Gazebo/ Pergola...Pavilion (Part 2)

We made further progress with the project. Here's some of the supports for the secondary roof. This took several hours as there were a lot of parts that needed to be installed.

The brackets on the secondary roof supports were designed for insect netting. Velcro is a wonderful thing!

The footings needed to be attached to the concrete slab. I purchased a hammer drill just for this job. Anyone need a hammer drill?

On the third day we installed the roofing panels. We had to finish this part of the project because the wind was starting to pick up.

I think the opening frames the volcano just about right. Nice!

The next day I installed the netting. Good quality netting and as a matter of fact, the entire structure is very well made. I highly recommend Sojag (Canada) products (It's kind of ironic as our home was fabricated in Canada also). The pergola was purchased at Costco in Kita Kyushu. It was relatively easy to assemble with two people. Total assembly time was about 12 hours. The only required tools are a wrench and a screwdriver.

The velcro net on the upper roof will help keep the bugs out. Good idea!

The finished pavilion. The placement for us is ideal. During the summer, a cool breeze is often found in the front yard. A small bench is already available, but we wanted something more for our guests and the doggies. Also, during the winter months, the freezing cold Siberian winds are blocked by the house. This should be a nice place to relax year round. 

The netting can be easily strapped back with velcro and hooks. Out in the Japan countryside, it's mandatory to have insect netting.

The netting is attached to hooks that roll on a rail...another good idea. Alright, it's time for some outdoor furniture and a surprise. Please stay tuned for Part 3...

Gazebo/ Pergola...Pavilion ( Part 1 )

Better late than never. The pavilion was supposed to be done by Golden Week, but we had problems with the concrete and then the terrible weather. It's finally time to start and I'm excited! First I placed the parts on the protected garage floor. Oh my...sooooo many parts. At first look, the task seemed daunting. No problem, I have Erika helping me. 

Next, it was time to assemble the basic framework of the pavilion.

All of this would have been impossible without Erika's help.

Oh, I forgot to mention that Lucky was supervising. He did a great job and is really easy to work for.

Next, the main and secondary roof structure were partially assembled.

Well that's as far as we got today. We'll continue with the roof tomorrow. Stay tuned...

More images from the Tsukahara Observatory: Cigar Galaxy and the Tadpole Nebula

I took these images last winter. The Cigar Galaxy (M82) is known as a starburst galaxy. That means the galaxy is making an unusual amount of stars. Located at about 12 million light years from Earth, the galaxy makes a dramatic appearance with red gasses (hydrogen) exploding out of the center. The image consists of LRGB and hydrogen alpha and processed with Pixinsight and Photoshop. Integration time is 13 hours. 

The second image is of the Tadpole Nebula (IC410). This nebula is about 12 thousand light years away. Much closer than the Cigar Galaxy. The Tadpole Nebula is a nursery for stars. The two small clouds (upper left) in the image appear to be shaped like tadpoles, hence the name, Tadpole Nebula. This image was taken in Ha, OIII, and SII. Integration time is 15 hours and processed with Pixinsight and Photoshop. It's fun to process narrowband images because no one knows what the image should look like. Well, this is my best guess of what it should be. Hope you like it.

Well, it's the end of July and.....

...the remodel is still not finished. Oh well, so many things to do and so little time. The cabinets are finally finished.

The trim for the second floor is complete. Trim pieces were cut, primed, painted and installed.

Just finished a cabinet for the utility room. Next to the cabinet will be an area for baskets (pictures later). Guests will be able to safely store their clothes when taking a bath/ shower.

A small bench will provide comfortable seating when changing clothes in the utility room. On the left, I'm gluing up boards for shelving in two closets.

I'll be making a clothes hamper in the near future. This will complete the utility room. So...what's next? I think it's time to finish the kitchen? Please stay tuned.

One last thing, blueberry muffins! I made these with our fresh picked blueberries. Yummy.

Cabinet doors and Berries

I’ve been busy making cabinet doors…lots of doors. First I cut all the pieces...

...glue them together and...

...sand, prime, and...

...paint. Then...

...install.

The opening on top will be covered with a faceplate. I'm making those right now.

It's been a really good year for Juneberries.

Kiley is my berry picking assistant.