Update on the new house construction

Construction vehicles

We’ve had lots of activity all over the street this week.  The garage doors arrived and are now on the house.  That happened yesterday.  After all the whistles and bells the rest of this house is getting, these doors are a disappointment.  I didn’t expect anything so plain.

 Garage doors installed on new house

 Cement truck in front of the house all day

Today cement trucks were waiting in line to do the pool job.  We had one sitting in front of the house all day, running with no one in it.  Those things are very loud and we had the windows open today.  Once confronted, the driver told us it was broken down and he was waiting for a repairman to arrive.  What a bunch of BS.  No technician ever showed up and he moved the truck when he got ready to.  It makes me wonder about people.

Pool

Pool - Jacuzzi on far end

It took all day to pour this pool.  We had a heavy thunderstorm last night and it poured for about two hours.  I’m sure they had to pump the hole first because water’s been standing in one end since they dug it out a couple of weeks ago.  I’m wondering what will happen to this pool down the road with the underground stream there, but I guess it’s none of my business.

I haven’t seen the owners yet, but I think this house is a month or so from being completed.

Construction workers vehicles are everywhere

Workers

Work is continuing on the house two lots down.  There must have been eight or nine different vehicles lining the roadside today.  Recently we saw the tile delivered, the color cote for the stucco outside, and work on the roof tiles and stone in front going on.  We walk down there a couple of times a week and look at the progress.

The stucco will be dark brown

 This is where the pool goes.  Look at all the water.

They dug the pool a week or so ago and the hole is filled with water, lots of water from the underground stream running through there.  I guess they’ll have to pump it out to pour the concrete for the pool.  I’m wondering how all this will turn out later because the water will be a permanent thing under there unless they install some sort of pump to continuously get rid of it.

 This is the tile

The tile is like what we have in our house, only lighter.  About half of that’s in.  They delivered the cabinets over the weekend.  They’re dark brown, a nice contrast to the lighter tile, but not a color I would pick.

 Some of the cabinets

When we got up today, there was a white contractor truck with trailer attached blocking our walkway and more importantly, the for sale sign.  My husband went out to take care of that.  Naturally, the contractor wasn’t pleased but he did move his vehicle.  That started the day on a sour note.

Construction goes on two doors down

We hear beep, beep, beep all day as the earth-movers shove dirt around on the vacant lot two doors down.  I guess this is better than the hammers and saws we’ll hear soon.  The cats are fascinated though, by all the action over there, so it keeps the little rascals occupied part of the day.

 Lot Excavation

 Lot Excavation

 

I’m not so sure I’d want my house built there because there’s an underground stream they filled in when they built this subdivision years ago.  Our house doesn’t sit on it, but it’s under the lots next door and it crosses the street running under my neighbor’s house and meandering through the neighborhood.

 Lot Excavation

My husband tried to tell the builder who pooh-poohed him off until they hit running water about eight feet down.  He had to change his strategy, so now they’re bringing in loads of rock to beef-up the building pad.

The owner wants a pool.  This isn’t a good idea as we’re in a drought situation right now and once it gets rainy again, water stands over there when it’s 115 degrees in July.  No one wants to listen to us, so I guess the new guy will learn an expensive lesson down the road.

It’s still windy, warm and dry.

Pool Time – For the Birds

These desert birds are the craziest things I’ve ever seen. They move around constantly, from the bush to the ground, to the wall, out into the desert, and back again, all day long. I would be so tired at the end of the day from beating my wings so much. The only thing I can figure out is that it must be a survival instinct and this constant movement makes them a harder target for the birds of prey that swoop in unannounced.


They use the birdbath as the neighborhood pool, usually in spring and fall. I have no idea why they don’t do it much when it’s 105+ degrees outside. You would think they would need to cool off then. Instead, they stand around with open beaks and spread out wings trying to endure the hot days. I caught this picture a few days ago, the mystery of what was happening to water in the birdbath solved.

Sunni's Photo Album

The word spreads around the neighborhood and that birdbath is like the public swimming pool with birds in there shoulder-to-shoulder splashing their hearts out, water flying everywhere.

We even have a yellow parakeet that has joined the group now and become part of the wild pack of birds. It must have escaped from someone’s house; I don’t know where it came from, just showing up one day this last July. We did attempt to catch it at first, but that was a lost cause, so I’m hoping it won’t freeze to death this winter. So far, it’s managed to evade the birds of prey too. I think it must be learning the ropes from its new pals because it does the same thing they do and flies in a flock.

Sunni's Photo Album

When the birds do take off on these erratic flights all day long, it sounds like an airplane, there are so many beating wings out there. Besides the normal sparrows and finches there are doves, pigeons, and quail along with other various birds from time to time.

They are ready to squabble over the birdbath come sunset because everyone wants in there.