Finally the Cement Pour Phase
The big day was March 12. Late season snow and heavy rains had put all PNW cement projects on hold. We got in the queue for a truck load and with luck the weather held for the pour.
Wayne brought in Will from a temporary help company. Until now I had prided myself in being the "muscle" on this project. After I saw what working with cement entailed, I was more than relieved to just sit back with a camera and margarita.
After using the heavy gravel tamping machine, the boards were put in to control the boundary of the cement. The retaining wall boulders were going to be cemented in but Wayne wanted a slight slope away from them.
Wayne and Will slogged through several inches of rock filled, wet cement as they drug 7 cubic yards of the heavy, sucking stuff uphill to the top of the drive.
Once that was completed, the remaining 3.5 cubic yards were unloaded on the lower portion.
Luckily the carport roof was high enough to accommodate the cement truck or it would have been wheel barrow time.
The first smoothing was complete when company accidentally let Trask out of the house.
He gleefully jumped from the yard, over the retaining and, plop with all four feet landing squarely in the cement. He sunk to the elbows as he wallowed about to get out of there. I rushed to get to water so I could get the cement off him to prevent further spreading and keep him from being burned with the lime. I could not let go of him to take pictures of him with cement coated legs but his tracks are now a permanent fixture on the old patio.
It took Wayne and Will about 45 minutes to fill in the paw sink holes and re-smooth the drive.
Then came the removal of the boards and filling in the area around each boulder.
Several other types of smoothing passes were taken with different grades of trowels and brushes. I have always wanted to put my hand prints and name in a cement project and really wanted Dave's in this project. We couldn't figure out how to hover Dave so we could get his hand prints. Wayne suggested foot prints of Dave stepping out into the world.
Way Cool!
Our names are splatted in cement. 👌
Cement waits for no one. Wayne finished the final "shinning" at 2216 by moon and starlight.
The saga continues...
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