Aerial Work
I really can’t give details about this one. As seen from the intersection of Mulberry and Vine Street.
Scott Street
Photographed this freshly renovated, massive house on Scott Street today for a listing.
Final Pool of the Season
Taking a break from deck progress to go back to the previous trend: pool photography. I shot my last pool of the season today.
We got the railing installed and the deck is done. I plan to photograph it properly once I get a chance, but honestly, I need a couple of days to focus on other things.
Almost There
A shot of the balcony with new framing done, decking done, and supports freshly painted. I won’t paint the new framing until later this year so the wood has time to dry out. Railing goes on tomorrow.
In-Process
My last few days have felt like nothing but construction. We got the decking affixed to the new balcony between intermittent pop-up storms, and all that’s left now is the railing. It took all day to finish.
Before I began working on the decking, though, I had to run out to the west side to photograph a construction site for a client. I used the drone to get higher up than normal for the interior photos. Having spent so long doing construction on my own house. I took a moment to appreciate how difficult this must’ve been for the guys who put it up. Of course, they have a whole team instead of just two dudes.
Truck Stuff
The Santa Cruz has a four-foot bed that extends to five feet with the tailgate down. Today I learned I can haul a 12-foot beam if I use the eight-footer as a support. This was a huge revelation as I didn’t think I could ever get anything into the back bed of this truck longer than eight feet. long.
Anyway, today we spent the day building the frame and getting it situated on the support joists. It was a helluva process, but it’s done. Going to lay the decking tomorrow and hopefully finish this thing up in the next two days.
New Plan
Well, the framing I spent so long carefully demoing around the other day ended up not being usable after closer inspection. I’ll head to the hardware store tomorrow to get a bunch of new wood to re-frame it. For now, we have scabs in place to keep the supports from wobbling while they stand loosely in the air.
Working 10+ feet off the ground is difficult. Getting those boards up in the air and affixed to everything is going to be a challenge I haven’t personally attempted before. Nothing about the house is square or level, either, which only adds to the difficulty.
Farewell, Mario
Mario is headed out to Illinois for a while for a job. He’s been a barista at Unataza for a long time, and as such, I consider him a friend. I’m going to miss seeing him every week, but I’m happy to see him chase a new endeavor that will hopefully help him accomplish his goals.
Careful Demo
I’ve had a second-floor balcony off my office since we moved into the house. I rarely use it, though, due to its condition; the flooring is splintered and weathered, the railing is a mess, and the paint over all of it is peeling. It’s not a pleasant place to hang out, to be honest.
Later this week, though, I will be refinishing it with my father-in-law’s help. To prep for that, I need to demolish parts of it so we can begin refinishing it when he gets into town, but I can’t just knock the whole thing down. Everything has to be carefully removed to preserve the framing beneath.
While I think the wood framing is salvageable, there’s a chance I will have to rebuild it. The support joists are okay, so I won’t have to worry about that part of it, thankfully.
My dad came over to help me surgically demolish what we could. It took eight and a half hours to remove the decking, electrical, and railing. By the end of the evening, I was dirty and sore, but I feel like I’m in a good place to start the rebuild on Thursday.
Do the Flowers Match the Door?
Yes.
Judy’s Cameras
The realtor who is going to sell Judy’s house has the unfortunate task of cleaning it out. As such, a large amount of Judy’s things are going to be donated. I offered to photograph the house for the listing for free as a way to honor Judy and help out however I can, so I went over to introduce myself to the realtor while she was there.
Before I left, she asked me if I wanted a box tote of old cameras Judy had. Of course I said ‘yes’ and took them off her hands.
When I got them home, I sorted through the box to see what she had. Among them was this Pentax Spotmatic F. It was dirty and looked like it hadn’t been used in decades, so I proceeded to give it a thorough cleaning. Once I replace the battery, I will run a roll through it.
Justin and Max
I filmed an uphill novelty race this morning and then went over to Annie and Justin’s later for a chill 4th of July hang. Max, their rescue dog, is a temperamental pup who will most likely bite you if you touch him despite how adorable he is.
Participation Trophy
I don’t know how much this little barrier is really doing for the street, but I appreciate that it showed up regardless.
Stops 4 Signs
While in Lancaster, I pulled over to photograph this excellent sign for a shopping center.
The Yard
Went to Louisville for work today. This residential building hosts several Airbnbs, and I photographed them for the management company. They needed some exteriors for the listing, and I was able to get a nice shot of the entire building with the Louisville skyline as the backdrop.
Sweltering
Is this the hottest day of the year? I don’t know, but it sure felt like it. Photographed two apartment complexes up in Dayton, OH today for Rookwood, and I could barely stand to be outside for more than five minutes at a time. I kept having to retreat to my truck to take an AC break while doing the exteriors.
Staying Safe
My quest to photograph pools for Rookwood continued today. However, this one was different.
When I got there, the manager informed me that they had just sprayed for hornets by the entry gate to the pool area and it wasn’t a good idea to attempt to enter during their furious state. I agreed, but needed to get this job done so I could move on with my day. Luckily, I had an unmanned flying vehicle equipped with a camera that could safely do the work for me.
I launched from a nearby sidewalk and dropped it into the space. It allowed me to capture what I needed from afar without risking getting stung. This photo, while it looks like I took it normally from the ground, is just a drone shot from about four feet off the ground.
Tech can, on occasion, delight me in brand new ways. This was one of those instances.
Burger Farm
Went to Burger Farm and couldn’t pass up this photo op by the old truck. Also, I brought my Contax RX and shot a couple of frames of butterflies on flowers while there. Very excited to see if those turned out well once I finish the roll.
Craft Hour
I made some wooden coasters out of scrap wood, painted them in layers of waterproof paint, and we got out the acrylics to paint designs on them for fun.
Almost a Goosebumps Cover
All this needs is a purple monster hand rounding the edge of the door before it’s spiritually a Tim Jacobus Goosebumps cover.