Gates Of Tomorrow

Alright Rich, I finally came up with some stuff! Now, I have no idea what type of materials you have to work with, if you have collected materials or are you going to purchase stuff or what but I think any of these designs could utilize bought or found material. I know this top photo is probably not what you had in mind but I thought it was just a good example of something different, out of the norm. You just have to take the material you have and adapt it to designs you like.

If you look closely, these are all faces! Also, check out this lady's work! Her stuff is fantastic! and very unique. Just click on all of the thumbnails to see a wider gallery of that category.

I don't know if this is what you are looking for Rich but there are just countless things you can do with steel and found material. If your imagination can come up with it, you can build it. I always look through as many books and other stuff as I can and just try to absorb the images of the things I like. Then, when I go to work on my project, those designs seem to come out subconsciously. My pieces always are unique but it might use the idea of vertical repetition, or circular forms or whatever that I saw in other pieces. If say, you have a bunch of metal gears or pipe or even pre-bent rebar, you must completely disassociate the material from what it is and look at only it's shape. If the shape is repeated a certain way, does that look good? If I alternate the shape, is that good? You know, just mix it up. I don't usually go for trying to create things that look like something else (like the faces above) and think that is a mistake most people make. You get too caught up in that and it ends up looking too 'cutesy'. Just go for the sheer abstractness of the design, variation and repetition on shapes and sizes.
Hope this helps and gives you some ideas.

America The Beautiful

I guess this post is mostly for my fellow Americans but hope everyone has a great weekend, wherever you are. There are actually a ton of songs with 'America' in the title but I just love Ray Charles' version of "America the Beautiful". Brings tears to my eyes every time. Tried a little symbolic creativity with the photos and layout. I thought it came out well.
What is your favorite patriotic song? Hope ya'll all have a great day of good food, friends and family and, if your town can afford it, maybe some beautiful fireworks.
I think I'll just be working on setting some large stones for retaining walls while I still have the excavator. It's a lovely day here. Maybe it won't get too hot.

Ramble On

These are some old photos but I thought I'd just post these to show my method of building a raised bed for planting. Not that it's all that great but a lot of you say you get ideas from me so I thought this might help somebody. First, I just cut and stack the timbers to the size bed I want. And this works no matter if you are using landscape timbers (like these) or square timbers or whatever. As long as they can be stacked. And I always interlock my corners for added stability.
This is an auger bit, about 14" long. Now, I know not everybody has these as they are a little expensive but you might be able to borrow one if you don't want to buy one. This bit is 1/2" diameter I believe. And you'll probably need to use a corded drill for this. I don't know that a cordless would have enough power.
So, holding the drill very plumb, drill all the way down through all of the timbers. Be careful as you approach the depth you need and try not to let the bit shoot through and go too deep into the dirt. This will dull it prematurely. Also, go kinda slow if you are not used to using such a drill and bit. These larger bits can snag and it can break your wrist if you are going too fast and get caught up in it.
Next, just drive a piece of rebar all the way through the timbers, until it is flush with the top of the wood and I usually go about 10-12" into the dirt. I am using a 1/2" bit and the rebar is #4 bar (1/2") so that the rebar is very snug in the hole. If you drill too big a hole for the rebar that kinda defeats the purpose. It must be snug. I use 2 bars at each corner and anywhere there is a joint, like this. I am about rebar like Ron is about pallets I guess! It is handy for so many things and you can often get it for free.

I am so happy we have a 3-day weekend! I hope to get more done this weekend than last. I ended up meeting my sister and her kids at a local, and very large, water park not far from here last Saturday and so didn't get a lot done. But that was OK. We had a fun time and I got to relax and see some family. You almost got your racy photos Pablo, as I wore a bikini, but alas, no camera! Ha! Good thing. Then, an artist friend of mine come up Sunday and we made clay stuff all day and I cooked lunch for her. We had a great time talking abut men and all such stuff.

So, I have some questions: If you have read my blog for a while and never (or rarely) commented, will you tell me why? Why do you keep reading if you don't feel the need to comment? I like to write regardless and will continue to do so and about what I want but I'm just curious. I do like to try to post about things that are interesting.

*Led Zeppelin

Pretty Beat Up

I fully intended to post before now but stuff just has a way of coming up and getting in the way. This has been a bit of a rough week so far; I hope it finishes up a little softer. First thing Monday morning I gauged a big ol' hole in my arm on a piece of rebar. It just missed that big vein that runs over your wrist. If I had hit that, I'd have had a mess. It's sore and I've had trouble getting it to stop bleeding. I need to update my tetanus shot. Well, just one more scar for the collection I've got going on my left forearm. Then, the next day I tripped over something and fell about as hard as you can fall, face down, on the concrete floor. Well, the stack of steel pipe I hit on the way down did slow me some. So, I'm sore from that. I was going to post last night but a guy I used to date called and we talked for about an hour, but it was nice to have that long a conversation. Grendal and Lika are not the best conversationalists. Today, I just took it kinda easy after I got home.
So, enough whining. I harvested the rest of the cabbage out of the garden. I think next year I need to plant that even earlier. I have 4 baby cantaloupe growing now! I'm so excited. Now, if the raccoons just don't get them. The rest of the veggies seem to be doing well but I am having to water quite a bit. It's a great thing to not have a water bill. We got a good amount of rain earlier in the year and now it's just like someone turned the faucet off completely. Everything is bone dry.
I'm still working but it is getting very slim. Might last another week or another month; no idea.

I will do the posts that you all requested but it will have to wait until the camera returns. No sense doing instructional things without pictures, so ya'll try to bear with me. Rich, give me a little more time on the pics you wanted; I'm still looking. I found a couple but wanted more.
Now that I'm sitting down to write I can't really remember what it was I wanted to say. Seems like it was more than this. Oh well. I do have a couple of posts I want to do, since I don't have fresh pictures and the subject matter is something that I have recently received several comments and emails on. It will probably be my last post on the subject. So, hope everyone is staying cool and still working.


* The Rolling Stones

Drive

I'm getting really desperate now for posting subjects. Actually, I've thought for some time about doing some kinda instructional posts. Well, I don't know that 'instructional' is the right word but anyway, just everybody-needs-to-know-these-things posts. And not that I think that you all out there are stupid or anything but it surprises me sometimes what a lot of people (especially some women) are just not aware of. And not that they don't care or are not smart but they just usually don't have to deal with these things. But you need to know how to do things just in case. So, I know a lot of women don't deal with much as far as auto maintenance because their partners usually do this but you should still know how and where things are. One thing that surprises me is how many people, even men, run with their tires under-inflated. Do you know what pressure they should be at? Where do you find that info? On many newer vehicles, it is conveniently located inside the gas cap, as in the photo above.
Of course, it is written on the tires but I always find it hard to read. I'm usually standing on my head trying to see it because the tire is turned wrong. Another place you can find such info is inside the door. There is usually a tag with all the auto info (VIN # etc.) on the body of the auto that you will see when you open the door. All the tire info, recommended type and pressures etc. is here.
And of course, keep a tire pressure gauge IN your vehicle and know how they work. The men that I have worked with have always insisted that I learn how maintain and even repair various things on my vehicles and I'm glad that they have. I have never had anyone to do this for me and I always astounded when I hear girlfriends or other women say, "oh, I don't deal with that; my husband takes care of it!" How does that work? I think I lost my instruction booklet when I was a kid. Or ate it or something. I don't change my own oil anymore because of the disposal issues but you should know where all that stuff is; oil, transmission, coolant, etc. Know when it is recommended that ALL your filters are changed. Most people just think about changing the oil and air filter but there is also a fuel filter.

So, I'm really going to make a concerted effort to get started back on the stained glass window for the bath. Last weekend, Cat Daddy was home, so Friday night and Saturday were spent having a little fun but this weekend, it's back to the grindstone! I need to really get back to making progress on the house. Of course, I've been making good progress on the land and things like that lately but I need to concentrate on finishing the house.
I'm also going to ask again if anybody has anything they want to ask or see a post about? In fact, I challenge all you lurkers out there to comment! I see lots of regulars but get so few comments and I'm not complaining but I see the blog as a conversation of sorts. And it seems really one-sided lately. I'm not that interesting; ya'll need to talk too! I don't mind if you comment anonymously; I won't get mad. And remember, I'm a construction worker and everybody knows we don't have feelings! lol!

*REM

Lay Down Sally

Okay, the title has nothing to do with anything but I just couldn't come up with a relevant song title! So, not a lot has been going on and I'm running out of photos I took before Allen took off with the camera. I took a few with my phone but to get them onto my 'puter seems to be a real pain in the rear, so that's probably not going to happen. I'm still working as of this week. Still just playing that by ear. Our company has basically run out of work, except for just a couple of small jobs, so no one is really sure what is going to happen. I'm grateful to still be working and if it can last just a little longer I can pay off one last bill.
I have been running the excavator just as much as possible and wish I had photos or video of that but.... maybe later. I have reworked a bit of the drive, dug up a bunch of stumps and small "trash" trees to make a nicer area for good trees. I've planted several hydrangeas along the drive and cleaned up several old brush piles. I also started clearing an area for a chicken coop and re-cleared along the power lines so that the power company won't spray their noxious chemicals. Dug some drainage ditches along the drive and also artfully (ha!) placed some big boulders in areas to make it easier to mow. I might have done some more but can't remember right now.
The past couple of days I have been working in the garden though. The weeds have taken over so that I just gave up on pulling and mowed it! It's pathetic. I don't know why I plant a garden. I think it is mostly a waste of time for me. I think I would do better to use the time working on the house but something always compels me to plant at least something. I did harvest 2 more heads of cabbage and a couple of onions and it won't be long before I have a few tomatoes. But still, I wonder often what ever possessed me to think I can do all this by myself. It's way too much and I think that I will just half-ass do everything for years, because there is too much, rather than do just a couple of things well. If the house ever gets finished that will be a lot off but that is so far in the future it just seems unreal. I'm not really down but I guess I just feel like I'm chasing my tail, so to speak. I never seem to make a lot of progress. Well, I can only do what I can do.
I've been watching 'The Outlaw Josey Wales' tonight. One of my favorite westerns but I'm a big Eastwood fan anyway. I love it when he spits on the dog's head. 'Unforgiven' is another favorite and probably 'The Shootist". What would you say is the best western? And the best line from a western? One reason I love Eastwood's so much is they always have at least one good line in every movie. In 'Josey Wales' I think it is, "dyin' ain't much of a livin', boy." Ha!
Well, we'll see what tomorrow holds. I found a beautiful feather in the creek the other day when I got home from work. If I can remember I'll show a picture of it later. I'm not sure what bird it would come from but maybe one of you will know. I suspect it is a hawk feather.

*Eric Clapton

How Long Blues

How long, baby, how long
has that evening train been gone?

how long
how, how long
baby, how long?

I've written this post over in my head countless times I guess, not quiet figuring out the angle from which to start. I never meant for it's subject matter to become a continuing topic. Certainly not for this long. It was just a couple of funny stories to begin with and we got a big laugh out of that. Both here and at work. Then a couple of odd coincidences that made me think, 'hhmm, that's weird.' Then many more odd coincidences, even to the point that other people have begun to say, 'hhmm, that's weird.' Now, he has become something of a comforting presence, a distant sentinel of sorts that watches over me or simply bids me to smile on days that I may not normally be inclined to. Now, before you all think I've lost my mind, let me explain a little.
If you have read this blog for any time at all, you know I am referring to the Switchman. And if that topic offends you, I won't be hurt if you leave. When I left the railroad job I was certain I would never see him again. In fact, I told him so. That was why I wanted to say good-bye. I can still hear his words just as clear today as when he said 'well, you never know. We might run into each other somewhere'. My efforts to get away from him started even before I left the job really. I tried to get sent out of state. Tried to alter my route, hours, schedule, whatever over the course of being sent to several different jobs in an effort to avoid him. And it would work for a bit sometimes. Then one day I'd look around and there he would be, a slight smile and wave and just as quick, he'd be gone. I have thought, at times, that I should not even write about the subject as many people would not believe that there is not more to it. But I have been truthful about the whole thing. Last week, when I saw him in my town, was the first time since leaving the job that I have actually stood in front of him.
One thing that strikes me as funny is that, there have been a couple of men I've met over the years that I have tried to run across after a job was over. Couldn't find them anywhere. I cannot ever remember running into someone, even a fraction as much, that I don't even work around anymore. Oh, after 10-12 years I see some of them again, like Dale.
Funny thing too, is that the times that he pops up is when I can use a friendly face or helping hand. Days when I was discouraged about something or feeling lonely. After the fiasco with Dale, and the ensuing feelings, I have run into the Switchman more than ever. Even to the point where I have needed physical help he has, in a way, been there. When I was still at the railroad the Switchman gave me a rather extensive first-aid kit. Yes, I know that's a weird gift and the guys ragged me about it but it was what he could get his hands on and he always seemed concerned about me traveling so much by myself at the odd hours that we do. So, twice I have injured myself here at the house and that first aid kit saved the day. The first time I had just moved into the house and had not yet bought such supplies and then just lately I cut my hand open to the point I thought I might need a couple of stitches but the more complete materials let me bandage that up just fine. There is a couple of other instances with other things he gave me but we'll just let it go with that.
When I was able to speak to him last week I actually had presence of mind enough to tell him about some of this. We laughed and he agreed that it was all kinda odd but he almost seemed slightly hurt that I would try to avoid him. I told him of my frustration and that it was hurtful to see him sometimes. He is a very calm man and he looked down at me, or maybe through me, with those deep, blue eyes, and softly said, 'it shouldn't be'. I had no response. He was right and I was slightly ashamed for making some of it into such a big deal. He asked me to please, not alter my routines, just go about my business and if we saw each other, we would just wave and smile. I quietly agreed. Later, I thought back to some of the times on the job when I would get pissed off about something and be throwing a little rant. One of the guys would say, 'go get the Switchman and let him talk to her; he can calm her down.' And he still can.
So, since our little agreement I believe we have crossed paths every day either going to or coming from work. When we were on the job it became a little ritual that when they started moving the first trains of the morning, he would always hang on the side of the locomotive, wave to me and say 'good morning'. So now, even after a year and a half of leaving that job, life would have it for whatever reason, that we are still able to wave and say 'good morning'.


*old classic but favorite version by Clapton

Soak Up The Sun

Hope everyone is having a good weekend.


*Sheryl Crow