Finished Framing

       Framing is all done!   Kind of bittersweet as framing is my favorite part of the project.  There's progress seen at the end of each day, there's figuring out stuff to do, and the near primordial need to work with wood.  The other primodial need to not fall down is a reason to be glad to move on....

    I really didn't like how the porch roof terminated at the ends as I drew them for the plans...They just sort of stopped at the wall, and since the eave sticks out 16" it looked funny.  So, I matched the eave mirror image to the left here, forming a peak and somewhat protecting the side window from the weather. It breaks up the monotonous look of the big wall some and should stiffen it up (this wall faces the prevailing winds).  It was probably stiff enough before but the way our house can shake in high winds, a little extra perpendicular sheer won't hurt.

     This was the real head scratcher.....I had to build a box to hold the tankless water heater.  I wanted to put it equal distance between the kitchen and bathroom, which would have looked funny just sticking out of the wall.  Once again, the porch roof was supposed to just end at the wall corner.  So with the box and flue channel built, the end fascia extends up to the box then continues down the other side.  It shelters the kitchen window and adds interest to the back of the house.  I really struggled with how long to make the sweep going to the right---at first it was barely wider than the box, then played with making it symetrical like the other end....(decided against that.  It might have looked as if the house was originally a single story house that had a jutting upstairs addition forced upon it)  so opted for just over the kitchen window and below the upstairs hallway window.
     Next is housewrap and installing windows.  Windows can be a one person job, if they are very small and close to the ground.  None of mine are so I'm gonna get help.  When I called Byron and asked for help installing windows, he sounded pretty eager.  Now I'm wondering if he thinks it's a computer issue.  I should have been more clear.

Why Nothing Got Done on the Cabin Today

  First off, we had a request from a couple for a long term rental agreement for the other cabin.  He's a land surveyor for SDG&E's big 'Sunrise Powerlink' project (kind of a sore subject with people who will have a view of new powerlines, but necessary infrastructure I think) so when I got home from work I was going to put the kids in the old truck, and drive over to clear a bunch of stuff out of the place. 
  Truck wouldn't start.  The kids were a bit distraught----they knew the truck wouldn't last forever, and thought maybe this was goodbye.  We bought it shortly after we were married and before we had any kids...Anyway, it had been sitting for awhile and all it needed was a can of carb cleaner sprayed through and it ran great.
  With THAT done, and the cabin made ready for the renters (with lots of help from the kids) there was a Cuyamaca Lake issue that required some attention and a trip to town.  So jumped in the Subaru--AnnaMarie and the kids just got back from a trip to Camarillo, and she told me she heard the fanbelt squeal when she had started it up...Odd, since I had just adjusted it....Well, the car started just fine, but all the warning lights were on and the power steering wasn't working.  A check under the hood showed one belt VERY loose and the other belt lying in the driveway....Thank God it did it after she parked, at home, instead of somewhere on the road.
   It was weird, though.  All the belt pulleys seemed right, the belts looked fine, everything turned OK.  Why would BOTH belts have an issue though?  There's only one pulley they share, the one on the end of the crankshaft...Gave that a good yank and the pulley itself came apart.  The outer ring had delaminated from the middle part.  There's a rubber ring between the two, probably due to some harmonics issue or something.
   The thought of having the car towed an hour away for the fix sounded expensive so got to work pulling out the radiator just to get at it.  The main bolt came out without too much trouble but pulling the wheel was another matter---everything around it is plastic shrouds so there's nothing to pry against.  So, pulling, wiggling, and grunting, it gave just enough to let me know it'd come off if I just kept at it. 
   "Yeah, we have them in stock.  $189.   They're notorious for delaminating like that.  You'll never get the wheel off without the special tool though"  Uh, I already did.  "If the woodruff key is intact then it's an easy fix from here"  (Nothing wrong with the key)  So when I get home from work tomorrow I just have to put the new one on and button everything up and it SHOULD be good to go
 

Lauren's Gettysburg Poem

   OK.  If you had told me I'd be posting 14 year old girl poetry on MY blog, I'da thought you were nuts....
   Lauren's class was returning from a field trip and yet another very impressive teacher used the long bus ride having the kids memorize the Gettysburg Address (in honor of memorial Day).  Back at school the kids were asked to produce a poem about it.  Anything.  Most were the 'Roses are Red' variety.  This was Lauren's.

Never Forget What They Did Here




A call

An idea

“I’ll fight”

Added Enthusiasm

“For my country”

A decided expression







“For the People”



A command

A whine

“Life would be easier”

A grumble

“If slaves could do our chores”

A grimace





“For the People”



A departure

A cry

“Leave my family”

A sob

“For my country”

A kiss goodbye



“So nobly advanced”



A slamming door

A shout

“Wish I didn’t have to go”

A huff

“To school”

An ignored goodbye



“So nobly advanced”





A cold tent

A frosty breath

“I’m a brave soldier”

A determined nod

“I’ll follow through with this”

A stretch





“Fitting and proper that we should do this”





A warm comforter

A sigh

“I won’t get up”

A yawn

“There’s nothing to do”

A doze



“Fitting and proper that we should do this”





A fear

A thumping heart

“I may die”

A coordinated step

“In battle”

An acceptance



“The brave men”





A whimper

A stubborn refusal

“I won’t”

A stomp

“Eat this broccoli”

A tantrum





“The brave men”



A halt

A silence

“I hope I’m ready”

A gulp

“My country’s counting on me”

A forward march



“Great battlefield of that war”



A check

A sulk

“you’ll beat me”

A sniff

“You always win”

A surrender



“Great battlefield of that war”





A gunshot

A passing thought

“My country”

A labored breath

“Will thank me”

A throbbing pain



“Shall not perish from this earth”



A foul ball

A wince

“My team would be better”

A hung head

“Without me on it”

A resignation



“Shall not perish from the earth”



A deadly field

A survivor

“How brave they were”

An admiration

“To die”

A tear



“Shall not die in vain”



A computer game

A champion

“I won”

A prideful smile

“And you lost”

A sneer

“Shall not have died in vain”





An address

A live listener

“How true”

A hope

“We must carry it out”

An agreement





“Never forget what they did here”



A history book page

A student

“How true”

A hope

“We must carry it out”

An agreement



“Never forget what they did here”





A command

An obeyed



“For the People”



A slamming door

An apology



“So nobly advanced”



A warm comforter

An awakening



“Fitting and proper that we should do this”



A whimper

A courageous bite



“The brave men”



A check

A defensive move

“Great battlefield of that war”



A foul ball

A second try



“Shall not perish from the earth”



A computer game

A modest winner



“Shall not have died in vain”

Getting Ready for Rough Framing Inspection

    There's a lot going on here....There are quite a few requirements to be met since this is a high fire danger (Wildland Urban Interface) area, high earthquake danger area, and high wind/weather extremes zone.  Add to that it's built on a slope and is taller than it is wide.  To satisfy all the inspectors, there has to be radiant barrier everywhere higher than the ceiling.  All the timbers have to be oversized.  I spend more time putting in the required steel reinforcement strong ties than the framing----note the steel strips above and below the windows running the entire wall width---they have one 3" nail per inch.  That's a lot of hammering.  Plus you have to provide the blocking to nail the strips to.  There's another row of blocking studs just behind the top of that sheer panel, so the ledger for the porch roof has something to attach to later.

   Here's the tallest wall.  I tried to put up the sheer panel just using a ladder but after falling I decided that was stupid.  Actually if there wasn't any wind I could probably do it.  So I made four braces I can screw to the wall temporarily to have something to stand on to work safely.  (as of this writing they are on the other side of the house so I can finish the sheer on that side when I get back home again)

  The upstairs picture window......Ugh.  When framing that wall I realized part of the window's view would be blocked by the interior chimney so I just scooted the window over a little.  Now from the outside, it isn't centered with the gable roof peak.  So far no one I've pointed it out to seems to think it looks bad. 
   There are two solutions---option One is frame in and eliminate part if the window on the left so it's visually centered----but losing the best of the view from inside.  Option B is a stone veneer on the outside, to the right of the window opening, continued on the porch wall, all the way down to the foundation.  Added benefit is, water coming off the roof from the gable would run down stone instead of siding. 
   Before the inspection I have to install the fire sprinklers, all the windows, and doors.  I could put the roof on too.  Right now I'm working 10 days straight (the two other HRM's took vacations) but I'll get time off with good weather soon so work will continue.  The wood pile is down to almost nothing.  AnnaMarie likes the idea of having her whole driveway back again.

Boat Launch 2011

   After a one year hiatus, Mr. Copeland's 7th and 8th grade class built and launched a boat, this time an outrigger.  It's a great way to end the school year, with a big beach party. 

    One of the crew chiefs at work has a son that reps for a stand-up paddle board company.  He and his friend brought some boards out and gave lessons---it was a hit and good addition to the event.

  Not exactly sure why McKenna was so anxious for a stand up paddle lesson.  She never expressed an interest in it before...

     So after Riley and Eric put in a few hours with the kids, they took the outrigger out for a paddle.  They really got the thing moving.

 Then, of course, the obligatory group photo