9/12/19
(Above: Fastened and caulked trim around the kitchen counter within Jacobhouse.)
Building Summary: Today’s morning activities at Jacobhouse consisted primarily of more rat control / prevention measures. I checked the bait I placed outdoors yesterday, and found that it had been moved. As for the inside, I found evidence of movement around the utility hole – namely a strand of brown grass moved at least seven inches from its prior position. The only positive aspect of all this was that there was no evidence of incursion (no new material brought in from outside). Nevertheless, I took a hefty bit of spare hardware cloth and silicone caulking and through the combination of those two materials, fortified any weak points on the underside of Jacobhouse.
To finish off the morning, Padre helped me make plans in regard to trimming / finishing the bathroom’s pocket door. We determined that on the west side I would utilize a turquoise-painted (and aluminum-trimmed 2×4*) as a spacer, while on the right, I would simply use a couple pieces of thinner trim** to cover the pocket’s rough opening. The top will be trimmed with the same 2″ aluminum angle stock as the west side, while the base will be trimmed with 3/4″ angle stock and painted turquoise or lined with aluminum flashing.
(7:35 PM Update): This afternoon, I riveted and caulked trim along kitchen counter’s postern side, keeping the bead neat via liberal use of glass cleaner. By spraying the bead on the caulking and in its general vicinity, I prevented smearing, and I was able to push the caulk beneath the aluminum angle-stock with a gloved finger.
TIL: Today’s selected learning came from a little bit of research I needed to do for my American History Class’s documentary review.
The Trefa (Not-Kosher) Banquet, a feast held by Rabbi Isaac Wise in celebration of his college’s first Rabbi ordination, was not planned to spite those who would oppose Reformed Judaism. Isaac Wise, after all, intended to unify the reformers and the orthodox Jewish adherents – not alienate the latter. No one truly knows why Little-neck Clams and Shrimp were served at the celebratory banquet, though some people do theorize that the Radical Reform Judaism leader, David Einhorn, or his associated party may have had something to do with it, for they did not want anything to do with the traditional methodologies.
More info on that bit of historical mischief can be found here. What is said here can be backed up by The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America by Bruce Kraig.
Commentary: Last year around this time, I spent about a week’s worth of mornings crawling around under the front porch of Jacobhouse in the name of positioning and leveling the deck atop its multiple support posts. This year, I’m performing a similar and equally uncomfortable activity: crawling around on hands and knees under the front end of Jacobhouse in the name of rodent-proofing my soon-to-be abode. I will state, however, that I’ve been much more careful this time around when it comes to navigating my skull around the deck’s multiple ridges (no skull bashes this time around), so at least I have that going for me.
As for highlights, I believe I’ll have to wait and see if there is anything in the afternoon update, for at the moment, my mind is still fresh with images of caulking covered gloves being stabbed through by hardware cloth and with the odiferous stench of rat musk emanating from the opened utility hole.
western edge.
(7:35 PM Update): There is indeed a proper highlight for today. Despite all the disheartening rat shenanigans this morning, I was able to actually get something done at Jacobhouse today, and even better, that ‘something’ looks quite superb.
Final Note: Tomorrow I will continue with rat-monitoring. Also, (if it is not accomplished this afternoon) I will endeavor to fasten/caulk the already-cut trim at the kitchen counter’s postern side. (7:35 PM Update): I’ll likely begin the sliding barn door experiment tomorrow; I already pulled the hardware out of its box today. It looks like the wheel may be forgiving enough for a curved track, but I must see if we have the means of producing that curve. I’m sure we do have the capability of bending the iron, but to make a perfect curve, I may need to find some sort of surface to mold it to.
*2-inch aluminum angle stock.
** 3/4″ aluminum angle stock.