Deck Repair

A few years after our house was purchased we had the small deck in the back taken down and replaced with a much more roomy and enjoyable one. No, I did not build the deck though I'm SURE I could have if I thought I could've then. That isn't the point here... (No, I'm not developing a complex. That was fully realized early in my youth!)

Anywho, the contractor installed the posts sitting on heavy duty blocks of wood. He said they would last for a very long time. Later I wondered why he didn't use concrete blocks. Over the many years since its installation the deck has slowly begun to slope. I convinced myself over and over that it had to be an illusion. After all the deck felt okay when standing on it. =)

Before. The photo makes it look more at a slant than it was, though the posts were at a slant.

I don't know but this summer I decided to put a level on it. The deck had sunk about an inch and a half at one corner. the other corner was in good shape. So I had really been thinking for a long time now about how I could repair it. The level proved the point and I decided to fix the thing or confirm my complexes by failing miserably. Now, I don't enjoy working under the deck. It isn't very high, I have to bend over and there was to be shoveling involved... while bent over or kneeling. Nevertheless I decided to investigate why the post had sunk into the ground and see about repairing it.

I found the the offending post resting upon a large, thick piece of wood- apparently cracked through. I didn't know if that was how it was installed so I went to the other posts and uncovered their bases. Each of their foundations, while at a slant, were not cracked or broken. I knew what had to be done, I just wasn't sure how to do it. I had puzzled about how to raise the deck in order to repair the post.

The thought came the night or two before to use the car lift with a length of 4x4 post. Turns out it worked excellently. I purchased concrete blocks with adjustable brackets.

Post before (above) and after (below) it was cut. The post base was 4" thick. The photo below shows one of the broken sections pulled out of the hole a bit.

Though I measured, twice, I cut the existing post way to short and had to return to Home Depot to buy another 4x4 post.

I finished at dark, around 9pm, and since the deck was again level and looked great I concluded that the other three posts didn't need to be replaced for the time being.

As a result, the railing at the top and bottom tightened up and the one "spindle" that had fallen out of the railing was once again sitting snugly in its place.

I'm very happy with the repair and I suppose I earned another manly point.

Alaska State Fair

Hey! I thought I heard some snickering! Now wait just a minute! Alaska has a state fair, sure we do. And since we are the biggest state in the nation we logically have the largest state fair in the nation. Ummmm.... well, not so much. Let's just say that if we had visitors from Washington or Idaho or Utah or Rhode Island showing off our state fair wouldn't be one of the priorities as a must see. I have been to some very nice state fairs. I have been to ours more often.

So! I've come to enjoy going to the fair, any fair apparently, every year. It isn't anything special but it is something to do. Something only once a year, in the fall, when the weather is at its worst. Usually. Amazingly, the weather this year has been wonderful. The whole summer has been nice for the most part. Compared to last year's summer, 2009 has been tropical. Julie and I decided to go to the fair and Alaska's newest permanent residents Michael and Lindsay & baby makes three went with. It was very nice to be with them. We like being with our granddaughter as much as possible. She doesn't make much noise yet or even smile but we still can't get enough of her! And she is bashful beyond description. We should be able to finally see her in November.

The part I like best about the fair is the eating. I wish I could eat more. The hardest part about the fair is deciding what to eat. I wish I could eat more. By the time we got there it was dinner-time and we spent the first half hour figuring out what it was we were going to eat. I ultimately chose a salmon quesadilla. Ohhhh, it was sooooo good! Just a sec, I'm still thinking of that.

Later we had funnel cakes. We've decided we're going to try making them at home. We too have powered sugar!

One of our yearly visits is at the Corn Dog Corner. It is run by the Dean family who used to live in Alaska but haven't been here now for years and years. Multiple generations come up once a year to sell dogs and burgers. Today we found one of Julie's favorite people manning the booth- Dan Dean. He was the primary influence for Julie's interest in joining the church way back when they were both in High School. It was great to see him!


In time we started to look at the booths and exhibits. We aren't much into the rides since they are very expensive compared to what they offer in thrill and excitement. Maybe we'll try them again some day. GRANDCHILDREN! THAT is when! Just a sec, I'm still thinking of that. ;)


Some very nice quilts, huh Michael & Lindsay?
Notice who is carrying the red purse.


Julie is studying a wedding dress that converts into a short skirt for dancing. This picture reminds me of Julie looking at oxen teeth a few weeks ago...


There were pigs racing! The crowd was super large and the only way I could take a picture was to lift the camera with my arm fully extended. Not a bad picture, or video, for not being able to see the screen. Tammie Swine-ette won the contest.


Michael is anxious to get a Bonsi tree and was thrilled to find the Bonsi exhibition.






While he took FOREVER talking to the Bonsi guy and looking a Bonsi trees, Lindsay & I looked at other things. ANYTHING. There happened to be some VERY (cough) interesting flowers displayed just down the aisle. I took shots of a couple of the prettiest ones.



SNAKES COMING UP! If you don't like to look at snakes DON'T LOOK AT THE NEXT FEW PHOTOS/VIDEOS! There will be some cute animals coming up after the snakes so fast forward somehow BUT DON'T LOOK AT THE SNAKES!




Here they come.... SNAKES!


I said SNAKES!


DON'T LOOK!






SNAKES!
There was this year a huge exhibit (a whole building) dedicated to snakes and turtles and the like. We got there when a woman was on a stage showing HUGE snakes and rattlers. She brought a large rattle snake out in a canvas bag and while she was talking she would look inside from time to time getting the thing in a position to pull it out. Julie was standing in front of me. The place was pretty quiet you know, a bit tense maybe because we could see a large serpentine (well, it IS a snake) shape in the bottom of this sack and the lady kept sticking her face into the top of the thing! Well, one time, just as she looked into the sack, I grabbed Julie on the waist and made a small grunt. She JUMPED off the floor! The soda bottle she was holding went flying! The guy next to her started to crack up. SOOOOO FUNNY! Good thing the bottle was capped!


Baby snake nursery. Lindsay has a certain 'fatuation about nurseries recently.


That is an alligator snapping turtle. It has got to be one of the ugliest creatures on the earth! It was propped up on the side of the tank and wasn't moving! Like it was asleep or something So weird. Here is a close up. See the light colored triangle at the right? THAT is the mouth, open! Ugly. There was another, HUGIER one in another tank that we couldn't see well but it was quite large. Couldn't get a good photo.


Large snake below. Michael thinks so.



We saw big snakes relaxing in water tanks and snakes climbing around in trees. Why would anyone go to where a snake would be relaxing in the water or waiting to drop out of a tree? Alaska seems to be a very good living choice about now.

One green and one blue snake. Both slithering and sliding around on branches.


Want to see videos? I thought you might....



Later the lady who luckily didn't get her face snapped off by a bagged rattler was showing off a constrictor.




These girls got a great picture. Then the youngest one was lunch...

Okay, on to the animals. A lot of them were put to bed off site or something. It was getting late and I suppose the animals are shown more in the daytime time. The petting zoo was closed, durn it! This goat was fun to watch. He likes a well made sign. REALLY likes a well made sign.



Julie! Cute animal teeth!


Look who's carrying the red purse now! That is one secure hombre!


We found some beasts and watched one that was busy polishing a fence. Julie has always been a compassionate person. WHAT!?
That might be going just a bit too far Julie!
Take a look...


She makes me smile. =)



After a last minute caramel apple and a very enjoyable few hours with some great company, we loaded up and drove the hour back to Anchorage and our beddy-byes.


Good night Palmer Alaska and the State Fair. See you next year...