Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Spring Reset

Finally: a day with no rain! Goal: get some momentum going with the JayBee project.

Not so fast. During the last few weeks of winter, I noticed that the JayBee was pivoting on its cinderblock foundation posts. This post is leaning into the hillside...


...and this post is leaning away from the hillside.


The tongue--obviously having shifted significantly left here--shows that the JayBee is pivoting.


I didn't think it was too bad because this other post has remained straight. Until I looked up under the JayBee today--and found out that only a tiny bit of the trailer frame is still sitting on the back corner of the post.


Goodness! I can't be running in and out of the JayBee when it's in this precarious position. The solution is not jumping out at me. I hope I think of something...  by tomorrow.

In the meantime, there are other issues...

Remember how I removed an old nest from the bathroom vent a few weeks ago? Today I went to install a nest arrestor on the vent. Look what I found (see photo below)? Arrgh! The momma bird was very unhappy with me even though I stood there only a few minutes. She's quite busy coming and going. At least this nest isn't right outside the front door. I think I can leave momma alone for this baby-raising season and still get construction work done.

Looking at this picture reminds me that this bathroom vent poses another problem as well. I learned while watching This Old House last weekend that a bathroom vent that shoots out air right under soffit vents will allow warm moist air to be sucked up under the roof, which will cause mold to form under the roof. Nice! Gotta find a solution for this problem, too.


One or more birds have been messing with the nest arrestor that sits on top of the vent for the air exchanger. No nest behind there yet but the other side of the nest arrestor...


...is covered in bird sh__--er, droppings--illustrating just how much time someone has spent fluttering around up there.


Before the snow flew late last year, I installed this tarp over the portable garage I use for construction storage. I thought it was a good preventative measure, since the tarp was beginning to tear at both ends of the seam that runs along the top ridge. Good thinking because...


When I went inside the portable garage today, I discovered that the entire top seam has let go. Yikes! Major repair job required.



Not a fun start to the building season. Lots of problems to solve.


We have had a lot of flood tides this spring. Fast moving, very full river.




I've been keeping an eye on the eagle nest up in the top of these trees. Haven't caught anyone moving in yet.



George is enjoying his spring.






See the theme? George is only looking up in some of the shots because I woke him up while taking the photos. In other words, pretty much all he is doing is sleeping and baking in the sun--in one spot or another.