Progress on Patio Palapa

After several days of forced inactivity because of rain or things being wet because of rain, and just generally waiting for them to dry out, the past two days have seen a lot of activity.

Short Recap - the Old Thatch

In short, our old patio palapa thatch had deteriorated past the point of no return. We liked the way the parking palapa now looked with its new zinc roof and felt that was the way to go with the patio palapa.

We also thought it would be a short (ha, ha) project. A couple of weeks and we would be benefiting from having a quiet little retreat to read, meditate, zone out, or whatever.

So, of course, it has become one of those projects that seems - no, does drag on interminably.

Framing Added

Getting Angles

Mahogany Varnish Going On

Once the framing had been completed Mario's boys, started varnishing all the remaining wood of the palapa, a striking mahogany red varnish. This activity went quickly and was able to be finished before the rains started up again.

At first, we thought that it might be a bit too red, but not only does it grow on you, but the color darkens a bit and seems like the right shade

Varnishing All the Lumber

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Making the Screen Frames

Just like with the pool enclosure, the frames by themselves, look massive. Of course, those get the same varnish treatment as the framing pieces.

Screen Room Doorway

Looking Up to the Center

A lot of Wood to Varnish

Screen Panel Trial Fitting

Like Stretching a Canvas

Applying Varnish

Getting Ready for Screen

Another Can of Varnish

Looking Substantial

Pouring More Varnish

Anchoring the Doorway

Screens Up!

It seemed as though the varnish and the screens were installed simultaneously. They actually wern't, but it was a close thing.

Then suddenly, the zinc was here and they began cutting angles so the pieces would fit on the roof. No other way around it, there was a fair amount of waste, but surprisingly, a lot of scrap pieces were able to be used.

Zinc Has Arrived

And the First Piece

Being Fitted

Make Sure It Fits

Leftover Pieces

Showing Gaposis

Daisy Checking Everything

Checking the Work

Stuffing Foam Gap-Tape

Then we had a momentary distraction. On the front of our house was this huge tarantua. She was about 5-inches, wing-tip to wing-tip. And, she had a bright red behind that didn't really show up all that well in the left photo, but is really bright in the right. After taking a couple of pictures, we left her up to her own devices. As long as she stayed outside, we'd get along fine. They're actually pretty docile creatures.

Momentary Distraction

Nice Red Behind

Filling In the Holes

Endher Filling Ridge Cap

Better Doorway Shot

Fabricating the Palapa Cap

Fastening the Cap

Magnetic Screen Door

Now, we're just waiting for the wood screen door. We got a magnetic screen door from Amazon.com, but we need to have the wood screen door installed to be able to fasten the magnetic door to the wood frame of the wood screen door.

Monday Again

Today's Monday, 17 October, 2016. Another short weekend. Not that I'm complaining or anything. It helps get the project just that  much closer to being finished. It's just that the weekend seems somewhat skimpy.

Cleaning the Forms

Saturday, all but two of the columns got poured. So, Monday is the day to open them up and help them to continue curing.

Circuit Breaker Box Added

Sometime Monday, I strolled through the pump house. I was pleasantly surprised to find a new circuit breaker box being installed. Just a little bit more protection.

Overall View of Most of the Project

This is the way the project is looking, Saturday afternoon. Endher says once all the columns are done, then plastering of all the columns, beams and the like, will begin. After that, the floor to the ramps, and the deck floor will be poured, and after that, the work on the pool itself. I can't wait.

Beer Fridge

I snapped this photo this morning. It's to entice Denis. Thankfully, with our new (to us) big fridge in the utility room, this fridge (actually in the kitchen) can now be devoted to beverages and the odd bottle of hot sauce.





Something I worked on this morning was a slide show on YouTube, I took my camera along when we did walkies this morning, intending to snap a photo every now and then. I had the idea of creating a slide show of our walk. With 136 photos, that was going to be no mean task.

Fortunately, Picasa has a movie tool that you can use to make a movie of sorts from still photos. Just the thing I wanted to find, even if I didn't know it when I started.

The only thing is, I set up a few pages of movie 'credits', so to speak, but they scroll by too fast to read comfortably. If the software would allow me to slow down just those pages, no problemo. But it doesn't. You slow down one to 4 seconds display, they all slow down to 4 seconds. Vivien found a solution, just pause the movie so you can reach each of those screens.

This is a scene from the movie - Nelson waiting for the 'basement' door to be unlocked so he can nap undisturbed during the day.

Nelson's in the Movie

Here's the link:  https://youtu.be/aIU8DaUklGc

Our Friend is Visiting Again

When we came home from walkies, right where I hang up the girl's leashes and packs, who did I spy, ambling across the wood screen framing?

Why it's our little friend, a black tarantula. No idea if it's the same one as about two weeks ago.

Bela stuck her nose right up against it and sniffed. Neither one seemed to get in the least upset.

Sometime soon I'll ease her back out into the yard where she belongs. I suspect we have a fair number of tarantulas in the yard, there's certainly enough holes that they've made.

Ramp Columns Are All Poured

Progress in the sunshine today. All the ramp columns have been poured. Tomorrow, they'll cap them all so the rain runs off. And then the fun begins. Plastering all the big columns, the beam, ramp columns, etc.

All the Wood Framing is Gone

Right now the concrete beam and columns almost look naked with all the lumber taken away. The guys are busy moving all the support sticks and boards out of the way so that plastering can begin.

Plastering Inside Pump House

Probably one of the hotter and more humid places to work this afternoon is inside the pump house, plastering. But it sure is looking good. I can't wait till it's painted and all the equipment is back inside and hooked up.

That Water is Nasty

Although Secret and Bela really like jumping in and splashing around after walkies, I can't say that the six or seven inches of water in the pool looks very appetizing to me right now.

It will be interesting to see how they propose to pump it out..

Little Dragonfly

I'm not sure what it is exactly. I think it's a dragonfly of some sort. When it's airborne, to me it looks like a box kite flying. I don't know how else to describe it. I took about seven or eight photos of it, and this is the only one that turned out.

Early Morning Walkies

Another beautiful day in paradise... But first this message from yesterday.

I took a couple of shots of the rebar positioned in the pool bottom. Almost looks like racing lanes, but no worry. Our pool isn't that large by any means.

Rebar In The Bottom

Ready to Put Cross Pieces In

This morning was a fun walk and very out of the ordinary for Cindy, Secret, and me. We were joined by Twyla and Lola. Sorry, I forgot to take pictures - I'll try to remember to do that tomorrow.

It was fun having someone else on the walk and especially, a new dog - Lola. She's just now learning how to become part of a pack, and Twyla is learning how to become a pack leader.

Cesar Millan is the expert. I've learned everything from him, and I'm going to be working with Twyla over the next few days to teach her about the pack leader energy and pack leader responsibilities, as well as the responsibilities of the pack member.

It's amazing to see the comparison between our dogs and Lola. They've come a long way in a relatively short time. I'm impressed.

Anyway, we had a good walk, from our houses up to the highway. Lola was still a little to0 hyper to be near heavy traffic like that, so we reversed and walked down the way to Mr. Quinto's house and back home.

We were just about to Mr. Quinto's, when Secret alerted to something crossing the road. It took me a second or two to recognize it - a rather large dark brown/black and red tarantula. She was about 4 or 5 inches across (including legs).

By the time I got my camera out and turned on, she was too the edge of the road, so all I got was her disappearing into the roadside leaves.

If You Look Close, You Can See Mrs. Tarantula