May 6
So I have been a bit worried about the gray bond beam. I am all for that funky industrial look, with exposed pipes and brick and concrete, but not in this house, really. My fears evaporate today when I see the slurry being applied. Now the bond beam blends in perfectly with the mortar and adobe brick colors–and the wood, too. Slurry is a wet mud that goes over the concrete of the bond beam and covers it up.
Work continues on the decking but it is almost finished now. Lots of cleaning up has been accomplished and insulation has magically appeared at the site. The house is feeling like a house now!
technical
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- Gray bond beam is now covered with slurry + mortar added between top row of adobe blocks and bond beam
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- The slurry covers the bond beam and blends it in with the adobe blocks
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- West End Den fireplace will be going here
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- The slurry really blends in beautifully, doesn’t it?
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- Niles has no fear of insulation, but Bella apparently does!
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- Hanging out in the kitchen
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- The Monumental Living Room
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- Still a bit of blue sky in the garage
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- After the recent rains, I am happy to have a roof now.
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- Insulation!
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- Hallway decking is done
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- Mortar first, then the slurry will be applied
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- West End Den is all swept up and clean
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- Another view of the future Den fireplace
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- Wet slurry and mortar
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- Mortar
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- Slurry
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- Wood moving–still some decking to be done!
personal
Not sure how much longer we will be hiking this road. A new road has opened up and I am told it has great views, so we will probably be changing roads soon. The mountain I had planned to start climbing has been full of cattle lately, so the new road might be the best option. Sporadic rains (and hail!) have continued to green things up but that first burst of color is over. I have no idea what is going to happen next! You know I will be taking a picture of it, whatever it is!
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- These gray clouds are full of bluster but not much else.
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- The first sotol discovered on our hike!
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- These sotol stalks make great walking sticks, as I mentioned in a previous posting.
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- This is the sotol plant itself.
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- For all you “Game of Thrones” fans, this is a kracken. Dried.
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- Cholla cactus–up close and personal
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- Are these blooms going to be red?
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- All the chollas I have seen so far have had yellow blossoms.
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- Now that feels like desert…
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- Bella’s ears are blowing in the wind.
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- So much greener than it was!
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- Something strange and new!
What beautiful photos! You DO have something to work with, but your eye is very precise.
Thanks, Nina! Taking pictures is a lot like shooting arrows, as Arya is learning, I think. Don’t hold and let your eye do the aiming!
Going to sleep, but wishing you well w GoT in the background. How’s the Bella?
Thanks for good and GoT wishes. I keep singing “The Bear, the Bear, and the Maiden Fair”…sad, really. Ha! Bella seems to be getting her mojo back, slowly but surely. Darned poltergeist scaring my Bella.