Glenn's Underground Cabin Update

[glenn kangiser]

Yup - I had cleaned out pretty good but when this thing got going I got to thinking more about the extra space I wanted between tree tops and the grass down to the dirt etc.  I have places I didn't want it to spread to.   The north side is too steep for the cat so cleaned out three horizontal roads I had there.

If you haven't seen the video posted above look at it if you can and you will really want to clear out some brush.  I kept trees for landscape reasonably close to the cabin but made a 50 foot treetop clearance or so space all around that.  I also took out dead trees that were hear the shop.  After the fire gets there may be too late.

I heard of one person who some how got in with his wife after a friend called him--- fiddled around getting gas in his generator - it was empty - he was pouring gas as the sparks were falling.  The generator powered his pump - he was out of water- then they went around putting out small fires on their house with buckets of water.  Very scary.

[glenn kangiser]

Speaking of scary- Rhonda said she had a big devil's head in one of her pix in the cloud.  I told her that was weird as I did too.  If it wasn't him, it may have been his brother.

[glenn kangiser]

We hit more papers - Sierra Sun Times/Goldrushcam  (electronic local paper) -does the Yuma story.

http://www.goldrushcam.com/2008/mariposa%20news/mariposa_news%20305.htm

[PEG688]

This thread rocks Glenn    Good job. Cn't hurt John's plan sales either with more folks 'lookin in' to check out friends and family.

Who'd-a- thunk a big fire would bring all this on. 

[glenn kangiser]

Thanks, PEG.  It was just a nice easy meeting place for everyone involved in the type of country life and friends this forum is about.

It gave a view of what to expect - how to overcome obstacles and how to support your friends, take care of those who help you (and they will take care of you)...

I did the road trip thing for years - never quite made Yuma, but made Los Angeles, San Diego, the Bay area and Sacramento pretty much alternating every week installing roll bars on Cats.  I did make Yuma trucking a couple times in the early 80's.

I remember how nice it was to have friends I could rely on to help in emergency in those far away places.  Yuma is farther.  Yesterday I saw people from Wisconsin.  I couldn't take them all in and schedules wouldn't allow that, but it was nice to be able to do what I could to help make the stay of a few a little better.  Sometimes you have to jump on the opportunity when it arises or it will be gone.

[glenn kangiser]

One of my favorite Fire Choppers passes overhead  Sikorsky (EricksonAircrane later ?) Skycrane 8100 horsepower.

[jeanneschmidt]

Hi Glenn,

We will be there on the 16th.  Thom Rose who lives below us is in a wheelchair - maybe we can work out some plywood ramps so he can get around outside?  Let us know if you want us to bring up some lumber -- I think we may have some lying around.  Or perhaps we could do dessert and cards at their place in the evening. Any suggestions?

Jeanne & Bob

[glenn kangiser]

We will get him taken care of - I have half sheets of plywood we can lay out - and a nice flat area around the garden.  wouldn't want him to miss out.  Also Larry Arnold is in a wheel chair but gets around pretty well - I think he will be here also.  No problem. 

We're thinking mid morning until whenever at night.  Should be fun.  I hope to get a bunch of this place straightened up before then....but will it happen? hmm

Pretty well one hundred percent contained now I think with crews to watch for flareups - many hotspots yet out itn the middle... and road fixing etc. by the fire crews is supposed to take a bit too I heard.

[glenn kangiser]

We are doing a variation of the light duty concrete floor around the pool-- I compacted the clay with a half inch of sand or so on top of it.  I am expecting some settling on the fill but am not too worried about it.  The area is too dusty right now especially when the dogs come up.

I started with chicken wire over the compacted soil but soon switched to jute erosion control fabric.  I put the first 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch of mortar/stucco over the fabric tonight.  I added fibermesh for extra strength - hoping is is ready for the Fire Barbecue next week.   It will be used ready or not.  I'm hoping it will have a bit of flex to settle with the ground without breaking up.  Just did about 200 square feet tonight.

Just another crazy experiment.

[glenn kangiser]

Al Golub Telegraph Fire pix.

http://www.golubphoto.com/slides/Telegraph/

[John Raabe]

Great photos. I didn't realize that jets (DC-10) could be used on fires.

[glenn kangiser]

They are set up special for it.  They can't drop into the canyons as close but they are really awesome to watch.  I think they came out of LA area.

[glenn kangiser]

Work continues on Sassy's pool project -- the pool patio with the experimental floor getting it's second coat and some color today -- no pictures in case it's a failure.

[glenn kangiser]

OK - I took pix anyway --- good or bad.

I compacted the clay with my vibratory plate compactor - (Harbor freight - so far very good)--- in this case and eliminated the plunger piers as I have used previously.  I want this pool patio floor to slope away from the pool a slight bit and take the water down to the side without eroding the surface much.  I also want it to keep the dust down when the dogs get to horsing around by the pool.

Since the floor is only about 1/2 inch thick I added fibermesh to it - about 6.50 per pound. 



I am not really concerned about cracking as long as it remains reasonably smooth and together.  It is placed on dampened sand under jute erosion control netting.  The jute becomes the reinforcing  If over years the jute deteriorates, the concrete should be stronger and the fibermesh should hold it together.

The tiles were at the SPCA yard sale so they were legal for me to use for this project.



What do I think about it?



One heck of a lot of work for a dust free area using minimal materials and resources.



If I had a crew it wouldn't have been as bad but all I had for a crew was one old ornery Lithuanian and some dogs who were no help at all.



Phone pix - sorry about the quality --I was too burned out to go get a real camera.

[glenn kangiser]

A miner friend brought his wife over tonight to tour the complex and after that we did a little practice barbecue around the new pool area - steak, beans, fresh stewed tomatoes and ice cream for desert.

The new area seem to be working out just great.  We'll see how it goes when we get what I think will turn t to be the biggest group we have ever had here for the Telegraph Fire Party on the 16th.

OK - it was my idea but Sassy always seems to get me to do some work around here before these semi-major events.

[John Raabe]

Very nice patio slab Glenn...

I'm sure it was a lot of work but it has great character and an instant patina . (That's a good thing, I think.)

[PEG688]

Looks good  , that may work down there where it's dry most of the time. 

[apaknad]

hi glen,

i posted this earlier but it did not take. i was thinking it would be great if you could make this B_B_Q an annual thing so people from out of town and elsewheres could meet. i could come out early and help you set up. it would be cool to meet the forumites(?).

[glenn kangiser]

Very nice patio slab Glenn...

I'm sure it was a lot of work but it has great character and an instant patina . (That's a good thing, I think.)

Thanks, John. 

I like the way it came out - It i basically a flat stucco wall you can walk on - with the fibermesh and jute it has a bit of give but still stays together.  It may firm up a bit more in the next week.  The ground under it is currently a bit damp from spraying it down to keep from drying out the  mortar plaster too fast. 

I used bagged mortar mix on this for speed and freedom from dealing with rocks at the expense of being cheaper (18 sixty lb bags total).  I added about 1 shovel  Portland cement per 60 lb bag to make it stronger.

I put a coat of sealer over it yesterday to keep the color better and prevent water from passing through it and softening the substrate.

I used 3 colors - charcoal - brown and tan to keep earth tones that hopefully will not show as much dirt.  The mortar is plastered on like a stucco wall then the color sprinkled over the top and sprayed with water then troweled in lightly to smear the colors.  Learned the technique from my brother who used to work with his BIL on Bomanite stamped concrete.

[glenn kangiser]

Looks good  , that may work down there where it's dry most of the time. 

That factor did enter into the equation, PEG.  Part of the reason I did this this way was to cut down on the amount of rain that would soak into the fill under it.  Our clay actually stops a lot of the soaking itself as it seals off pretty well as the first foot or so gets damp. 

This stuff has an interesting feel to it.  Firm but a bit of give - like a concrete carpet.  On the projects I did in the house, we have never broken through it.  I didn't use the plunger piers as I want it to follow the ground as it settles but from many years of experience here I dont expect it to settle more than about 1/2 to 1 inch - especially as I have drained it well and compacted it pretty good dry.  I didn't have enough water to compact it wet.

We'll know in a year or so - that's the cool thing about experiments-- delayed failure.   I don't really expect problems and it is easy to repair.

[glenn kangiser]

hi glen,

i posted this earlier but it did not take. i was thinking it would be great if you could make this B_B_Q an annual thing so people from out of town and elsewheres could meet. i could come out early and help you set up. it would be cool to meet the forumites(?).

That is a good idea.  I hadn't thought about it, but it could raise awareness especially since this fire occurred early in the season- maybe move it up a little for that reason, and I do have to work around Sassy's work schedule.

It is open to forum members and friends of friends of the fire - quite a few forum members will be here- so it could get big hence the potluck idea - one dish per family so if more show there will be more food for all.

I have purposely not supplied alcohol for liability purposes - the local sheriff's are known to sit and watch parties and bars to catch the ones who they can write a ticket.  Hopefully if some bring their own they will be responsible and I still didn't supply it.  Due to my dealings with the sheriff durng the start of the fire they may not be the most Glenn friendly people in the world --- and then again they may view it as all in a days work.  For the most part they did a great job and I am sure they prevented some loss of life and many problems.  I just prefer not to  be a dependent of the state.

I feel the community does need to know each other.  This is the only way they can help each other in times of emergency, and just because I haven't met someone, it doesn't mean that they are not worth knowing and helping or receiving help from.

[glenn kangiser]

Response to the Telegraph Fire Party this Saturday is overwhelming.  It seems everyone is interested.

I just met a great new neighbor and her granddaughter today who is interested in coming.  They came back after the fire passed - sheriff escorted them in then told them to leave.  They said they would stay as everyone else was returning - official blessing of the public servant authorities had not yet been passed though.  The sheriff was miffed to say the least - pointed his finger gun (made with his hand ) at the grand daughter - clicked his finger trigger  at her and told her he would get her.  She gave him a finger back and he left. 

The grandmother described it as Badge Fever I believe. Hope I got all of that right - failed to take notes so going from memory.

See - It was not just my paranoia -- it was real and it was rampant.

If they don't make it, I promised to check in on them occasionally and gave them my contact numbers. 

[glenn kangiser]

I like this -- helping the state take care of us by helping ourselves and our neighbors-- what do you think about it?

http://www.constitution.org/col/5508_col.htm

[ScottA]

Great ideals Glenn. IMO the OKC bombing was a mini 9/11 to kill the militia movment that was taking hold back then. It worked very well as the movment quickly went underground.

[Redoverfarm]

Glenn all I can say is tht you have a bunch of as*&%#*^ for police officers.  Must be that it is in CA.  I would have sent mine down the road clapping their hands if I ever got a complaint like those.