Wednesday woodworking...

I woke up about every hour or so Tuesday night. That's the trouble with letting people stay here. I can usually deal with the house feeling empty until after someone is here... then the loneliness is oppressive.

After some heavy-duty conferring with B___, lunch time was a quick meal and some serious missions. We went to Lowes and got two 50-pound bags of pea gravel (in the masonry section, if you are looking) and then to JoAnn Fabrics (or whatever it's called these days) for a Styrofoam imitation 1/2 whiskey barrel - smaller (important), cheaper and much more durable than the real thing.

On the way home, I had to stop at CVS to pick up some vitamins (I ran out yesterday). In case you are wondering, I take the Centrum Silver, which are recommended for people over 50. They have more of some things and less of others than the ones for everyone else.

When I got home, I raced out in front and took a picture of the bent post (as I said in a comment, it's a 4-inch galvanized pipe, buried in concrete). I tried this morning and no way can I bend it back. I keep wondering what the guy did to his truck! When I went out front, I went through the front door and found my mail, in between the storm door and the regular door (thanks, mail guy!) I checked my voicemail and had had a call from Lu at 4:45 PM, saying she was home and safe and thanks. One less thing to worry about!

Then I went out back and filled the bird feeder and suet cage, Next, I started a load of all the towels used by my visitors, the kitchen towels I'd used and my latest workout clothes. Finally I got to the garage.

I went up in the attic and got down two 2 x 4's. I marked a 1/4 inch piece of plywood with the outline of the bottom of the pretend barrel and cut it out with the saber saw. Then I got some pea gravel I already had (for the reflecting pool, remember?), made a pile in the place the temporary mail box will be and, in the fading light (with the aid of a flashlight to see the bubble) got it level front to back and side to side.

I had called the Post Office earlier and found a mail box needs to be 41 to 45 inches from the ground to the bottom of the mailbox, so I had a guide. So I cut two 2 x 4's to length, cut a 1 x 12 with the saber saw to fit in the curved bottom of the fake barrel and cut a board for the top to screw the mail box to. I assembled the boards, then added two pieces of 2 x 4's and some braces of 1 x 4's to the set up. See photos.

I screwed the mail box to the temporary post, then got out the remaining brown porch paint and painted it. I put the tub on the 1/4 inch plywood circle (after drilling numerous 1/4 inch holes for drainage in the tub, then using a magic marker to darken the Styrofoam), added the post/mail box assembly, took the top layer of heavy cement block edging stones from my old mailbox garden (its trashed, now), put them in the tub and then filled the tub with almost two bags of pea gravel. I don't think this sucker is gonna move at all!

I will take a picture and post it tomorrow when I get home, but it was after 8:00 PM when I finished tonight and so a picture in the dark would be useless.

I got cleaned up and it was already 8:30 PM. I put the towels, etc. in the dryer and went to warm up the catfish and wild rice for dinner. I watched TV until 10:00 PM, and then went to bed. Sorry Newt, but the mail must go through!