Three Days in One

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. That would be 27-30 October, 2016. Ok. So I lied. Four days. Here's what's been happening around Casa Winjama.

Crack Ready For Patch

First off, this is a crack in the concrete patio that we've had virtually since the problems with the pool began. Endher has just finished pressure washing it. A little later on, you'll see the results of the patch job.

Concrete and Beam About Done

The scaffolding extends the whole length of the pool. The guys are almost done plastering the columns and the beam.

One thing that's happened, is that the metal beams spanning the pool were, unfortunately, not properly prepared no painted. We have flecks of blue paint all over the ground. The metal guy is supposed to be coming back Monday to refinish them. What that is going to entail is removing all the old paint from the beams, probably with a pressure washer, then it's a three-step process to finish them. Each beam has to be painted with Ospho.

Ospho is a product, that when applied to rusted surfaces resists and retards rust. Ospho drys to a tough, hard surface that gives 'tooth' which makes it ready for priming. Common knowledge incorrectly says that you can't paint over galvanized metal surfaces. Ospho allows you to do exactly that. I did it with the previous galvanized framework that held our awning. It held up very well, even in our light salt environment, for the seven or eight years that we had the framework and awning up. I used two coats of Ospho, two of metal primer, and two of metal enamel

With proper application of Ospho, primer, and top coat, a paint job will last much longer because subsequent paint coatings securely attach so that moisture and oxygen do not attack the painted metal. Ospho is water-thin, covers a larger area than paint, and goes on easily. It is equally effective for exterior and interior work alike.

Overhead View Smoothing Pool Walls

Here's a strange view. I shot this looking straight down as Erwin was chipping at a concrete patch to smooth it down for finishing inside the pool. The wall of the pool is at the bottom of the photo.

Plumbing Almost Finished

The plumbing is almost done. About all that remains is to hook up the ½ Hp pump for the waterfall. This is a very clean and professional looking installation.

The Rest of the Valving

Here's the additional valving to complete the connection. I think the valves control the spa jets, waterfall, and inlet eyes for the pool itself, but don't quote me on that. I'll have to work with Bani to make sure everything is labeled as to its function.

½ Hp Waterfall Pump

I rode with Bruce and Colleen Saturday to Belize City. Bruce had an appointment with Dr. Hoy to check up on his cataract surgery, so I tagged along to keep Colleen company as she drove. I also wanted to stop at Pumps and Motors on the Northern Highway for a ½ Hp pump to use for our waterfall.

Turns out they were too expensive and they didn't have exactly what I wanted anyway. I was all set to kick back and relax while Bruce did the eye doctor thing. Colleen asked if I wanted to stop at Bennie's for a pump. Good idea. So that's where we went, and surprise, surprise, they had exactly what I wanted for just a hair more than I had planned to spend. I brought this one home. Hopefully, it will get installed in the next day or two.

Bela Showing the New Patch

I mentioned the patch job on the patio earlier. Well, here it is, with Bela showing how much she likes it. Very nice job, even matched up the 'mortar' lines in the concrete. After a month or two, it will fade enough that you would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between it and the surrounding red of the patio.

Pump House Porch Light

This is our new small porch light for the pump house. Complete with a separate electric eye to control it. Both work like a charm.

Pump House Motion Detector

We also have up in the roof overhang a motion detector light. I didn't know that spot was there when I told Bani that I wanted a porch light installed. If he had said that there was already an overhead light, I probably wouldn't have asked for the porch light. But they both seem to work well with each other, so no problem.

Pump House Interior Light

The last bit of lighting for the pool house is the inside light way up in the ceiling. I opted for an industrial safety-look fixture. Works well.

Floor Drain Under Tape

Before the floor for the pump house was cast, Endher said he was going to install a floor drain for the pump house, just in case. And after it was cast, you couldn't see any sign of it, till he flexed the tape covering and popped of some of the concrete poured over it. This will be cleaned up and it's going to look and work great.

Bruce's Appt. With Dr. Hoy

I mentioned riding with Bruce and Colleen to Dr. Hoy's. Here's a shot of them both going over calendars with Dr. Hoy. He's a very nice, caring man and an excellent eye doctor and surgeon as well. He did my cataract surgery too. You can read all about that on the blog at (http://www.winjama.net/search/label/Dr.%20David%20Hoy%20MD).

The Hour Bar and Grill

After we finished at Dr. Hoy's, it was time for lunch. We stopped at the Bowen family's newest restaurant, the Hour. Lunch was good, the draft Belikin was good too, but I think I still prefer the Riverside Tavern. Something about the ambiance of a pub, or at least an American idea of a pub, at any rate.

Pig on the Hour

The Hour has at least three or four gigantic BBQ pits, made from some sort of industrial tanks. Along with the BBQ pits, they have two or three large smokers as well.

The pig you see here, came just a short time ago from one of their BBQ pits.

The Very Next Day

The very next day would be Wednesday, 26 October, 2016. And the activity is heating up a bit. All kinds of stuff is happening.

Scaffolding Going Up For North Side

A veritable hubbub of activity here today. Starting as usual with a couple of guys plastering columns and parts of the beam. Then with Erwin and Daniel knocking together some wood scaffolding to plaster the north side of the columns and beam. It's going to be one continuous run. It's a good thing we saved the lumber from the old deck. That has really come in handy.

Daniel Bringing in More Lumber

Here's Daniel bringing more lumber over to be added to the scaffolding. I'm guessing that Endher wants to get all the plastering done this week so that next week can be devoted to pouring, coloring, and stamping the pool deck, ramps, and probably the patio, We're really looking forward to getting that all done. It will seem like it's in the final stages then.

Endher Pressure Washing Patio

Endher is busy pressure washing the patio. There's the big ditch that will be covered with concrete, plus they're going to patch the crack that parallels the ditch. It will all look so nice when it's done.

Now There's A Serious Manifold

Now, like the caption says, this is one serious manifold. All 2" pipe so it should be able to run some large amounts of water. These guys really know their pool stuff. I'm impressed.

Timer and Water Fill Ready

Here's the utility room where the pump timer now lives, along with the pool light, and the pool filler valve. it's going to be so nice to have all that in one convenient location.

Now, I have to get busy and clean the utility room out. I want to move all the pool maintenance stuff down to the pump house and pretty much just keep the utility room for pool toys and the like.

Pool Deck Faucet Ready To Clean

Here's the pool deck faucet I asked them to install. Now, all I have to do is hang one of the fancy metal hangers our Godson, Isaiel, made for us and put a decent hose and nozzle on it and this will be complete.

Another View of the Scaffolding

This is a little different view of the scaffolding. It'll be impressive when they're using it. That will happen tomorrow.

It's really starting to feel like we're in the home stretch with this project. I can't wait till the pool gets turned on for the first time. That manifold, using 2" pipe, wow! There is going to be some serious water flow through the filter and through the spa jets. Maybe they'll work as advertised really for the first time. It was always hit or miss and very low key before.

Monday, Monday

Monday (24 Oct. 16) lived up to it's name this morning. I tried to get a jump on the week and make it down to Atlantic Bank to deposit some money so I could make my payment to Social Security (Belize). Of course I forgot to bring my passbook. No problemo. I've done that before. They just look up the number and everything goes nicely.

Uh, not this morning. Forty-five minutes after joining the line, I made it to the next teller. I hand her my cash and the deposit slip and explain I forgot my passbook. She tells me she can't look up the number. I don't know if she doesn't know how to do it, or if there's some reason that their computer system won't cooperate in looking it up. She does tell me if I go get my passbook and come back, that I don't have to wait in line. Just wait till she's done with her current customer and jump in. I told her I'd be back later.

I zipped home, grabbed my passbook and hotfooted it back downtown. I got back in line at the tail end, since I would have felt guilty jumping in, even though she said I could. So, another forty-five minutes (I've become Belizean in more than having a nationality certificate. Waiting in line for me has really become as much an activity as doing something.) and I get up to the next teller - thankfully, not the same one as I first had.

I completed my deposit and left. I stopped over across the street at Fred's place (Corozal Virtual Office) and got a replacement mouse for the one that started acting up - even after major cleaning the innards. My sounds on the PC stopped some time ago. I had already consulted with Fred of what to do. My motherboard doesn't have the slot necessary to add a sound card, so I thought my only option would be to replace the motherboard.

Fred had a novel solution. He had a USB thing (technical term) to convert from USB to audio. I bought it and had TUNES once again. Caribbean roots, Bob Marley, Soca, Punta, Salsa, all on AccuRadio. Years ago, I used to subscribe for close to ten years to Live365.com and listened all day every day.

Well, AccuRadio is the successor to Live365.com. It's almost the same thing. Close enough. Probably drove people I worked with nuts. luckily my cubicle was away from everyone elses. In fact, it was more a private office than a cubicle. I had turned off the flourescent lighting overhead and all my lighting was warm incandescent stuff. I had plants and my tunes. I was a happy camper.

Anyway, back to the present day and time. Once I got back here with my purchases, Monday became much more tolerable. Here's some photos to kick off the work day.

Beam Ends Filling In

Once the beams and block additions get plastered, they're going to look pretty good. It's already looking good. I can't wait till the shade cloth gets applied.

Determining Positioning of the Pump

Bani does double duty as electrician and plumber for Mario. Here he's figuring out how to manage the connections for the main pump.

Continuing Block Fill

Endher is continuing with laying the blocks to complete the extension of the beam. Not much more to do.

Back Side of Pump House

This is a shot of part of the back of the pump house with the window, showing what a clean installation it was. Nice job.

Backside Pump House Detail

A detail of another part of the back of the pump house showing the returns for the main drain and skimmer, along with one of the ports for the heating system, which has yet to be installed. It's not part of this project and is still in the 'I'll figure out how to do it' stage.

More Stuff Moving Inside

It's nice to see more of the working stuff of the pool, the filter, and pump inside. It's beginning to look like the project might just come together.

Scaffolding Always On the Move

The scaffolding is on the move almost constantly. Here it's being moved back to the west side to plaster the beam and blocks. I didn't get a picture of it this evening, but there's forms up on the west side of the west beam, if that makes sense. They're going to cast concrete there instead of putting in a block veneer. I 'll snap that in the morning.