Creating an Entrance

[Bird]

Charlie, a good friend and former neighbor of mine died several years ago, making his wife a very wealthy widow, who moved to the country near Austin, built a new mansion, and found herself a new husband. And the only reason I even knew about the bill in the legislature is because she sent me an e-mail with a copy of the bill that she, and some friends, wrote and talked a legislator into introducing. She was asking folks to contact their legislators to ask them to support the bill. I didn't answer her e-mail or tell her what I think of her bill.

 

[caylor]

Way to go Bird, discretion is the better part of valor. I wonder how many outside lights her mansion has?

 

[EddieWalker]

Time to put the light in the ground.

First step was to drill a hole. I have a 12 inch bit on my hole digger.

 

[EddieWalker]

The light is 18 feet long and weighs more than I can handle on my own. Guess I'm getting old.

To get it out of my barn, I dragged it with a strap attached to my front bucket. Then I just kept on going until I got to the the hole it was going into.

 

[EddieWalker]

Getting it in the hole was a little tricky, but not impossible.

 

[EddieWalker]

This is what it looks like right now. I figured I'd leave it attached to the front bucket while I eat lunch. It took a little over two sacks of concrete and should be very solid.

In a day or two, I'll touch up the paint, put the weathervane on and install the light. I also want go get the fence started. That's what I really want to see.

 

[HuckBB62]

Hey guys, I'm not anti security here. I kinda bet that not many people went to the darksky.org website. It's not about NO LIGHTS, it's about properly designed and installed lights. Pollution is pollution and waste is waste. Most large sodium vapor lighting, especially the cheaper stuff, has no shielding or reflectors. Why in the world would one want to waste the electricity to shoot lighting where it does no good? I remember once when I was a kid, my dad caught me tossing a gum wrapper out the window. He chastised me. He said, and I remember it well, "What if everyone threw their trash out the window son, imagine what it would look like." Same goes for this instance. Please, don't dismiss the thought of saving the night sky. You may not be interested in the stars and amateur astronomy but who's to say that your grandkids, nieces or nephews won't be?

Excellent security lighting needs not be wasteful or polluting. Both objectives, security and dark sky conservation, are easily obtained.

Thanks for the time here folks.

 

[EddieWalker]

I was dying to see how the railing would look with the light, so I put up 24 feet of it between the rain. It never rained too hard, just enough to be annoying.

 

[jinman]

Eddie, you just keep pluggin' away, and your project looks nicer everytime you post more photos. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif Do you have any sketches of the layout of the entire project? I'd love to see them if you do. You may have posted something and I missed it.

Someone just opened a new RV park in Sunset. They did very little: built one small building with a laundry and the office, layed plumbing and electrical in the ground, put in crushed rock drives and pads, and put up signs along Hwy 287. The most RVs I've seen is 6 at one time. There just isn't much to draw anyone except the convenience of being so close to the highway. If you come up in April, you can check them out, but don't come with high expectations. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[EddieWalker]

Jim,

You nailed it with your observation on parks not having an attraction or a good location. My driving force behind the park will be it's attraction. Everything is based on the theme and what I'll have that nobody else does.

My goal is to offer a Yellowstone type attraction without haveing to drive that far. I've also researched my location and found land with sewer and water available jsut half a mile of Interstate 20 with a good offramp, gas station and no turns required to find my entrance. I've even got a turn lane in the highway to get into my place!

Very few parks are built in the best location or with attracting clients in mind. I think I've accomplished this part.

Steph is very exited about coming to your place in April. She was just talking about it yesterday. I'll bring my plat to show you guys the layout and get some imput. Hopefully Bird will show up. He was a full timer and managed a park for awhile.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

I started drilling the holes for the next run of fence when I hit a hard spot. It was so hard, I couldn't get past six inches deep. This was a new experience for me since I've had the post hole digger.

I checked the edge and realized it was all wore out.

 

[EddieWalker]

My first thought was to re-grind the edge on it, but after looking at it, and the amount of wear, I changed my mind.

I just bought some new blades for my shredder, and have the old ones lying around. I thought the steel used in them must be pretty strong. At least stronger then what was on there and definiatley stonger then any other scrap I have.

 

[EddieWalker]

The tip was worn round and not very long. I thought a hardened bolt would work better. Then I thought, if one would work better, then three will be even better!!!!!

 

[EddieWalker]

I was debating about adding some more bolts onto the cutting edge as teeth. I figured it was something I can still do if I need to, but not today.

 

[EddieWalker]

Now that I can drill holes again, it was pretty good going putting in some more fence.

Over the summer, I put power to this general location, but didn't know exactly where I wanted the lights at the time. I burried the line in conduit with some flags so I could find it.

The trench is from finding the line and running it to the lights.

 

[EddieWalker]

This is the second street light. When the cement dries, I'll put both lights on, install the weathervanes and touch up the paint.

 

[EddieWalker]

I installed the lights and weathervanes today.

 

[EddieWalker]

Here's a closer view of the finished light.

 

[EddieWalker]

It even works!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jinman]

It looks very nice, Eddie, and also very unique. Have you seen the flag holders with the star? I'm attaching a picture of one on my deck. I think you'll see the similarity to your lamp pole and weathervane design.