Category Archives: House

Half a Page of Scribbled Lines

I have come to know that I am very motivated by music.  When I start my days I usually listen to music and drink coffee before getting started on whatever project or goal I have set for the day.  One of these tunes that pops up every so often is the song Time by Pink Floyd.

And then one day you find ten years have got behind you.
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.

The song to me is about a lifetime and what we may want to accomplish before a our life slips past.  This idea has been important to us in general; we didn’t want our working lives to take up the entirety of our adulthood.  Not that we didn’t enjoy a lot of different aspects of it or that it wasn’t beneficial to us, but we had written down some goals.  Some scribbled lines… and that is what brought us to Puerto Rico.

Every year is getting shorter; never seem to find the time.
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines

The scribbling of lines has continued!

Before we begin a large undertaking we write stuff down.  We make plans, we figure, we think and we try to create in our minds as accurate of a picture we can of what we want to create.  This is important because we have found out that being as specific as possible helps to manifest our dreams into reality.  We just completed the major part of the bridge and staircase leading up to the cabin and I wanted to show the drawings and the nearly finished product.

Drawing 2Full length bridge
Scribbled out Bridge Plans                                  Actual Bridge

We had even laid out some plans for the staircase on the other side, which we just completed a few days ago.  When I looked back at our idea book it was pretty similar!

Drawing 1Concrete Stairs
Bridge and staircase between Palms                 Actual Bridge and Staircase Different Angle

These were not easy challenges to accomplish.  It required leveraging both human and material resources. I hired some help for digging the footers and making the forms.  We used leftover wood from the wood house for 50% of the bridge and for making all of the concrete forms.  The wood house we took down has turned out to be a tremendous resource!

The concrete steps probably have more time left in them than my body does.

garden path
Path that leads to the Cabin

We continue to put trees and plants in the ground as much as we can because they also will require time.  It can take many years for even a grafted fruit tree to produce and we want to work with time in that regard.  Contrast this with our previous jobs where we felt we were working against time; when is the next vacation, what time do I get off?

Our lives are going to be over at some point regardless of anything, but we get to choose how we spend our time.  If we enjoy something we try to expand upon it and utilize time as one of our resources instead of something to dread and count down the moments until we reach the finish line.  It is also tough because one never knows when their time is going to be over, or when we may not be able to physically do the things we are doing any longer.  Both Cassie’s dad and my mom died earlier than anyone expected.  It has helped us to realize that all of this is fleeting and you’d better get out there and do what you can!

Your time is a personal thing.  Are you using it the way you want to?

And with that;
The time is gone, this song(post) is over
Thought I had something more to say……

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Crossing that Bridge When We Get There

This week Britton put on the last few boards that connected one side of the bridge to the other.

Bridge and Palm tree
Little Britton, big bridge and huge Royal Palm tree

We have been enjoying going across it, walking on it like a catwalk, swinging our legs over the edge, laying down feet to feet or head to head looking up at the birds, bugs, and iguanas in the trees.

Full length bridge
Full length of the bridge

Bridge and stairs
On the catwalk, yah!

It’s not totally done, but it is useable/walkable now. We still need to add some other bolts to it, put on some handrails and about 10 more feet to make the transition onto the bridge feel seamless. Then we need to put in rebar and pour the concrete steps to make the full connection all the way to the cabin.

Looking down at the bridge
Britton had to re-do a few of the stair molds because they weren’t regular rise and run

Compared to going down into quebrada and climbing back up, crossing the bridge feels like floating.

House and Bridge
Bridge, curving steps and cabin

We love our little cabin hideaway in the woods and this bridge makes it even more fun. We have already started talking about what we can put below it. A tilapia pond? A small waterfall? Koi? Ducks? Tropical water lilies? Or all of the above. There is just so much potential with this property and this bridge is another step to helping us unlock even more.

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Bridge Rails and Planks

The next phase to the bridge was to put on the 2×8 rail boards. Once these boards were placed we were able to start finding 2x4s that would work for the planks. Most of this whole bridge was built using scrap lumber that we still have around from the old wooden house. We used up nearly all of the 2x6s on the deck and roofing for the house, but we still have LOTS of other sizes and types of wood. So it is nice to be able to clear out some more to use on this bridge.

Cassie Bridge
Looking down the line of the bridge -ready for the decking planks

 

Cabin and bridge
Cabin and bridge through the trees

Lately it has been raining pretty heavy so there has been a light stream flowing under the bridge. It has also made the slopes really slippery. A good reminder why we decided to build this bridge in the first place.

Bridge rails
Future 75 foot long foot bridge over an intermittent creek (the quebrada)

Bridge planks
Adding the planks

It’s really starting to look like a bridge now!

In other news, check out this gorgeous canna. These flowers are always in bloom and spread like crazy. One of my favorite tropical bulbs/flowers. Even their foliage is beautiful.

Canna
Canna Lily and Royal Palm

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Bridge Progress: Posts and Stairs

Slowly but surely the bridge is starting to take shape. It’s kind of cool to see it all come together. The posts are up and now they are working on the steps up to the platform.  Once it is all connected it will make going to the cabin so much easier.

Bridge progress
Tito Puente posts are set

Stairs and bridge
Making the forms for the steps up

Life is moving right along at a good clip, but we still try to stop and enjoy the sunsets too.

Sunset 2
A walk at sunset on Sandy Beach

 

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