Made it

Finally made it this weekend. My arch looks pretty good and next trip I will add some color to it and the fence. The frame is made over a skeleton of wire and styrofoam and anchored with rebar at the posts. I was supposed to melt a channel into the foam with a torch in order to run re-bar around both sides of the arch. Forgot the torch, so I just threaded wire through the arch and mounted it on the surface. Time will tell if I did the right thing but it seems solid. Not counting the labor and the drive the whole shebang only cost $50.00 so if I have to rebuild I can do it on the cheap and nothing lost.

Curses, foiled again!

Plans for a trip to the bunker over the holiday went down in flames. Problems at the Austin homestead overcame the wanderlust. I had built the frame for the arch here in the backyard and all that remained to be done was to put it up and flesh it out with some stucco. The frame is made out of Styrofoam and wire and will be easy to install next trip. Some people look at me as if I were nuts for doing it this way. Little they know how many buildings are done in the same way.
I had planned to go on a trip to the Black Hills this week. Fly into Denver, then drive to Custer and spend a few days running around the area (Mt Rushmore, et al). This too, had to be canceled. I may be able to run out to the bunker this weekend. We shall see.