Despite the cold temperatures this past week, the roof of the Big Brown Shed (BBS) was removed. The heavy trusses came off with the help of a pretty blue machine, a Genie GTH-844.
I tried to keep the work site clear of materials, such as nails, insulation, and lumber. The latter had lots of nails. I could not keep up.
I intended to work on the boards and nails on Saturday, but Walter came and started the fork lift and began backing – it has an irritation “beep-beep”. His plan was to move the new (half) trusses down to the BBS from up near Naneum Road where they were deposited by the delivery/boom truck.
The trusses are 39 feet long and about 12 feet wide. The easy way of picking them up with the fork lift would orient them with the long side going across the drive. There is only a 20 foot distance between the trees. Darn.
So, after a couple of tries, we had them lifted, hanging from a single chain. Then I could rotate them to aim down the drive. I used a rope so I could stay out of the way of the trusses, the trees, and the forklift. When delivered, there was one broken 2×4. Now there is one more; both can be easily replaced. Several of the connector plates twisted out. They can’t be put back in place easily or with a strong bond. Where the trusses are made the wood is laid flat, connectors are placed, and then a heavy roller is used to drive the connector flat.
We will get new ones and have to use a heavy hammer to place them.
You can watch how the factory does it: Delete the 3 XXXs and watch the video, if you care to.
https:/XXX/www.youtube.com/watch?v=dduOdTaXwP0
Monday, weather permitting, the trusses will be fixed and lifted, set in place and stabilized. Then sheeting can go on, and the new blue roof.
By next Thursday, March 3rd, the roof should be well under way; routine stuff. I may go over to White Heron and prune a few vines. The weather forecast looks good.
Friday I went to the group-luncheon of which Nancy was a member at CWU. Both Megan Walsh and James Beard came and we talked a bit about the scholarship gift we (Nancy & John) just finalized. Peggy Eaton is part of that group, and of a cattle ranch family famous in the Valley for a cattle drive on the Yakima River Canyon Road. This was done a couple of weeks ago and so we talked some of that – especially about trying to keep your feet from freezing while riding a horse in February – a fun experience now left to younger riders.
In other news:
I have been missing one of the truck key-fobs. Replacements are expensive so I just kept looking because I knew it was here at home. Years ago I bent over a chest-type freezer and the keys to a car fell in. I found that one a year later.
This time I lost it last fall. It was out where I feed the native quail and small birds. It spent about 4 months under snow, but worked fine when I found it. Even without the snow cover it was not very noticeable as the photos below show. I’ve now tied on a piece of orange ribbon.
I saw the photo of the Striped Skunk and German Shorthaired Pointer on the web.
Did the photographer have a good zoom lens or a remote release camera on a tripod? The third possibility is the person is adventurous!
From the Naneum Fan
John