Working on a big canvas: 40 acres on Lookout Mountain, Alabama.


Purchase and Location

I bought this property in 2005 and named it Richmond Woods for my father who taught me about nature and respect for the wild. It's located in Alabama near the Alabama/Georgia state line. The small nearby village of Mentone, AL has been a mountain retreat for 150 years for people escaping the summer heat of Birmingham and Atlanta. My companion, Carolyn, has helped me every step of the way.

A Cottage in the Woods
When you were little, did someone read fairy tales to you? Invariably, there was mention of a cottage in the woods. Our plan is to build such a place: handmade, no architect plans, buying local materials or using salvaged materials. The purpose of this blog is to document our progress.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

My Workshop

Yes, well, I have been calling it the pole barn but since I have no animals or tractors, I will start calling it what it really is - My Workshop - (aka Man Cave).

Last November when I dug the holes for the main posts, I also dug the holes for the central floor supports. So, after 5 months, I had some cleanout to do. Also a little hole fitting to make sure the posts were well surrounded by concrete. Then I put a few inches of crushed limestone in the bottom of each hole and tamped it down. I pulled strings between the main posts to find the face plane and post height and measured across to find the center.


Each post was set and braced. For concrete, I used the crushed limestone that Chuck brought along with Portland cement (5:1).


 

Next week, I will begin the floor framing.

This week's mystery...Why do some flowers point up and others point down? I almost did not notice this pretty blossom hidden beneath its leaves.

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