virginiaisforlykoshes: Saturday's Labors

We knew the weather would be good on Saturday, so as soon as it hit 40 (sometime before 8am!), Phil headed out to get things ready for the day. We could still see our breath at first, but by the time we were ready to actually mix mortar, the sun was shining and the air too warm for jackets.

Before we got started, the half-highs were not finished.

Phil did 32 of those quickly, plus one more knock-out block to finish the half mortar batch. One block on each corner needs about 2" trimmed off, but from the outside, that joint is elegant looking.

Phil was pleased that once the corners were set, the middle gets done so much more quickly. He found a rhythm.

We poured another batch of grout along the south wall: all we can do until the ramp is done.

Then, after some discussion, Phil started started to build a corner six blocks high. I had first suggested doing just two levels, then building between (it would pump up the daily total). But that destroys the rhythm: get in the groove, then break to shoot elevations, wrestle with the size of the joint. One of the joints on the corner kept squishing too flat. We had to lay that block four or five times: set, take up, thicken the mortar; set, take up, add more mortar; set, take up, and so on.

The corner has a funny shaped block, which requires no trimming or cutting but offers a smooth edge on the outside.

The lowest level had seven total blocks (a corner with three on either side); the second level had six. It was like magic. The third level had five. And so on. Each level stepped back a half block on either side.

The 27 blocks in that corner took four hours to put in place.

Only about two or three courses above the half-level, Phil started to use the scaffolding. That clued me in that one set of scaffold won't be sufficient.

At the end of the day, the scaffold was roughly at the height of the future floor.

We could stand on the scaffold and look out the "window" (between the rebar) to see the little stand of autumn trees.

Besides general support person (stand on the top of the scaffolding and fit a corner block over the top to hand down to Phil; tool the joints; bring blocks and snacks), my other task was to cut out the blocks. The half highs were easy; the full-sized took longer. And the poor angle grinder that I'm using runs through the batteries rapidly: I can do about twenty before the battery dies.

I also stack 20 blocks per pallet, ten cut and ten whole. The tractor moves those into the work site.

The last shipment of blocks didn't come on pallets (which was fine: $14/pallet adds up quickly). The stacks aren't terribly stable on our uneven slope, so I can see that it will be a bit of a challenge to get them stacked without a tumble.

At one point, I was unloading and had a start: apparently a snake appreciated the rough edge of the blocks and used it to shed his skin. I didn't want to touch it to remove it, so I repeatedly gave myself the heebie-jeebies: a glance out of the corner of my eye every now and then always surprised me.

Phil gave the three olders boys a job at the end of day: take trowels and knock off the little dollops of mortar that fell onto the ledges. The especially tricky bits needed the chisel and little sledgehammer.

Jadon had played so nicely with Joe, with the little brother laughing hysterically at the older brother's antics. When Jadon had to start working, Joe came to watch.