Today I am going to begin building an awning of sorts for the big window, 79 by 47 inches, that overlooks the pond. We wanted a window that allowed us a view of the entire water feature and bog but have come to realize it came with a price. The screened opening has absolutely been pelted during the past few heavy storms. We get wet. On hot sunny days we need to close the blinds because the sun angle blinds us while also roasting us. Closing the blinds defeats the purpose of the window as does getting wet.
Linda scraped up some fabric and I will made a frame out of PVC. This contraption was attached on the side wall above the window yesterday. When we got afternoon sun, I slid the contraption about to find the best height above the window to place a permanent structure. We then got "lucky" and had a pretty violent storm around 7 PM so we went out and reattached the contraption to make sure it also blocked the rain. The location was pretty good and most of the deluge was deflected before the fabric blew off in the storm. We got drenched but it was not actually unpleasant because the rain was as warm as bathwater.
The new awning will extend about 22 inches from the wall and will not obstruct the water view although the sunset will be somewhat obstructed. A trade-off like everything else in life. Should be able to do the job in one day unless I get sidetracked.
I also got a call from the local sawmill guy Saturday night. He has a customer who builds hay wagons that orders 6 - 8 - and 10-inch-wide poplar boards. There is always an excess after the sawing and the mill has no real use for them, so they sell them very cheaply, 2 bucks each, less than 25 cents a board foot. I had asked him to let me know when the next order was sawed, and the leftovers were ready for sale. First thing this morning I will be getting about 480 BF of poplar planks for a hundred bucks, an absolute steal. This is enough to finish the inside walls of the building with an attractive hardwood that is easy to work with and finishes quite well with oil-based stain. Now I will watch for a sale on insulation and the building will be usable all year with the addition of a small portable propane or electric heater. A pretty nice reward for a few days of woodworking.
