Feb 18, 2010

Well, after four days we have most of a wall.
The first 18 feet of the wall is an arc and is five feet tall.  This is the first two courses of block in that portion.

 

I took this picture of the same area later in the day.   The crew consists of David, the boss and the mason.  He has two laborers, Nicholas and Francisco.  

Nicholas is an experienced stucco guy and Francisco mixes the cement and does the moving and stacking of materials.

I'm fairly sure that they are both here illegally.  Nicolas doesn't say much and seems wary.  Francisco on the other hand, is outgoing.  He told me that he has lived here four years and has a wife and children in Mexico.   He is going home in October for a visit and would like to bring his family here.

Francisco's story is one he shares with hundreds of thousands of Mexican men working in the US.  They live a meager existence and send much of their earnings home to their families. 



This is looking in through the opening for the gate.  They were supposed to build the columns for the gate today, but David took off and never came back, so I guess that is now on for tomorrow.




Nicholas is applying the second coat of stucco to the wall.  The final coat will match the new stucco to the house's finish and then it will be ready for paint.

I can't wait for them to finish the wal so that they will get rid of the giant pile of junk in the yard.  Oh, for the old days when the yard looked like a dump, instead of being a dump.

Things in this blog represented to be fact, may or may not actually be true. The writer is frequently wrong, sometimes just full of it, but always judgmental and cranky

9 comments:

Megan said...

Is it just me, or can anyone else not get Pink Floyd out of their head?

a. said...

It looks hot there.

Merle Sneed said...

Annie, it was in the low 70s yesterday. Perfect weather.

The Bug said...

Well, I didn't have Pink Floyd in there until you mentioned it Megan - ha! It's still early in the day here in Ohio...

I'm enjoying the "process" pictures - that will make the final shot even more fun.

Barbara said...

At least you don't have to worry about them messing up the grass! I love the simplicity of Tucson yards. It's still beyond me why anyone builds a golf course in the desert!

The wall seems to be coming along nicely. I'm glad you are contributing to those two guys' meager income. At least they are not standing around every day waiting to be hired.

Pix E. said...

I love house and garden projects.

Kurt said...

This will keep out the proletariat.

Reya Mellicker said...

Very cool watching this courtyard take shape. I hope after it's done there will be pics of you and Mrs. Sneed lounging with cool beverages out there, yes?

Merle Sneed said...

Kurt, we've met the proletariat and they are us.