It time for the annual POA Meeting up in Deer Crossing a week from today. Thats my property owners assoc in the mountains, I used to laugh at the thought of an actual organization to take $90 a year in dues, now I've been the Webmaster for some time and now Treasurer for the past year, GEEZE! I never will have the patience for politics, the simple action of billing a group of folks once a year becomes rather complicated at times! The President is a pro at it, when he goes, I go! But, here we are at Meeting time again, and after the meeting, well, I have some serious moonshine -tasting scheduled!

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The basement walls are now Solid Cement! Let that sink in, Solid Concrete! I get a rush everytime I think about it! The walls were completed yesterday, filled with concrete, around the rebar, the Bondbeam, the verticals, the overwhelming phrase I hear is "Most reinforced basement I have seen in some time" I'll take that, I'll let that roll around in my mouth and slip off my toungue when I say..Brick *********! I love it! I have lived through alot of stories, alot of disasters, alot of folks that said, I never though it would be that bad! So, my basement, my last refuge in the most bad, terrible **** that can occur, it pretty damn tough! I like that part! I know what corner of the world I WILL head for be in when it gets REAL ugly out there (ugly-ER)

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I was surprised and saddened to learn the little store near my place in NC has closed its doors for the last time, "Todd's Country Store" in Buffalo Cove, NC is no more, its history is rich and long, lasting through the depression, and sickness, and even passing into the hand of new owners only to have the global economic meltdown drive the last nail into its coffin. A wonderfully sweet woman who was the daughter of the original owners Mary Todd, and her husband Herb used to run a tiny little post office there, the locals sat around the store all years in all weather, inside in the winter near the pot belly stove, all eyes on you as you walked through the door, it scared off alot of folks that didnt know how harmless these folks were, but they enjoyed the nervous looks of the strangers as they crept past them, only to be greeted by Mary and Herb and all the tension evaporated. The same locals will be sorely missing the credit that was run up during many a short paycheck, and free coffee doled out by the gallon! I will miss that place, not near as much as the crowd that passed the day there day after day, but it leave a huge sucking sound in the end, and will never be recreated, I sure hope someone will try though...

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I set up the inspection for my foundation (Basement walls) today, it passed with Flying Colors. Thanks to Mike and Co. and many Dollars, the project continues. I am glad the extra money spent for the extra rebar will result in the "Strongest Foundation" the inspector had ever seen. I am now an expert in the theory of the "Bond Beam" or an extra course of rebar placed in the notched out 4th and top course of block that acts as a steel collar to strengthen the entire foundation, I like that!

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The A-Frame Continues! I hope to finsih the Basement walls and that inspection soon, then on to the floor, plumbing and concrete pouring and floating

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First you lay off the building and dig the footers. The inspector has to come out and approve the footers , then you pour them. Concrete is $115 per cubic yard plus a $100 delivery fee for Samson Rd. To find cubic yards, multiply the depth in feet times the length in feet times the width in feet and then divide that answer by 27 cubic ft per cubic yard. The footer needs to be 2 ft wide X 8 inches deep (.66ft) X 128 ft (the perimeter) = 6.25 yds times $115=$718.45 + $50.32 tax =$768.77 + $100 del fee=868.77 You will need 256 linear feet of #4 rebar estimate another $100 or about 968.00 By the time the batter board are figured in, the material cost will be just over $1000 for the footers
Then for the blocks: est 300 12 inch blocks and 900 8 inch blocks est $2400 + $1.50 each to lay or $1800 + sand est $200 delivered and mortar mix 50 bags est $6.50 per bag or $325 total about $4725 for the foundation
Then, you need to pour concrete in the blocks which have dirt against them, est 10 more yards of concrete or $1250 + the anchors for the sill plates
Total materials to here about $7000
Then you need to cover the floor with 4 inches of washed stone and have it treated for tiermites and inspected cost here (have stone delivered in a mixer to spread easily) $500 + the termite treatment est about $1200 or about $1700 total
Then after this inspection, you can pour the concrete floor(slab) and it will take
32X32X.33/27 or about 13 yards of concrete$1495 + tax of $104.65 or $1599.65+
$30 per yard to pour or $390 for a total for the slab of just at $2000
Total cost to here about $9000 + labor to lay off, dig footers, form and pour footers, level the stone, place the grade stakes and to pour concrete into the walls est $2000 if you didnt do any of it yourself for about $11000 , you have a foundation ready to start putting the framing onto.

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I am building the new Aframe a block at a time, I am almost to the point of completing the walk-out basement walls, I plan on another trip in early August to
put the finishing touches on the walls, rebabar and the inspection prior to pouring the Concrete to reinforce the back supporting walls of the Basement that are cut into the mountain, this will insulate the basement to keep it cooler in the Summer and Warmer in the winter. Sounds like a good place to store wine eh? Thats all part of the plan!!!!

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OK, so I added some links to MJ's page and her Hot Sauce Site, She has a small Cart she sells from, on the Bridge as you arrive into Town on the island of Culebra, PR. There is not a lot more I can explain, you just have to ask her yourself, I can however couch for her hot sauce, its homemade, its great, and you really should buy some!

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Had a GREAT trip to the Keys last Week, a great campground in Long Key made for an awesome getaway!
Will put some pics in Photos section

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Ahhhh, things can seem too good, I knew it was all moving along a a dagerous clip, so, today, after my smooth as silk trip home, all was perfect in the world, I was ciphering my savings for the next load of block, it was right on the edge of happening, when today, the smell of steam and anti-freeze burst my bubble. Bittersweet as it was happening to me, I thought, I'm , in the city where I can find all I need, not out on the lonely road far from home as I was um, just 3 days ago, my trusty Ford Ranger bleed green and blew steam feeling every bit of its one-hundred and thirty eight THOUSAND miles of hard roads, highways, hood, and mountain paths. I limped gingerly into the little garage down the road from my place that I had mentally noted as the field hospital of choice for my little truck when it began to show signs of mortality, today was the day, we sadly eased into the place and shortly after I was shown the failing parts. The bill, not catastrophic, but a big blow.
The Ranger will rise again to its road warrior ranks, after some major surgery, a short rest and rear back into the battle. I owe her that for getting me home safe only days ago before it showed a wheeze of suffering. Now, the green that is leaking iare the funds from my meager savings to bring my trusty yellow truck back to its full strength, to face the angry masses on the highway of life, but, the blocks, that I was eying for tomorrow may have to wait another day, the Ying has brought me home, the Yang has punctuated the victory, I and rebuilding and I will carry on tomorrow, its only a minor setback, and I have rum in the liquor locker, things could be worse....

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