Yesterday proved to be much more productive than Monday. I started out the day by building our bridge over the creek. I was able to use all recycled materials except for the screws. The beams had washed down the creek during prior floods and the planking all came from the sub floor in our kitchen. A few years ago I had removed the multiple layers of sub floor in the kitchen and the wood was stored under the chicken coop out of the weather. Last year I used some of the wood to build a packages box for our gate and now I was able to use most of the rest of it for the bridge.
I hauled all the wood to the yard so I could use the chop saw to knock them all down to 3 foot lengths.
After about 10 minutes I had over 30 pieces cut and loaded in the garden cart. I loaded the drill, screws, shovel and rake and rolled everything down the hill to the creek.
First thing was to straighten the support blocks and get them lined up and leveled. Then I spaced the beams and evened both ends.
I laid all the boards out and since they are tongue and groove they all fit together nicely. I put them all down then went back to the start and began screwing each board down. I put just one screw on each end of each board but with the t&g I am not worried.
I got all the boards that I had cut screwed down but I still needed another handful to make the full length. I ended up cutting 6 more boards but only needed 4 of them to finish the bridge deck.
I am pretty happy with how it came out and it is nice and solid.
On the upstream side I put in some screws to hold my irrigation line up out of the water. I am going to put some better straps on it today so I can be sure it won't fall and get drug away of beat up by the water.
After the bridge was built I remembered I had a disc sander attachment for my drill so I threw on some 60 grit and hit the upper edges of the wood so it is safe to hang legs over. It made a big difference and looks and feels much better. I don't want the family getting splinters in their legs or butts.
After the bridge I got back to the pole bean garden and fixed the one pole that I had left from last week. The middle of the rows needed to have the anchor post re-pounded and then the lines reattached. I had been neglecting it the past days but once I started on it I found it really didn't take that long.
I had to get to it since the pole beans are starting to tendril and are needing the lines to climb on.
@stryeyz got home from work and we loaded up the boys, the car seats from my car, and we drove to the Valley Subaru to buy my truck. It has been 8 months exactly since I killed my old truck and today I wake up with my new-to-me 2010 Tacoma in the yard. It feels soooooo good to have a Tacoma again and I am going to be using it for towing and hauling very soon. The truck looks really nice and is in great shape for being 10 years old and having 126K miles on it.
My parking spot in front of the house has my new truck sitting nose to nose with my old RED 94 Toyota truck. It can just bee seen on the other side of the 2010. Makes me feel like my 94 is telling my 2010 all the shit about me.
"Be careful he likes to drive fast."
"He is going to want to haul a lot of feed with you."
"You're lucky you get to go wheelin!"
After we ate, the family went down to see the bridge and test it out. All 4 of us and the dog were on the bridge and it hardly flexed at all. I was thinking of a railing for it but I think it is fine without. That way legs can more easily be hung over the edge.
Today I have to look at getting a bale of hay, calling Kaniksu Feeds up north to price bird feed, empty 2 barrels of grain somewhere, and a handful of other misc tasks.
Did come across some interesting dates:
11-3 I killed my Truck
6-3 I have my new truck
11-1 I built the packages box with the sub flooring
6-2 I built the bridge with the sub flooring
Fleming Family Farm
FLEMING FAMILY FARM, LLC
Sustainable & Organic Methods | Heirloom Produce
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Yeah! Stoked for you. Tacoma is a nice reliable truck that will last you many years. By the way I think that "Built A Bridge And Bought A Truck" would be a great name for a song. Just some food for thought. I am already starting to sing it. You all enjoy and have a great day at the watering hole. Ciao
This was my last one that I got July 17 2010, it was a 2005. It did me super well and why I have this one. With my experiences with my 05 I am thinking I will be able to keep my new one for more than 10 years. Won't be nearly as hard on it for one! 😁
It has a blue grass or country sound to the name. I guess it could be a screamo song too or maybe even some heavy death metal. Now you have me thinking...
#proofofshare
Awesome creek bridge!
Thanks. It was a long standing project that feels good to have finished.
Quite a green environment that would always keep refreshing 👌
It is one of the great things about our farm. Our year round creek helps keep everything nice and lush around the house.
Wow! I'm impressed! Cool bridge, even sanded!
The corners are sanded. I am letting the main surface get weathered and trod on to slough of the whatever is still on it. The old subfloor was coated with many layers of various materials so likely a lot of glue is left.
Great work, @flemingfarm. The result looks pretty good.
Thank you. I have had this in my head for months so it is nice to have it built.
It is great that you have built this with recycled materials!
I save most anything that seems useful in hopes of reusing it. The bridge and my packages box both got built from the same wood. It's nice to be able to use materials for more than one project.
I agree, waste is no good
I am not really 100% sure, but I saw this image and post in Steemit before? Maybe just look alike only... The idea! I really like it!
Que lugar tan acogedor, quedo muy bien el puente.
Muchas gracias. Fue divertido construir.
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