11.12.2025 Hooray and up she rises!

 ~o~

  Thursday 11th 46F/7.8C. Another cloudy and breezy day. With light rain this morning. 64F/17.8C in the room.

 Up at 6am. I was wide awake. 

 9.40 Back from my walk. 1.8km. 2800 steps. It felt strangely cold and raw. Dark grey sky, though not particularly windy. Only one bird of prey today. Two goats, two ponies and assorted chickens. Distant horses.

 After lunch I decided to ignore the weather and erect the carport. Well somebody had to do it. and I was the only one here. And, probably, the only one daft enough to try.

 First I lashed the pyramid of ladders together at the top. Then added a lifting strop around the top rungs. Next I had to undo all the nasty screws holding the central polycarbonate panel to the roof. These screws penetrate aluminium strips to spread the wind loads. Hopefully providing the vitally necessary security against lifting. 

 They were cross-head, self tapping screws and reluctant to come undone. Which meant leaning over the roof and using a manual screwdriver. Only once they were almost free did the DeWalt battery screwdriver make any useful progress. I was careful to mark the strips and roof panel. To ensure they go back the same way on the roof. 

Once the panel was removed I could now insert one ladder through the gaping hole in the roof. I checked all was secure and then climbed a ladder to hang the chain hoist from the lifting strop. Another lifting strop was looped around the carport's structural gutter.  

 Then began the lift. Quite effortless for the chain hoist. Though noisy, I kept going. Taking snaps at intervals to record my genius and the lack of supreme effort involved.  

 Finally I was able to lean two carport legs against the gutter. Followed by fine adjustment of the gutter height to allow the leg bolts to slip though the holes in the gutter. I used a stepladder to be able to reach inside the gutter.  

 A ratchet driver made short work of tightening the eight 10mm nuts and bolts. Remembering to fit the rubber gasket between the rear leg flange and the gutter. Rainwater collected in the gutters is sent down a large hole in the gutter and flange. To exit out at the bottom. 

 Last, but not least I moved the ladder pyramid towards the house. Enough to use the chain hoist to effortlessly lift and drag the carport. To align the feet with the foundation blocks. I can't bolt anything down until the carport is fully upright.

 The two other foundation blocks are sitting in oversized holes. Though of the correct depth. The idea being to ensure all the legs are upright without lateral strain. I kept the soil for backfilling. Within easy reach on scraps of plywood. To avoid contaminating the granite chippings. 

 During the preparation phase I was careful to level all the blocks with my laser level. The four foundation blocks are also accurately spaced within a couple of millimetres. Or were when I started this project months ago.

 By now it was too late and dark to continue. As I was tidying up, my lovely neighbour was chasing her little dog all over the marshy, back field. This being the small, hairy guard dog. Which I meet occasionally on my loop along the shared drives. 

Dinner was another fry-up. Organic sausage, an organic egg on wholemeal toast, tomatoes and Heinz baked beans. I used up the last of my recommended olive oil.

 

  ~o~