A Little Remodeling

We are in the process of remodeling the Biology lab.

These are the plans.

In the following shots, you will see us knocking out walls, etc.

This is the before shot. There are many small rooms. We are opening this area up.

It is all falling in to place and looks great already.

We have been working on it for two weeks now.

There are many cabinets loaded with a lot of things.

Some of the top cabinets have been removed and this wall is taken out first.

I have the drill and I'm climbing in and out of cabinets that have been screwed into place.  Some of the ceiling tiles have been removed so Darrell, maintenance man can do the wiring.

Screws are out and Jenny and I are moving the cabinets for George to install in the break room.

We take everything out of the cabinets to make them lighter, which makes them easier to move.

Next comes the destruction!!!  

Making sure there are no electric wires before we start tearing down this wall.

Wallace is using the circular saw after a straight edge has been chalked on the wall.

George and Jenny have helped build homes for Habitat for Humanity.  

Aha, we broke through.

Three more to go.

Already it looks more roomy, and with the extra lighting that will be installed, it will be great.

Now I'm off to the dumpster with a load of trash.

The guys follow behind making sure nothing falls off.

And nothing did.



Now I know I said this blog would be about our benches. They are finished!!!  The weather has not been conducive to place them out, so I promise...the next blog will be about the benches.  I will say, everybody is pleased with them!!!

Until next time...

A Routine Year

Last year, 2014, we found ourselves in a routine...from Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR...to Moosehorn NWR...to Southeast Louisiana NWR...back to Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR.  The same places over the last two years.

Here we are once again on the prairie, our third year back.  We are having the same start to 2015 as 2014...cold and rainy.  Last year, we did not get out with the heavy equipment because of the rain!!!

We did have a wonderful year...a tour of the Painted Churches of Texas, the State Capitol in Austin,  the Booming and Blooming Festival here at the refuge, our class reunion, Moosehorn in May, moving into the new office, the Fishing Derby, then Southeast Louisiana NWR "Wild Things" and last but not least, being with our family once again.  We ended the year by buying our 2015 Ford Lariat!!!

We have worked a total of four days, what with the holidays and all.  Our supervisor, Darrell (maintenance), asked if we could build some benches.  I said, "sure, but we need a plan."  I immediately got on the computer and came up with this!!!

From here, with the plans, we went to this.

We all got into the act...I have never seen Darrell so excited over a project...he wanted to get in there too.

They let me chisel out the slots for the legs!!!

This is how they turned out...yes, they, as we built three of them.
AND, we are not through yet.  Wallace started sanding them down when John Magera walks in with another idea.

Let's put a blue goose on the back of the benches.  Guess who gets to do that?

Using a Dremel, I went to work. Having never used one before, I practiced first.

Next I move to the real thing, the actual benches.

We shall see how this turns out in our next blog.  I love a good challenge.

Until next time...