A Rotten Post

I really don't need another project around the house.

But the winter is harsh on our front porch and we had noticed a certain amount of rot occurring along the bottom of the trim boards which cover the supporting posts. Which was surprising, considering the fact that the trim posts are cedar. Isn't cedar supposed to be rot-resistant?

Rotten trim panels, Ahoy!

Oh, well. Can't tolerate rot in a house. Drives down the value. So, gleefully, as I do with all my deconstruction activities, I tore into it.

First, off came the bottom trim panels.

Rotten trim panels removed

Behind the bottom trim panels, it is observed that the bottom of the long boards are touching the concrete. That is bad. That causes wicking of water, and not even a super-wood like cedar can resist rot when it is constantly soaking in water. So out came the saw, and the bottom portion of the post trim boards had to come off.

Guess what was inside?

Inside the faux-post

Yep. You guessed it. Spiderwebs. A wasp nest. Besides the obvious rotten wood. And, as if that wasn't bad enough, the steel post support at the bottom (which is obscured above by the spiderwebs and wasp nest) is all rusted and flaking.

On to the next post.

A little history first, though. A couple years after we purchased the house, some wasps or hornets made a nest inside this post. We could tell because the post was buzzing, and the little buggers were sneaking in at the bottom of the post along a seam in the concrete which just happened to coincide with the placement of the post (which was a stupid design, in my opinion). We took immediate steps to avoid a serious problem at that time: we plugged the entrance hole at the bottom. And never heard any buzzing anymore, not even years afterward.

So we knew that we were going to find something "natural" behind the cedar panel.

Sure enough, we did.

Almost three feet of all-natural paper wasp nest, long abandoned. Cool!

But -- more rot on the bottom part of the posts, and more rust on the steel support.

And, more critically, rot on the 2x4s which form the "inner core" of the post support.Which means we're going to have to tear the whole thing apart to replace it.

But not today. I've already spent half the day getting this far, and there are lots of other projects to work on today.

I've got three posts to go!

Plus a rabbit hole to fill in!!

Rabbit Started to Dig a Hole ...

But was interrupted and never Came Back

I was taking one of the yard waste bins to the backyard the other day and came around the corner in view of the pathetic non-fruit bearing pear tree and noticed a rabbit sitting by the tree with a horribly guilty look on its face; when I moved forward (because I had things to do), the stupid rabbit ran away, revealing that it had been digging this hole into the roots of the pathetic non-fruit bearing pear tree, which in the long run probably won't make any difference because in all the years we've lived here, the pathetic non-fruit bearing pear tree hasn't fared very well and I expect it to up and die any day. But surely this rabbit hole is adding insult to injury!  First they dug a hole next to the front-yard tree, then they dug this one. I have to seriously wonder how stupid these animals are. What kind of protection comes from a six-inch deep hole stuffed with three to four bunnies, right out in the middle of the yard with absolutely no protection?

The foxes must be having a field day with these idiot rabbits.

==

In other news, I'm still employed, James and Tabea have set a date for the wedding, Mary is having way too much fun cooking dinners and getting ready for college, Deb is working and saving lots of money when she's not buying new clothes, and Adam continues to write and get together with his game-playing buddies. And we have an on-going Sushi Go! game which we play after dinner and keep track of family scores. As expected, I'm in Dead Last place.

And our Twenty-Fifth Wedding Anniversary is fast approaching.

Ruby's Rails

I still can't believe that summer is more than half-way over. My To-Do list is still extremely long, and practically nothing has been accomplished. Where is the time going!??!

One of the little projects I've been wanting to work on lately is a driveway ramp which will allow me to move the in-work cars (which generally don't have functioning engines or transmissions or drive train mechanisms) out onto the driveway so that I can use the garage to do the actual work (i.e. welding, drilling, cutting, etc.). 

The driveway has a roughly 13-to-1 slope (1 inch vertical drop for every 13 inches horizontal distance) which worked out to be a single 2x4 thickness every 20 inches, so I designed a simple set of wooden ramps built out of my favorite building material.

The design uses 3 standard 96" 2x4s laid side-by-side for each wheel track, with stacked layers of diminishing length underneath:

1st layer (top): 96" length

2nd layer: 76" length

3rd layer: 56" length

4th layer: 36" length

5th layer: 16" length

Total height = 5 x 1.5" = 7.5"

The main purpose of the ramp (or "rails" as I like to call it) is to allow me to move Serenity out of the 3rd bay so I can get my power tools moved out of the basement, but there's too much junk piled all around the car right now, so I'm testing the ramp design with Ruby, who is currently sitting in the 2nd bay.

First thing was to make sure Ruby can actually roll along the cement. I've, um, "borrowed" a few parts off of her in order to keep some of the other cars in working order, so certain things are missing. But for today's purpose, she seems to roll OK. Not perfect, but OK.

Ruby waits for a chance to go outside

The rails are relatively easy to produce, since they are simply two sets of 3 stacks of each length of board, all screwed together, with 1x4s used for bracing between the 1st and 3rd stack in each set.

Ruby's Rails, showing the slope

Due to the weight of the aggregate sets, I only attached the bracing between the inner and outer stacks of each set, leaving the inner stack out so I could more easily move the ramps around. Now is not the time to hurt my back trying to lift stacks of 2x4s! The picture below shows the two main sets with the cross-bracing at the bottom. Alongside each paired stack is the associated inner stack which will be placed in the middle of each set.  Notice tha tthe set on the left has a "stop" block attached at the top to keep the car from rolling too far.

Ruby's Rails, showing the Stacks and Cross-Ties

The picture below shows the two sets with the center stacks inserted in place.

Ruby's Rails, with Center Sections in Place

After assembling the rails, it was time to set them up in the driveway and roll Ruby backwards onto them. Very slowly and carefully.

Ruby Heading Outside

Note that I kept extra stop-blocks (chocks) handy all along the way. I'm nothing if not paranoid about something going wrong!

Ruby finally got to the end of the ramp without any difficulty; the big test was to find out how easily it would be to move her back and forth along the ramp. Any kind of incline was going to make it very difficult, as she is a very heavy car.

But, surprise of surprises, the early calculations paid off, and she moved very easily back off the ramp and into the garage again!

This is as far as it goes ... so far

One of the best parts of the design, which I hadn't really thought about, was that the ramps easily store underneath the car without taking up any extra room in the garage.

When We're Done, the Rails are Tucked Underneath

So now Ruby is back in place, ready to be rolled out whenever I need her out of the way, and this weekend I'll be able to use the ramps to move Serenity out of the third bay.

At the End of the Day, Everything Put Away!

All in all, a very satisfying couple of days being creative!

Reunion 2017

The White River

The White River runs alongside McCormick's Creek State Park in Indiana, just outside the town of Spencer. The creek, which meanders in a westward direction through the park, boasts a pretty waterfall and a basin in which people like to swim and play and cool off in the unbelievably humid summer air.

The Downs-related families have met here at the park for many years to eat and talk and play and hike and remember the people who have come before, the people from whom we have come, and celebrate being part of this extended family.

We of the Grand Rapids clan, who spent many years in the far-off Northwest, missed many of the reunions which went on here prior to 2004; we've rarely (if ever) missed one since. A lot of the people who were around back in 2004 (and before) have moved on to a better place; a lot of the people who attend now are too young to remember those folks.

Makes me kind of sad to think about that.

This year, we decided not to wait til the last minute, but to actually arrive a little early - actually, a couple days early - and take advantage of the on-site lodging facilities. We knew that there was an Inn at the park (it was originally a sanitorium), but hadn't realized until we (Cheryl) did a bit of research that there were also cabins for rent. So, owing to the novelty (and relative affordability) of the cabins, we booked a few nights, starting Thursday.

The Preliminaries

In a previous post, I mentioned that the Sonata was squealing, and that I thought it was the front brakes. But it wasn't. Cheryl, with far more sensitive hearing, told me to check the rear brakes. I did, and was much chagrined to discover that not only were the left rear brake pads worn down to the nubs, but that the right rear brake pads were hardly worn at all, which indicates that someone (probably me, but I don't remember it!) replaced the pads on one side but not the other. And, as everyone knows, brake pads are always replaced in pairs - all fronts, or all rears, but never only one at a time.

It was Thursday noon, and we needed to drive the car to Indiana as soon as possible. By two p.m., if at all possible.

So I went to my local neighborhood NAPA store and bought not only two sets of pads (because that's how they are sold!) but also two rotors, because the current ones looked old and shabby (and very rusted). And spent an hour or so putting them on. Nothing like working under a deadline!

After all that, the family loaded up the car and we headed down to Indiana. On the way down, I worried and fussed over every noise and bump we heard and felt, thinking the bolts were coming loose and the car was going to fall apart all around us, because that's the way my mind works, but, miracle of miracles, we got there safely and in (mostly) one piece, even after stopping in Kokomo for some dinner.

We actually arrived a little later than I had hoped, but still early enough that we were able to check in to the cabin and still have time to run over to Spencer for some supplies.

Did you know that there's a WalMart in Spencer? I didn't - but it sure was handy! Especially when they have percolators for sale, which is a necessity when there's a couple members of the family who won't survive unless they get their morning cup of coffee. Not naming any names, of course.

Then we settled into our beds, Adam and Mary in the bunk bed room, and Cheryl and I on the pull-out couch which squeaked and moaned like an old rusty car (and I know all about those!) when we crawled onto it, and was a bit more lumpy than we were expecting.

Note to Self: next time, bring one of those double-height air mattresses...

But we all slept OK. I think.

Friday

Got up early Friday before everyone else, eager to hit the trail. Started on Trail #1, which was just a loop off the Cabin road. Took a quick dash down Trail #2, which goes to the White River, then back to the cabin for breakfast. Afterward, Cheryl and Mary accompanied me back down Trail #2 to the quarry (which was eerie and spooky and full of croaking frogs), at which point I took off up Trail #7 and they continued on #2 on a loop back to the cabin area.

Two Hardy Hikers

My goal for the day was to go on as many of the trails as possible, from one side to the other, and that's exactly what I did. From #7 to #5 (the Wolf Cave trail) to #8 to #9 on the far east side. Cheryl met me at the picnic area off of trail #9 for lunch, and then we took a walk to the old farmstead to see the remains of the place, including the Spring House and the Barn Foundation.

Cheryl Enjoys a Relaxing Walk

When we'd walked enough, we went back to the cabin and then Mary and I drove over to the pool and spent an hour or so swimming and relaxing before heading back to the cabin again to get ready for dinner.

[Incidentally, my total hike for the day was around 7.2 miles. Whoo-hoo! Now, when does the fat start burning off my tummy?]

We met up with Jerry and Naomi and their kids at O'Charley's off of Highway 37 in Bloomington and had a delightful dinnertime chat, eating yummy food and waiting for the monsoon rains to abate so we could dash out to our cars. Then it was back to the cabin again for some card games and eventual sleep.

Saturday

We had a leisurely morning of it, as no one would be getting to the shelter until around 11, so we slept in a bit and had a bit of breakfast and then got a call from Mom and Dad who were arriving to help Maggie with the setup. We drove over to meet them and helped set up, then stood around and greeted all our relations as they arrived.

There were quite a few people I met for the first time, and quite a few whose names I had forgotten (which is not surprising, considering the difficulty I have with names anyway, and there were the ones whose names are so firmly implanted in my brain that I know it's my time to go when their names don't come to mind anymore. There were a nice bunch of young kids and some slightly older "kids" (i.e. 20s / 30s) with kids of their own, and then there were a few of us middle-aged folks (me and my cousins), and then there were the Legends: Doc and Beverly and Carolyn and Joe and Betty and Clyde and Judy and Maggie and Mom and Dad. Lots of good food. Lots of interesting chatter. Lots of side-splitting laughter.

Excellent Meal, Excellent Conversation

Then it was time for the annual Trek to the Falls. Robert Dean and his wife, Jessica, were taking their kids down for the first time, and Mary and I were going to go with them, but they decided at the last minute to drive their car and park over by the bridge; we took the slick'n'muddy trail from the shelter instead, so missed them completely. Not sure how. We must've all arrived at different times. Plus we were on the north side and they were on the south side. I think. But we did manage to bump into Allie and her friends, so at least we saw somebody we knew. We went along the trail and then across the bridge and down the other side, but decided since it was pretty slick (and I did not have the best traction on my shoes) that we wouldn't hang out very long. So we went back to the shelter.

Just in time for Dad to come back from his Wolf Cave hike. !!! I was upset that I'd missed that hike with him. Didn't realize he was going, which was kind of a lame excuse because we all know that he goes on that hike every year -- but I was actually focused on spending time with Mary. Oh, well. Hopefully, we can all go together next year!

Epilogue

We didn't go over to Joe's for ice cream, owing to the fact that we needed to get home at a somewhat reasonable hour because Mary and I were going to be teaching Sunday School the next day. But we stuck around long enough to help clean up the shelter, and then back to the cabin to finish our clean-up there (inviting Mom and Dad and Bob and Joyce because they'd never seen the cabins) , and then we hit the road again.

It was a short but wonderful trip. We enjoyed seeing everyone and can't wait to see everyone again!

And we're praying safe travels for everyone, especially Mom and Dad, who are going from Indiana all the way out to California this week.

Doc Sawyer and the West Side Story

We've known Doc for many years; he was one of the two Band Directors at the high school (and the middle school). We had many happy concerts and half-time shows and band camps with him.

The kids love him.

He retired last year, having been in various music education programs for forty years or so, but did not hang up his instruments. He continues to play lots of gigs in various Jazz Ensembles and groups. We heard him last week at a free Jazz concert in the park down at the Gerald Ford Museum.

And last night, we heard him playing his trumpet in the orchestra for a local community theater production of West Side Story.

But before we get to that ...

We had been needing a date night, and this was a golden opportunity. One of our favorite people playing in the orchestra for one of the best plays ever! So, naturally, on a date night, there is traditionally dinner and a show, right?

The show was all set to go. And dinner was an easy choice; we love Thai food, and there was this Thai place just down the street from the theater.

So after a hard day at work, we left the kids to fend for themselves and drove up to Jenison to get some delicious Thai food. I had the route all mapped in my head -- and on a piece of paper, since my memory isn't as good as it used to be. And we were almost there.

And then we ran into "Road Closed". Another victim of the fierce Michigan winters.

Strike One.

Luckily for me, Cheryl had all the alternate routes in her head, so she directed me to where we needed to go, and soon enough we were back on track, headed to food and fun!

We found the restaurant and pulled into the parking lot and ... that was weird ... there's no one else there. Except a car that pulled up at the same time we did.

Cheryl, with her keen eyesight, saw a sign up on the door: "Closed June 30 - July 7". OK, so they took one of the biggest vacation / holiday weeks and instead of eagerly anticipating all the hungry celebrants looking for some good Thai food, they closed their doors and headed up north to their cabin, like everyone else.

Rats. No Thai food tonight.

Strike Two

So we headed back down the street looking for an alternative. Hmmm ... this place "Fazoli's" looks Italian. Will Italian do? Sure, why not.

The building kinda looks like an old Pizza Hut.

But we went inside anyway.

Our hearts dropped a bit. It was fast-food Italian. Not quite what we'd been planning. But we went ahead and got in line anyway. Because we didn't have a lot of time to reconnoiter.

Naturally, we got the New Kid at the counter. The one who had a little trouble understanding what we were ordering because he wasn't quite as familiar with the menu as one of the Old Kids.

We ordered the Three Cheese Tortellini Alfredo.  Which comes with peas and bacon and chicken and three kinds of cheese. And we ordered iced lemonades to drink.

"Would you like the Combo?" he asked. "It comes with a free drink." Sure. Whatever. So he ordered it up. Then asked what kind of soda we wanted to drink.

"We already ordered iced lemonades. Can the free drink be an iced lemonade?"

"No."

Oh, OK. Well, scratch the Combo and just give us the Tortellini like we originally asked for, and the two lemonades. Got it? Cool.

We got our drinks and then went to find a seat and waited. In a few minutes, this nice lady brought us ...  a plate of plain tortellini. No peas. No bacon. No chicken.

Strike Three.

"Um -- we ordered the Three Cheese Tortellini, the one with the peas and bacon and chicken and three cheeses."

"Oh. I'm sorry, I'll be right back."

A few minutes later, she brought the same plate back, except now it had been liberally sprinkled with peas and bacon and chicken. And three cheeses.

It wasn't too bad.

But that was the third strike. We were getting nervous about the rest of the evening.

After dinner, we drove back up to the theater and got our tickets from Will-Call and stood around with the rest of the crowd until the doors opened. We found our seats - right smack in the middle of the Orchestra seating area! - and got ready to enjoy the show.

It was a good show.

Not a great show.

But it was a good show.

The cast ranged from high-school kids to college kids to post-grad kids to old fogeys almost as old as I am. And they were about as good as you might imagine. Some were overdoing it, some were underdoing it; some kept on pitch, some not so much. There were moments where lines or lyrics were forgotten, tempos were off-beat, the synchronization between singer and instruments was off.

But it was a good show.

Afterward, we met one of the other band directors that Cheryl knows (she knows everyone!) and he led us back to the prep room where Doc was getting ready to go. We had a joyful reunion with Doc and then he took us on a backstage tour of the theater, which was very impressive. The set building area is awesome! And the dressing rooms were huge! We had a hard time saying good-bye, but he needed to get going for another gig in the morning, so we bid him adieu and went on our way.

To the store.

For coffee.

And ice cream.

Which is just enough to get us ready for another day.