Porcupine Valley Builders Association

[Captain Mike]

My personal opinion leans to the all wood, but that's because I love old, weathered wood.
But my realistic side jumps in and says the crosswalk and the horizontal stair landing should be concrete for the needed stength.
The old, weathered stairs and vertical wood sides would still go great with the concrete floors.

When Toivo and Eino were looking up the meaning of ambience, they also studied up on some new construction methods. Just hope
they paid attention to the part about how to reinforce the concrete floors!

Wouldn't hurt to have some heavy timber beams under the crosswalk, too. That wet, mucky concrete gets heavy before it cures!

Great comments and shows your mind is working in overdrive. In the case of the concrete surface in the walkway, maybe you missed when the Porcupine Valley Police had the street blocked off for a month while a support structure was under the walkway for the forms for the concrete pour and the 21 day curing period. You also would have been able to see the large cables and the rerod that was like a checker board in there. On the other hand, if T&E wanted to keep the rustic look, they could, as you say, add needed support beams below the cross walk, at a loss of some clearance height but it would be a good trade off. Right now it is at 24' and losing say 4' surely would work for any truck and load wanting to pass under. Even if it didn't, the truck could be bypassing in through the parking lot to get pass the crosswalk. T&E most likely will draw some new support plan up on a napkin during happy hour this afternoon. Thank you for your input and you can take credit for making a positive change in this world. I don't know how many people will bend down to check that out, but you, me and Toivo and Eino will know it was done right, well their way anyway. I thought we might get a comment about all the different wood patterns used to build this, but maybe everybody understands how these guys build things with what ever material they have laying around. At least they didn't cover it with tar paper like the bunk houses they built. They had a drawing I saw with a roof built above this all, but they claim they lost that napkin someplace. But maybe they will find it again if the whole thing will remain made out of wood . . . they like doing shake roofs.

[Captain Mike]

Well the weekend is about over and I'm ready to call it a day. Got two major projects done that were on the top of my "To Do" list. The base for the log pond is complete and the next stage is to fill in a bit of it to attach the rail line to the log dump. Then seal it up good and start with the planking and beams for the retaining walls of the pond. Then the pond lighting and the wooden walkway all around it. Sounds like more than just next weekends work. The other project was to get the track laid that runs under "The Last Resort", so I can keep going on that area as well. That's it folks . . . the end of show and tell for today.

[rebel]

Looking good Capt.!

[Captain Mike]

The log pond got smaller and that is a good thing. . . less fake water to pour in. The goal was achieved, which was filling part of the pond to run the rail line to the log dump. There is just enough length there to make the connection and build in a rise of one inch as it comes to the log dump. So now the pond is fully ready to be sealed up, painted and then Toivo and Eino can start building their planking and beam side wall retainer. As one might notice, there is not much wasted space around the saw mill and I was worried I might need a shoe horn to get it in there. It is sitting in the exact spot that it has to be in for everything else that is happening around it. There is still one track that runs part way up the other side of the saw mill to be laid yet and then we will be done with about 90% of the track plan.

[gnatshop]

Cap'n, the sawmill owners were smart not to waste any land around it. Property values aren't going to go anything but rise as Porcupine Vallley
becomes a popular destinuation.

Toivo and Eino are under the gun now - they need to get the side-wall built before the water pours in and they end up in water up to their gonads!
Waiting to see if they waste too much time at the local suds market and end up building the side wall while standing in waist deep water.

[Captain Mike]

Toivo and Eino had a real ball today playing in the mud while lining the log pond. They see this as doubling as the Porcupine Valley swimming pool and they are even talking about stocking it with fish and making the valley a sporting paradise. Maybe if they get a bunch of photos taken before the pond gets loaded with floating logs, they might have some good shots for the tourist flier they are talking about having printed up to suck in people to come and blow some money here. When "The Last Resort" opens up, they will need all the help they can get to get people to come and stay there. Anyway, today they splish splashed around in the pond and sealed the pond area with a mixture of "O" scale cement and headed to the bar in time for happy hour. Even these guys are smart enough to not just stand there and watch cement dry or let beer get warm either for that matter.

[GregoryDeMayo]

Mike:

The pond area is looking good and I love the idea the the boys have to suck in the tourists with the pond. Maybe they can bill the log filled pond as an "E" ticket ride, like Big Thunder Mountain at Disney.

If they need any help with their marketing, I'm sure we have some people around here that know how to attract tourists and separate them from their money.

Is that a dinosaur in photo Pond3 used for yard switching or log moving? I would think he is a bit to slow to be out on the mainline!

Great progress, I'm looking forward to seeing the completed pond.

[rebel]

I have an idea!!!! Maybe you could have your scale cronies selling pond scum in mason jars at a shack at a road, touting its medicinal properties.

[Captain Mike]

I have an idea!!!! Maybe you could have your scale cronies selling pond scum in mason jars at a shack at a road, touting its medicinal properties.

Now Rebel . . . I got to hand it to you, that's the best idea you have put forth yet in your comments on the PV. That has great possibilities. Here is your chance to provide good information for this project. I would like to have my cake and eat it too, as they say. The pond in very deep, which calls for a dark color on the pond bottom, but I also want the pale greenish scum for the surface and floating bark and stuff. Any ideas will help.

Greg - your turn . . . Maybe we could turn the Log Jack Slip into a Ride up into the mill and the Log Dump into another Ride on the logs sliding down into the pond. The item you are calling a dinosaur is actually the Loch Ness Monster that Toivo and Eino captured alive and shipped it in for the pond. It is a shame that guests will only get to see the head and some of the long neck as it pops up from it's home at the bottom of the pond. It is a really deep pond because the guys used this area to gather fill material for all the areas that needed it in the valley. If you didn't know for sure, you what having thought they were involved in open pit mining and they would have been, if they had found anything worth mining as they kept digging it out. The only thing I have not come up with yet, is the perfect workboat for the pond logging crew and a boat for the Lifesaving Crew that I have their station house built for the waters edge but still looking for the right row boat, with many oar stations. It will be sitting on a marine railway from the boathouse to the water and be ready for launching if needed. Toivo and Eino have set up the all volunteer Life Saving Crews for around the clock duty, except during Happy Hours the service is shut down.

[GregoryDeMayo]

Mike:

Sounds like a plan. The kiddies will love it, but the parents will probably want to sue.

Better tell the boys to get a good bottom feeding shyster on retainer!