I heard the rumrumrum of a concrete truck around 10 this morning while standing at the MacPro. I have to admit to being a fan of concrete pours. Since my first building experience at age 12 helping my dad build a concrete block house, to working on two house-building projects in the ’60s, each with lots of concrete work — I’ve been fascinated by the process. Things have to be ready. The crew has to be competent and experienced. Once concrete is poured, it’s — THERE. No compromises. All this is exciting. You gotta be on!

So around the corner I went to my neighbor Steve’s. Steve, a local mason, is in the process of moving a 40′ by 16′ house from a couple of miles away onto his property. A few weeks ago, it came down the road (after some tree trimming) in a rainstorm and was deposited on Steve’s lot.

This is a win-winner. The house didn’t have to be demolished (which it would have been), plus Steve gets a 640 sq. ft. stud-framed shell that he can fix up.

Today was pour day. Steve had an all-star crew of local builders helping out. A photo op!

Pumping concrete is so easy with a pump, compared to hauling chutes all around and pulling it along with shovels in the trenches, or worse yet, having to use wheelbarrows. The concrete was coming out of a 4″ rubber hose and the guys were having a good time, fueled by coffee and sugar donuts. Sun out after days of rain. A good day.

Traditional uses of the plant include collecting the berries, drying them, and grinding them up into a coarse meal. Fresh berries and branch tips were also soaked in water to make a refreshing cider. When the bark curls off, it can be used as a tea for nausea and upset stomach. The younger leaves are sometimes plucked and chewed by hikers to deter thirst. Native Americans used Manzanita leaves as toothbrushes. (Wikipedia)

Here they used an old tried-and-true design, with recycled corrugated steel roofing, and it’s a great effect. (Another place this kind of rusty roofing has been used effectively is The House of Blues, on Sunset Blvd, in L.A.). This barn fits in nicely. Farmer architecture. (If a real architect designed this building, hats off to him for something so straight-forward and non-egomaniacal.)

The Napa Valley has got a few nice buildings, but there’s an overlaying layer of nouveau riche tastelessness in all the buildings (wineries and homes) that you can see. This building however, is always a pleasure to come upon. Why can’t there be more architecture like this?

Above panorama down at the cove an hour ago (same place as the sunset shot on my blog header) as the storms approach.

We are just about to get blasted by a storm front, consisting of a tropical storm from Hawaii, which will hook in from the south, and an Arctic storm heading down from the north. 5 days of rain, they say.

I’m sitting in the Arena Market & Cafe in Pt. Arena, with a latte, a pretty good wi-fi connection, listening to the Sirius blues station thru earphones on my iPad, checking and answering email and blogging. Am I a modern guy or what?

By the way Franny’s Cup & Saucer Bakery in Pt. Arena is a world-class gem. Run by a mother and daughter who are very creative and witty.