Build These Columns!

Buenos Dias!

Below you can see the boys are filling the octagonal wood form with cement.

Note the red straps we use to tie down our border crossing Ikea loads now being used to hold the form together..................
Senor spent days making this wood form by himself, designing, measuring, cutting and it is amazing how it has worked. I've said this before and will say it again and again........we could not be doing this if Senor were not so smart at fixing things, creating things, building things, repairing things...............most columns in sonora are created by using adobe bricks or ladrillo bricks, stacking and mortaring them as you go to the heighth you want, then cutting the angles desired by using a hatchet, and later covering the column with plaster. Sadly, we have seen some crumbling columns and we have also seen newer columns made completely out of stone, with the use of saws.

But Senor is fond of cement and also fond of making things that will not crumble and fall apart in his or his childrens' lifetime.

Below, voila! (how does one say voila in spanish?) Estupendo!

Wood form has been removed and Estupendo! there is now a column!

See how strong it is....Senor can push on it and it does not fall over..................
Below, Senor can touch it with his finger and hooray! It is still strong and tall.......

Oooh, senor can put his elbow against it and it will not fall................

And doesn't Senor look proud!A few more photos show how strong and well designed the column is, note the fine lines and corners and the creative little swirls....

A very beautiful surface has resulted from senor's incredible handiwork........................
Below, see the strong rebar which is all inside the new column and the exposed rebar will help hold the portal roof............as he goes down the row, each column will be poured 1/2 inch lower than the previous one. This will be done to help the rain water run off the roof and into the cistern at the end....now how smart is that........





Look at the nice horizontal lines on the right side and the perfect angles....................



And notice in the photos that the wood form is already set up again and filled with cement. Tomorrow the second column will be unveiled. There are six columns (eventually there will be ten) and I have been informed by Senor Sabe Le Todo that he will fill one each day!
What stamina Senor has to work daily on these columns!
What great sacrifice to other worldly needs he is making!

Hot water? es no importante!
Fire to keep warm? es no importante!
Shave? es no importante!
Shower? es no importante!

BUILD THESE COLUMNS!