Busy Day, Workin Away

Today was another beautiful day in Auburn. We are enjoying this rain free period with bright sun and warm temperatures in the low seventies. I bought all the materials on Monday to be able to install some drains to collect the water that flows down from the improperly graded street, into our front yard and then pools by the North side of the house, and then flows under the house to exit on the South East side.  That much water under the house is too much even though I installed a drain. It makes too much dampness beneath the house and I do not want mold to take over.

Monday after coming back from Home depot and unloading 130 feet of 4 inch corex drain piping I began digging a trench along the sidewalk that goes around the front of the house to the small deck. The first twenty feet were not too bad, the ground was pretty soft and saturated with moisture. The next twenty feet were murder because I hit granite lava cap at 25 feet and so for the next 15 feet I had to use a pick to break the rock up. That really slowed me down, and I am sore tonight, and probably will take a day off of it tomorrow.

This afternoon after a shower and lunch, I thought I would try out my new (used) C&H mat cutter.  I had finished another pastel painting of "No Hands Bridge", that crosses the American River just below Auburn. The bridge was built for the Quarry Mountain Railroad line to haul gypsum from the mine further up the river. The old bridge was well built and has stood through many flood surges when newer bridges have been inundated and collapsed. 

I decided to double mat the picture, and used a reddish brown inside mat to compliment the painting and a antique white matting on the outside.  Before I could do that, I had to mount the pastel picture on some acid free  foam core and then take exact measurements so that my mats would look decent.  I cut the reddish brown one without any problems, but messed up the antique white one. The second try produced an acceptable mat and I was able to frame the picture in one of the 14X18 frames I purchased yesterday at Aaron Brothers art marts.  The picture is now sitting on a wall scounce shelf that I put up in my office today.

I also reframed and matted a picture Cindy had bought me of the Old Auburn Courthouse, and the color will now look a lot better when it is hung in the hallway. A busy day, but one in which I accomplished a lot.