If you tuned in to this blog for the Mineral King Bridge update, I’m sorry to disappoint you today. Instead of watching my husband work on the bridge project, we spent the weekend at the coast in honor of 25 years of marriage. This gives me a chance to show you a few more paintings, even though I suspect you might be wishing for bridge photos. Just be polite, ‘kay?
Sold. (But I can paint another for you)
Here is proof that I actually do work in addition to watch the marshmallow-heads at the bridge in Mineral King. Yes, my business and website and car license plate and studio and business cards all say Cabinart, but sometimes Cabinart brings you kitchen-art. (I said “kitchen”, not “kitsch”). This California artist has to paint items that sell to those of you with gorgeous yellow/golden/reddish kitchens. These paintings are currently for sale at Colors, the art gallery and studio of Wendy McKellar in Three Rivers.
Yesterday I left you all with the cliff-hanger of how to extract the heavy Wacker out of the abutment area, which is well below the height of the road. I hope it wasn’t too suspenseful for you. If it robbed you of a night’s sleep, please forgive me. Here is your answer:
The claw thingie of the big yellow machine just lifted the little yellow machine right out of the hole! Isn’t that the coolest operation?? These marshmallow-headed, shovel leaning road guys are brilliant, innovative and efficient! There is no need for you to question the wise use of your tax dollars when it comes to this road crew.
After the gravel is tamped smooth, a layer of plastic meshy fabric goes down again. There are many layers of gravel and this plastic stuff. HEY! I said, “plastic stuff” and you are ogling the views again! Stop that – I’m trying to explain the bridge project to you.
Our marshmallow-headed, shovel-leaning road guys are hard at work, spreading the gravel as they build up the abutment on the closer side of the bridge. But wait, there’s more!
After they spread the gravel, it has to be tamped. “Tamped?” I can hear you asking. Yeppers. There is a machine for that. It is yellow, of course.
It is a heavy machine with a flat surface and it sort of vibrates and smashes the gravel into a smooth-ish surface. It weighs a lot, and it is called a Wacker. I am not making this up!
Neener, neener, I told you it was called a Wacker! Just wait until tomorrow – you won’t believe your eyes when I show you how the road guys get the Wacker out of the abutment area. Ooh, will you be able to sleep tonight with the anticipation of this new information??
Yesterday I left you exhausted and overwhelmed from too much information. Today I will simply show you the neat-o little peek-a-boo hole to see the river through the crumbling abutment.
And, as a special treat, I will answer your burning question of how the loader got to the opposite side of the bridge – trenchplates!! Yeppers, that is Road-speak for giant flat metal thingies that are strong enough to span gaping holes for giant yellow machines to drive across crumbling bridges. We shall not speak of the weight limit again – pay no attention to the sign that prohibited anything over 4 tons from crossing the bridge.
I walked to the bridge with my camera to document the progress and was completely baffled by something. How did the loader get on the opposite side of the bridge from last week?? There is a mess where the abutment belongs – it isn’t drivable! I scoured the creek for tracks – How did it cross the river?? Some 3-dimensional things are just a bit beyond my 2-dimensional artist mind, too vast and complex for non-big-yellow-machine-drivers such as myself.
See? a big non-drivable gap is between the bridge and the road!
I know the view is distracting, but try to pay attention here. Do you see the ends of the stringers? That is Road-speak for the long pieces that span the river beneath the deck boards, which is Road-speak for the parts that your tires touch when you cross the bridge.
I’ve heard murmurings that the bridge rebuild project was unnecessary. There were times when I too wondered if it was governmental overkill. Let’s have a closer look at the stringers:
Hmmm, sort of crumbly!
See the stringers on the other side? Stop ogling the view – I’m trying to show you something important here!
Not only are the stringers crumbly, look at this sill! That is Road-speak for the concrete wall thingie that isn’t actually an abutment. It was cracked and the bridge was sagging on either side! It is now patched, which will prevent water leakage into the new abutment.
You are probably exhausted from this overwhelming amount of information, mysteries, Road-speak, and shocking realizations that the bridge was indeed in need of replacement. Rest up for tomorrow when our bridge lessons will continue.
Oh yeah, I forgot I was supposed to be painting and showing them to you. Got kind of caught up in the excitement of the bridge project and the wildlife and wild weather. I AM painting, just not showing and telling. The lemon and the pomegranate were grown in Tulare County, California. (I am a California Artist, Mr. Google!)
All of these paintings are available for sale at Colors, an art gallery and studio in Three Rivers. Owner/artist Wendy McKellar and I know many women with red and yellow and gold colors in their kitchens. These women often like their colors to coordinate. I also like my kitchen colors to match – anyone know of bright blue and white fruit??
Living in a small rural community in a small rural county gets a little exciting at times. It isn’t as though I battle wildfires (please, God, spare us that), and there have been no rattlesnakes this season.
But, sometimes it rains very very hard. This was about 2 weeks ago:
My wipers were on the highest speed, the defroster fan was on the highest speed, and I finally gave up trying to see and pulled over for a bit.
Then, there is the wildlife. This was on the way down the hill to teach drawing lessons:
There are about 2 dozen in this herd. Herd? Flock? Flock! Wild turkeys are funny, unless they are sitting on one’s car inside the garage or flapping at you as you try to walk past. Gobbling sometimes gets them a little worked up. (It’s not something you want to try if there are normal people within earshot.)
And the deer are plentiful. Cute, but not when they eat my geraniums (technically pelargoniums) and I don’t really like them hanging out on my front porch eating catfood either! But, it is very neat-o to see them in the yard. (Yes, I said “neat-o”!)
Here is a peculiar sight. The fan carries away toxins created by the welding of galvanized metal. Who knew?
Isn’t this a nice photo? These 2 men have worked together for years. Kind of just warms your heart, no?
This one is even better! It is my personal favorite. This man would rather be climbing Vandever than contemplating matters of consequence while wearing a uniform beneath it. Gotta commend him on his work ethic – knows the cabin folks are counting on him to be there for them on this project.
And here is one more peculiar sight for you to puzzle over. Hey Sawtooth Six, you paying attention??
The next day I counted 10 folks at one time working on this project! (Pay no attention to the truck and trailer on the bridge.)
Most of the guys wear hard hats that resemble marshmallows. These aren’t all that helpful, since there isn’t anything crashing on anyone’s heads except harsh sunlight. Michael is wishing for his signature straw hat at this job site.
It was a fantastic day of clear sunlight and great views.
Supervisor Kirk told me it was just a bunch of overgrown boys playing with oversized tinker toys and legos. Maybe, but the project is very extensive and detailed and planned. This bridge will stand for a very long time.
Looks as if they are all working for Caltrans, but they are waiting for the next load of fill. This abutment has many layers of material.
See?
To be continued tomorrow, same time, same place.