Day 3:

Sunday ... we woke up to a chilly, gray, damp morning. Ah ... another lovely Illinois June day. We'll be lucky if the epoxy sets before November.
Not to be discouraged, however, other priorities and chores awaited our attention. First, Joel arrived to help load up and cart away a ton or so of rocks from the back garden wall. Why are there so many rocks by the garden wall? Well, it seemed like a great idea a few years ago to place rocks around the base of our trees in the back yard - kind of gave the place a neater more city park-ish look. However, we failed to research the effect of tons of large rocks on the root systems of old trees. Fortunately, we realized our mistake after only one season so Mike moved several tons of rock (which would actually represent the third time he had moved said rocks after - oh yeah - handwashing each one of them) back by the garden because I, the lovely and brilliant Nubbed One, insisted they not be thrown out. There is the potential of some great fossils and even geodes in those rocks! And how exactly does one throw away rocks? Bury them, maybe? And see! I was right! Now Joel and Kim can use them in their yard!! You can view their house and yard and cats and friends at http://www.technicallyevolved.com/galleries/index.php?cat=10004
So, anyway, then Mike had to find some other important project to occupy him so he would not fiddle around with the uncured epoxy and, thus, endanger the successful completion of the bat (or boat, if you will).
The picture below represents the majority of his Sunday afternoon:

This is what boatbuilders do while waiting for the epoxy to dry ... hang an empty birdcage high up in a hackberry tree.

Now, mind you, this bird cage is an actual birdcage built for a real live captive bird - like a great big parrot or something. It is HUGE. So he rigged up a chain and pulley system to rais and lower it (it is hanging about 18 feet off the ground) AND he made a tiny little trapeze for the birds (or squirrels) to play with.

I know what you are thinking and, yes, you are probably right - the epoxy has triggered some long forgotten acid flashback.

Anyway ... eventually the birdacge project was complete (after discovering that we were out of bird seed ... because, of course, the whole point of the bird cage in the tree was to fill it with birdseed and lure wild young unsuspecting birds into the cage ...oh, no, that's not right. I meant to say ... and feed wild young birds and give them a small trapeze upon which to play. lalala). The bird seed supply was replenished after a trip to Farm and Fleet and the bottom of the cage was filled. And, don't worry - the door of the cage was wired open so nobody (or bird) will get hurt. They might experience a little claustrophobia but no bird will get hurt. Please don't report us. We mean no harm.

Anyway, again... finally we were able to work on the boat again. Our epoxy job from Saturday (Day 2) was fairly messy. There are a couple of misplaced globs that are bound to give us some trouble later because, of course, we are going for the bright finish on our boat rather than the painted finish. Which means we better get damn good at this damn fast or we are going to be paddling around in the sorriest looking contraption you have ever seen.

So ... we clamped and epoxied the 2 eighteen foot shear clamps. And now we wait another 24 hours for the epoxy to set. At least the weather is supposed to turn warmer on Monday!

~posted by the Nubbed One