The Randstone Continues

We took matters into our own hands tonight.  The selected method of removing the final bits of sunflower was pyrotechnics!  The first attempt was to pour a little gasoline in the stone and light it afire.  Well the teaspoon of gas soaked into the fibrous material and lit nicely when the flame was introduced.

Unfortunately once the gas was gone the flame went out and the fibrous material worked much like a wick and had very little change.  We didn't want to get the stone so hot that it might crack.

Attempt #2 involved a MAPP gas torch.  Now we got black charred material turning to white ash on the top.  Much better!

Once the entire top has a white ash on it the scrub brush was brought out and holy frijoles, the concrete was appearing and the sunflower was being washed away.

A little more burning and then a serious wash and the stone will be free from the bonds of that very fibrous flower.

Until next time, bye for now, 

Jim & Cheri.

THE RAND STONE - CONTINUED...

Remember the Rand Stone?  Well, we started pulling out all the sunflower body this past weekend.  The sunflower body is so dense and thick and fibrous, it's been difficult...  Jim took a wire brush and started to cut back the thick body and show the pattern that is now in cement.  A whole lot of the body came out, but we had to be really careful with the wire brush because it started to knock the points out of the sunflower pattern.

We're liking how it's turning out so far!  We'd like to find some kind of 'something' that would decay or eat the rest of the sunflower out of the cement... Don't have a clue what to use...

Does anybody have any suggestions?

Cheri

A few more photos from the weekend.  I hope my Love doesn't mind.

This is Cheri in the motorhome on Saturday night making dinner.  I swear I eat better when we are away.  She goes out of her way to make fabulous meals.

We cleared a space for a more permanent location for the motorhome.  A little more level and it will be perfect.

Some of the locals getting ready for winter.  Oh and hunting season is right around the corner too!  Hope they hide out well.

Bye for now, Jim S.

DIGGING, DIGGING, DIGGING...

We did more digging this past weekend....  Actually, Jim was on the backhoe, doing the digging... I was directing traffic... making sure he didn't smash over the power pole, hit the motor home, or try driving with the two stabilizers still down..... Jim tells me that I'm supposed to be the spotter - it's kind of a boring job..

But, there was enough of that stupid Manzanita dug that we could reposition the motorhome from a vertical position to a horizontal position..... making headway - slowly, but surely.

Cheri

The backhoe is now parked farther down the hill...

It's the "CANADIAN WAY"

There aren't a whole lot of cabins or houses in the neighbourhood where we are building our cabin - you probably already figured that one out...  Of the neighbours that are there, many of them have named the road/driveway that goes to their property.  I haven't met them, but there's a racing fan, because his road is called "Earnhardt Drive" and there's another one called "Retirement Freeway"...  they're kind of cute...

But, I wanted to have our sign really scream, "Jim and Cheri" whenever someone saw it... This is what I came up with.....

...mission accomplished....  Giggle...

Cheri