To kill some time, I tackled a small project that has needed my attention for some time. Last year, I dug out an area around our mailbox, surrounded it with edger stones, laid in landscape fabric, and filled it with red cedar decorative stones. For the most part, the landscape fabric has done a good job of keeping it weed free; however, I recently noticed a few weeds trying to establish territory within the stone landscape. So while the temperatures still were fairly cool, I ventured out with gardening tools, gloves, and a couple small buckets. I removed a quarter of the stones at one time, pulled all of the weeds, and then redistributed the stones. I now have a weed-free "garden" around the mailbox post. I actually set up the barrier so our landscape service would not weed-whack my painted metal mailbox post. The post has held up well, and the occasional weeding keeps me out of mischief. Mission accomplished.
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| The old electrical box left a hole in the wall. |
Just as I was completing that task, Andy drove up with a huge plastering truck. We needed to have the wall at the back of the garage filled in where the former electrical service and cable boxes once hung. Rick had spent time chipping out the majority of uneven stucco, but adding new stucco is something best left to the professionals... especially when the job entailed the amount of area of wall that we needed covered.
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| Andy starts by cutting away excess stucco around the area that needed patching. |
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| Andy worked his way down the wall with a loose mixture. |
When I spoke to Andy yesterday, he said that he would come today to give us an estimate. I hoped that his bid would come in between $200 - $300, but I was prepared to go higher, if need be. Andy arrived on time, took one look at the wall, and scribbled out a bid for $125! Sold!!! Rick and I were both ecstatic about the price. Rick asked him when he could do the work, and he replied, "How about now?" He came with his equipment, and he was ready to work.
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| Andy is not a very tall man, so he came prepared with platform-step ladders. |
A little history. We hired Andy a few years ago when we needed the wall built around our new double-wide front doors. At that time, Andy also patched a bit of wall next to the porch. He was quick, efficient, and reasonably priced. He also has worked with stucco for over 30 years, so he does an excellent job. We were a little concerned back then because Andy is not a spring chicken. Let's just say that his decade of the 60's and probably the 70's are in the past. When I called him yesterday, I was not sure he was still working.
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| He completed the top part of the wall as the sun started to fade to shadow. |
However, he showed up this morning with a spring in his step and an eagerness to work. We both figure he has to be in his early 80's. We watched him carefully as he climbed up on ladders. He was slow but methodical. He took about two and a half hours to complete the job, but in the end, we have a beautifully patched wall. He also filled in a couple of small holes on the Florida room wall where we removed a wire. We are happy with the results, and he was happy to have a little work to do.
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| Andy stuccoed the small holes from the wire. |
Andy told us that we should wait a week for the wall to cure. Then we can paint it with a stucco sealer, a primer, and two coats of latex paint. In the end, we will have a wall that will not bear the scars of the pipes and boxes that once created an eyesore as we sat on our patio.
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| When he was taking a break, I told Andy to pose for this picture in front of a job well done. |
After Andy left and we had some lunch, Rick started to rake some of the leaves in the back yard. I noticed a tree service truck stop by our house. The next thing I knew, Rick and a tree service man were in the back yard. Apparently Duke Energy is sending around crews to trim the trees from the lines again. We do not have too many in our back yard, but since Rick threw out the crew that came a few years back, we were on their list of people to talk to about the upcoming service. Rick let them know that we were concerned about our fence and about a dead tree limb that threatens to take down both our and the neighbor's electrical service. The man assured us that they would be careful with our fence and would remove the dead limb. We'll see.
For now, that puts a hold once again on our plans to lay out a shed foundation. We want the front sidewalk complete and the tree trimming in the back yard done. Then what we do in our back yard is our business.
Each day we do a little more, and in the end we will have a house that we can relax in and enjoy. Andy helped us toward that goal today. One step at a time. Isn't that what living in Florida is about?
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