lot longer than usual which translates to tired people! Later when I got the smaller gauge the work went much easier.

The ceiling as it nears completion. The design and execution proved to be more difficult than first imagined. Steel fabricates differently than wood. Having to get around the large red iron beams did not help nor did the lack of heavier steel studs on St. Thomas. We had to use the standard light gauge studs they use in office walls. You can cut it with hand snips. I find it useless. I'm sure it has its purpose.

A wild goat inspects our progress.

After the living room ceiling the next design problem that I worried about were the arches. What kind, how would I make and finish them. With that as a backdrop we proceeded to finish all the ceilings and then the walls. I left open the arch ways. I had taken measurements of our San Francisco apartment so I had a sense of what I wanted and I knew that Denise would like them. What I was concerned about was the shape of the arch itself, the curvature and my ability to keep it constant as I plastered them. Yes its true. I have never plastered before either! So you understand my concern. Day after day I stared at the openings as we worked.

Meanwhile at night I watched the Tudor's dvd on my computer. Eureka! Arch heaven. I even took pictures. I realized I could not replicate the same curve over different widths. Or even if I could figure it out it would take too long. Here, look at the picture. Remember you have never done this before. Your goal is to figure out the curve and then replicate it over different span withs. Some of your arch openings are 37" and 44". Get back to me when you figure it out.

Here's some good advice as your fry brain.


Then this arch appeared in a scene.

Look at it very closely. All straight lines with a fixed curve at the corners. Doable at any span width! I told Ryan what I wanted, he picked up a five gallon bucket and we had our curve. The first template is shown below made from the exterior siding scrap.

Even as I type I feel a sense of relief.

The same arch technique will be used to trim out the porch made probably from 2x12 stock. One piece, clean and simple and just as importantly easy to make and hurricane sturdy. The bathroom door on the left can be given the same trim piece if we like, akin to the typical door finishing look in Morocco or India. Thank you Henry the VIII.

Several walls were left open until I get over to St. Thomas to buy insulation. I insulated for sound purposes all the common walls from the kitchen and bathroom. I'm not interested in hearing the dishwasher of refrigerator.

Time to go big "game" fishing off of St. John



Just like that, two months shot by and Ryan was leaving and I was heading back to San Francisco just as carnival was starting here. A lot got done with Thor and Ryan. Would I see them again? Who knows. It's the islands. This pic says it all.




Leaving Cruz Bay....

Back on the Rock

Back on the rock. Sometimes I feel like Barabbas returning to the mines. I know this sounds preposterous but it is hard to take a month off. I would rather not stop. Once I stop and the feet go up it is hard to stand up again. It's not just the physical. The mental will crush you if you let it. It is a long way between the shack and Broadway in Pacific Heights. Chanting "you can do this" only goes so far. Just remembering where I left off and what was on my punch list is tiresome. It takes about a week to get productive again starting with a trip to St. Trauma for supplies. Net, net, with the week prior to leaving, the four gone and the return week spent getting organized it adds up to six weeks since the last "nail" was pounded. Throw on the extra girth I added while gone and it all adds up--not a pretty sight.

The company I keep...

Slothing around, I will work alone until Thor returns in mid February. Ryan is long gone but says he might be around in the late spring. I plan accordingly. Sex, drugs and rock and roll fall downs might interfere with a planned schedule. Thor is pretty dependable as long as a sailboat delivery does not get in the way. Winters are pretty nasty in Maine. With that I start pulling wire working on the electric. Should delays happen I'll hit the plumbing next.



Thor showed up. This must be his third time down by now. We work the "great outdoors" together. I have no choice but he seems to genuinely enjoy it. Truth is, without him the work would have killed me by now had I done it alone. We jump into the cisterns, clean them out, chisel everything where necessary, round the base joint with concrete and finish everything up with three coats of thoroseal. The tarantula above was living in one. Who knew, they can live up to thirty years.

The grand plan this time around with Thor is to excavate the remaining section of the patio and side of the house, grade everything, form up the necessary retaining walls and put a cap on the septic. With some luck we'll also erect the front porch. I need help from the weather and the concrete gods. I have two months or so before he hops a sailboat delivery.

I basically left the thoroseal to Thor while I did more electric. What we were doing is waiting for Jose with his track hoe to show up in Coral Bay. By timing my work with his schedule I save up to $500 on a delivery charge. I know it's nothing to you Rockefeller's but it all adds up. I can go into some very strange pretzel shapes to save money. True enough, you always run the risk of being penny wise and pound foolish but very rarely.

Jose shows up. The rain only caused a few days delay. The excavation sails along. We use the removed dirt to back fill the existing patio retaining wall.

The temporary retaining wall/steps in the above pic will be removed as the entire area is excavated to widen the patio and give access to the side of the house.






The soil is being removed up and over the corner to be put behind an existing retaining wall. The blue tarp is hanging on the wall in question. You can see the new fill.



The side of the house is taking shape. The wooden retaining wall is still up.

Once the side of the house and the patio are squared away we'll then frame up the new retaining walls and side patio which will ultimately lead to steps going to the lower level. What you are not seeing in the pics was the deconstruction of the 32' ramp we had been using and the wooden retaining wall.

This was the temporary wall being built the year before. It did its job--no molten mud ever made it into the downstairs!

In the middle of all this Denise showed up as planned with our nephew Clark from Australia who has been freeloading around the US/Canada after working the Winter Olympics in Canada. He plans the same for the 2012 summer Olympics in London. The shack got a little crowded. 12' x 12' only goes so far.

Clark was pretty good at this....

Thor and I were still able to get in four or five hours a day. Denise rented a car for the first week so she could be independent and show Clark the island.

With the patio excavated and leveled we formed up the retaining walls etc and finally assembled the last of the red iron--the front porch. As usual, you can see from the elevated wall I'll be pouring the wall and patio at the same time.

With the porch we rebuilt the ramp. The tonnage that has come over this thing makes me tired thinking about it.

The rush was on to get in a cement pour before Thor left. He had a fixed departure date. Once again, weather permitting, we would pour the walls, patio, upper retaining wall left over from the year before and the cap to the septic. About 22 yards. Majestic owes me eight so the damage at $260 yard won't be so bad this time.

The opening at the back is where the stairs will come in from the parking above. The ramp rests above.

The septic with its formed cap waiting for concrete.

Cistern inlets and the main power conduit. For aesthetic reasons, among others, I don't want any overhead wires etc. Speaking of aesthetics a new view materialized along the ridge to the house.

Rainy day view...




Sunny day video. The music is whatever is playing in the truck when I pullover...

Some local color down on the flats...

The wild brood continues to expand. They love my rice.

Well if you have read any of these blog entries you already know where this going once concrete is involved. I went to Majestic about two weeks prior to when I needed a pour date. In the past that has been plenty of time. Hmmm, Patsy is acting a little strange. They are not certain about pour dates but they still want the money up front. Not this time Patsy. I'm not liquidating any stocks etc until we are fixed. In fact if something should go wrong, delays etc, I will want all the money back including the eight yards they have had on the books for almost a year. You know the rest. Bad weather--it is true it has been raining ALOT, no gravel, a shortage of sand and finally no concrete. Thor sails away. Welcome to my world. The truth, Majestic was in the beginning throes of going under. More on that later.

On the bright side the cisterns are done. The walls, patio and septic cap have been framed up. The front porch has been erected. The back retaining wall with drains in place has been back filled. The ramp has been reconstructed--no small feat with only two people and a lot of the electric has been completed. All this including a 12 day visit from Denise and Clark, who I have to pick up and deliver to St Thomas. Did I mention the rains?

Here's what Caneel Bay looks like on a sunny day.

This guy takes the sting out of everything!