A Sunday during Crunch Time

It is a Sunday, correct?  But when it comes this close to crunch time, the crews are working hard and heavy to get things done by the time we turn the calendar page.

 
Over at the bistro, they must haul in all the special dirt, sand, and gravel and prep the surface for all the paving stones.  They haul in all the material with wheelbarrows, then spread it with shovels, rake it, then tamp it all down with these noisy rough compacting machines. 

 
There is a measured string line laid out with a long metal bar under it so they can use this long board to make the surface perfectly level.

 
Meanwhile, another crew member hauls in all these bricks by wheelbarrow.

 
Finally they can start laying the paving stones and it turns out beautifully.  I'm guessing that a lot of their success is in the preparation of the soil underneath.  

 

 
Fernando and Jim were hard at work also.

 

 
They broke up a little more concrete so they can plant some bushes or flowers along the wall.

 

This sign appears on the front side of the bistro.

 

 

 

 
Faustino gets the heavy job with the smaller vibrating compactor.

 

 

Construction Continues

Yes.....I know....more dirt, right?  But this one is for a new house across the street from the north pool.  Looks like a prime spot for someone to have a new home.

 
Truckload after truckload after truckload of gravel arrived yesterday.  Now comes the job of spreading that heavy stuff along the berm on the new Granite Drive.  That's a lot heavier than snow!

 
Say Hi to Neil as he makes his daily rounds.

 
Hurray!  We're finally able to continue construction of our new stage in Palm Park.  The city engineer must finally be satisfied with his inspection.

 

 
Here is the last of the new palms going into the bistro area.  

 

Hi to Painter Bob as he is affectionately known.

 
Denise Gaither is the perfect babysitter for her cat.  She patiently reads her book out in the street where she can keep a close eye on her little lizard hunter.

 
Kitty likes to sit by the bushes and watch the little tree lizards scurry about.  I image she is pretending to be in a wild jungle full of small dinosaurs.

 
Back at the bistro again to watch the flurry of activity as crews scramble to get this massive project finished.  All crews have worked VERY hard all summer long in the scorching heat and sun on this assignment.  The first person that complains or comments that it should be done by now had better hope I'm not within hearing distance.  Those of us who live here year round are definitely witness to how hard they've worked. 

 
Preparing the columns for stucco.

 
Awesome fireplace.

 
Ernesto is putting the final cap on the bistro wall. 

 

 

 
Pouring concrete around the fire pits.

 
Here is another huge investment from Sun Communities that our residents should be aware of!!  The entire sound and lighting system in our ballroom has been redone.  A technician was here this week to teach us how to operate the system.  Good luck with that!  Wow.  It was way too techie for me as a lowly bingo caller.  Just tell me which button to push to turn it on.   

 

 

Here's the announcement our golfers are waiting to see.

Available indoor seating at the bistro when it opens.

We end today's entry by celebrating the first happy hour I've seen on the new Granite Drive.  It was fun...and what a lovely view of our golf course!  Thank you to Jerry and Becky Andrews.

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 Ya'll have a good day now!!

Flowers and Construction

We came upon this good looking Dude at the sidewalk that passes through to the 18th hole.  He's so cool with his flip flops, sun glasses, and his putter in hand.

Let the Crawfords know you saw him on the blog.

We met John and Gretchen Westgate this morning.  We spotted them looking over the golf course at several locations so we stopped to say hello and see if they needed help or had questions.  Lo and Behold....they've decided to buy a lot on the new street and were just trying to narrow down which site.  It's a hard decision because the whole area is beautiful.  We welcome them as new annuals!!

 
Look at the beautiful hanging baskets that arrived yesterday.  They're gorgeous!  I don't know if these are for sale or if they'll be used around the park.  Will have to wait for information.

 
Heavy duty work continues over at the Bistro.  Here are pictures of installing the fire pits.

 

 

 

 
The columns are ready for stucco.  Notice that the steel beams above have been painted.  I didn't see it in action though.  Sorry I missed the procedure.  Dang!  I'll have to nag Lillie Corbitt so she alerts me when exciting things happen.

 
Getting ready to cap the walls that surround the bistro.

 

 
We keep singing praises for Ernesto and his brick work but we need to credit his partner Jaime too.  Jaime is always there lugging the bricks and mortar and doing a lot of the cutting.  Thank you Jaime and congratulations on such fine work.

 
I find it so exciting to see the flowers being planted.  That seems to really signal the beginning of the season for me.  These two gents are doing a great job!  It must seem overwhelming to see all those flowers to be planted.  

 

 

 

 

 

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A Doctor was addressing a large audience in Tampa, Florida.

"The material we put into our stomachs is enough to have killed most of us sitting here, years ago. Red meat is awful. Soft drinks corrode your stomach lining. Chinese food is loaded with MSG. High fat diets can be disastrous, and none of us realizes the long-term harm caused by the germs in our drinking water. However, there is one thing that is the most dangerous of all and we all have eaten,
or will eat it. Can anyone here tell me what food it is that causes the most grief and suffering for years after eating it?"

After several seconds of quiet, a 75-year-old man in the front row raised his hand, and softly said,

 "Wedding Cake."