Next stop the LSB. I just had to have this one. I bought it from a neighbor whose dad had it made by a flight instructor of mine from South Texas back about 1959. What goes around..... There were many times that Cessna 120 felt like it was made out of the same hunk of steel and had the same solid wheels. I lived through it though and became a fair pilot but those days are gone and the smoker is still a welcome addition to the bunker.
I cooked a turkey and a big briskit the Saturday after Thanksgiving and it held heat like a dream and was very easy to regulate. Both hunks of meat came out lookin like coal but inside the meat was jucy and sweet.
Now I have to figure out a way to transport it to the bunker. It weighs about three hundred pounds and is very top heavy.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Monday, November 20, 2006
Back in town
California was nice but I am glad to be back. We arrived at LAX about 9:00AM and picked up a new Pacifica for the jaunt out to Venice beach for brunch. Spent about three hours just people watching. We just bummed around the rest of day, even visiting a Trader Joes out in Reseda. By five we were heading for Hollywood and the restaurant linked below. Due to the time difference and having to try to catch a 5:00AM flight we turned in the rental car and turned in early. We had a little trouble getting out of LAX (got bumped 4 times) because everyone was traveling for thanksgiving. I did have a back up reservation on Southwest so I was GOING to make it home. Back before sundown.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
No News is ......
Been trying to make it to the bunker all month. There are many reasons we haven't made it, not the least is there is just too much to do this month. This weekend I plan to take Barbara out to California, to her favorite resturant in West Hollywood, for our aniversary. We will fly out early Sat morning and spend the day on the coast hiway; Venice,Santa Monica, Malibu, etc. Then back into WH for the Gardens of Taxco
It is the best Mexico City style cusine in the US. They have an unusual drink that they call a margarita but it is made with sweet vermouth and fruit juices that makes your toes curl up like a baby on the breast. Yumm.. Then a good nights sleep and back to Austin Sunday morning.
It is the best Mexico City style cusine in the US. They have an unusual drink that they call a margarita but it is made with sweet vermouth and fruit juices that makes your toes curl up like a baby on the breast. Yumm.. Then a good nights sleep and back to Austin Sunday morning.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Gate Too
Concrete blocks from doors and windows. 0.00
Doors from habitat-for-humanity re-store 40.00
Gates for courtyard priceless
I love to make something from nothing. These doors will really look great when they are hung and painted. The glass blocks on the upper left corner will be back-lit at night to compliment the porch light. I also have a 4X12X12ft truss which will span the gates and be covered with foamboard and stucco to make an arch over the gate. Everything will match the stucco of the bunker and look like it is part of the compound.
Doors from habitat-for-humanity re-store 40.00
Gates for courtyard priceless
I love to make something from nothing. These doors will really look great when they are hung and painted. The glass blocks on the upper left corner will be back-lit at night to compliment the porch light. I also have a 4X12X12ft truss which will span the gates and be covered with foamboard and stucco to make an arch over the gate. Everything will match the stucco of the bunker and look like it is part of the compound.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Monday, October 09, 2006
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Way to Date
On the way to the bunker this month we stopped for a steak in Ozona, this is roughly half way and the they have the best steaks just East of the Pecos. There was a young man and his date at the next table and the were obviously celebrating, you know ordering the big chicken fried steak and extra gravey. They were fun to watch and the whole place kind of joined in. When we left we saw their ride. No SUV for them. See above. Now thats the way to travel out here.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Friday, July 28, 2006
Glass Blocks
A high school was undergoing renovation here in Austin and I scored a few hundred 8X8 glass blocks. I don't know yet what I will use them for but I think they might be good for the fence. Four feet of adobe with sixteen inches of glass block with a cap of adobe sounds neat to me. I may incorporate them into the gate somehow. No reason to let them go to waste. They may work in the addition too, as a shower or the base for an island in the kitchen. We will see.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Light Polution
It's dark out here. UT operates McDonald observatory in Fort Davis just because of the lack of light and the clear cold air. This is what you would see if you were looking down from space trying to see me sitting on the roof in my shorts drinking a Mexican Martini. You can see that ther are not many lights Southeast of El Paso.
It cools down really fast when the sun goes down and believe me shorts are not the uniform of the night. That's what is nice about the Davis Mountains. Even in the summer when temps get into the nineties the mountain thunderstorms cool it back into the seventies/eighties and when the sun goes down it drops into the sixties at least and add in a little wind (yes the wind blows, a lot) and it starts to feel even colder. It is super to toast the end of the day from the roof and watch the fantastic light show that changes with each cloud or passing plane.
It cools down really fast when the sun goes down and believe me shorts are not the uniform of the night. That's what is nice about the Davis Mountains. Even in the summer when temps get into the nineties the mountain thunderstorms cool it back into the seventies/eighties and when the sun goes down it drops into the sixties at least and add in a little wind (yes the wind blows, a lot) and it starts to feel even colder. It is super to toast the end of the day from the roof and watch the fantastic light show that changes with each cloud or passing plane.
Monday, July 17, 2006
The wall
Finished laying up the blocks for the corner post this weekend. I need to find a 18ft cedar beam to lay across the top and the gates will be ready to hang. The neighbors are wondering what I'm doing with the crane and all the blocks. One of them came by Sunday morning and stayed for the whole tour. His place is right across from the bunker at about the same level.
We talked about the guy down the hill that had told me about the mountain lion that might be living under the bunker (in the escape tunnel). If there was a lion he must have been on the move like the bear that wandered through years ago. No signs of either of them. A small herd of desert bighorn sheep came through Sunday and some deer so that sort of shows the big preditors are not around. All in all a pretty nice weekend.
We talked about the guy down the hill that had told me about the mountain lion that might be living under the bunker (in the escape tunnel). If there was a lion he must have been on the move like the bear that wandered through years ago. No signs of either of them. A small herd of desert bighorn sheep came through Sunday and some deer so that sort of shows the big preditors are not around. All in all a pretty nice weekend.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Vacation to the North
The 4th of July is our time to seek the adventure and coolness of Canada and the NorthEast Coast of the US. We flew into Manchester NH to avoid Boston and its problems. First stop was a resturant called Legal Sea Food in Burlington. I had read about it and wanted to try their Clam Chili. Being a Texan I Know chili and the clam didn't measure up. It may have been too much chili powder or the beans but I'll pass.
Next it was on to Gloucester and a really neat seaside inn. We were off in the morning up the coast to Ipswich for another resturant called the Clam Box. What a terrific meal, 25 fresh clams, as many scallops, all deep fried with about 2 pounds of fries and fresh fried onion rings as well as a bucket of cold slaw (or if you prefer cole slaw). It satisfied my clam hunger and then some. On up the coast to Portland, Augusta then inland to Quebec City. This city was as close to Paris as I will ever get. Old town was narrow streets and open cafes. We were there on Moving Day and along with an international bike race and Canada Day so it was really crowded. Still, we have made reservations to go back on Barbaras' birthday.
Next it was on to Gloucester and a really neat seaside inn. We were off in the morning up the coast to Ipswich for another resturant called the Clam Box. What a terrific meal, 25 fresh clams, as many scallops, all deep fried with about 2 pounds of fries and fresh fried onion rings as well as a bucket of cold slaw (or if you prefer cole slaw). It satisfied my clam hunger and then some. On up the coast to Portland, Augusta then inland to Quebec City. This city was as close to Paris as I will ever get. Old town was narrow streets and open cafes. We were there on Moving Day and along with an international bike race and Canada Day so it was really crowded. Still, we have made reservations to go back on Barbaras' birthday.
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Minor injury
While drilling the blocks to stabilize them I hit a rebar and the drill stopped. No problem, I'll just back up and start again. When I pulled up on the drill I grabbed the switch and the drill spun out of my hand and snapping two knuckles in the process. It's been two weeks now and I've got 95 percent use back and the swelling is down so I'll try to bring this blog up to date.
UPDATE Tried to finish the wall the weekend of the 15th and like the dummy I am I let the drill spin again. This time it really hurt. The pain was so bad, I relented and went to the Dr. and he put me on a course of steroids for the swelling. Nothing was broke but the pain was much worse and still is. The swelling has gone down but the pain is still there. I'll give it a couple more weeks but I think it will be all right. It seems as though as I get older it takes longer to bounce back from these small injuries.
The wall looks good and is about half finished as you can see. Three more blocks high and I'll start on the other side. The gate will swing on hinges mounted through steel studs set in concrete. Don't know what I'll make the gates out of but probably rough cedar with wrought iron fixtrues. The fence will be a hybred of steel studs and EIFS foam and a polymer cement mixture. The finish will match the bunker in color and texture and also will finish the kiva and the 16 foot false front at the western end of the courtyard. This false front will stand alone until it becomes part of the addition.
UPDATE Tried to finish the wall the weekend of the 15th and like the dummy I am I let the drill spin again. This time it really hurt. The pain was so bad, I relented and went to the Dr. and he put me on a course of steroids for the swelling. Nothing was broke but the pain was much worse and still is. The swelling has gone down but the pain is still there. I'll give it a couple more weeks but I think it will be all right. It seems as though as I get older it takes longer to bounce back from these small injuries.
The wall looks good and is about half finished as you can see. Three more blocks high and I'll start on the other side. The gate will swing on hinges mounted through steel studs set in concrete. Don't know what I'll make the gates out of but probably rough cedar with wrought iron fixtrues. The fence will be a hybred of steel studs and EIFS foam and a polymer cement mixture. The finish will match the bunker in color and texture and also will finish the kiva and the 16 foot false front at the western end of the courtyard. This false front will stand alone until it becomes part of the addition.
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