They fixed it! And shares needed.

Photo copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved.

That's what the east wall looks like now. It looks like silk and velvet combined.

The west wall was suffering the most, but as the color coat dried, it was all shaping up to look like this:

Photo copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved.

The problem lies in the "new and improved" Structo-Lite, which now dries so fast that the guys have no time to work it like they used to be able to do with the old version. What that means is that, because it's granular, the granules get tacky and dry as they're troweling it on, and there's no way to get them mixed thoroughly, and so you get that up there.

From a distance, it does this:

Photo copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved.

And so you get that patchy look. We already knew the Structo was the problem, but Sherm finally put together why the southwest and west walls were so much worse: because the exterior has not yet been plastered, and because that's the direction from which the wind most often comes, it was getting through the chinks in the adobe and sucking the water dry as fast as they put it on.

At any rate, because of the change in the Structo, there's no way to do a pigmented float finish and have it turn out the way it would have in the past. Which means that Wings had to give up on it and go with mixing the pigment with Red Top, for a slick finish. The good news is that he likes it better, and now the mica shows through:

Photo copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved.

It'll be more for the Red Top, and the labor, but fortunately Sherm tells me we're fine on pigment and mica. Which is good, because we had to go pick up grout and caulk down in Ranchos this morning, and we've got huge expenses coming up this week with the septic install and the base coat of the exterior plaster. That will about wipe us out, and there's a long way to go, so we're back to needing regular shares. Links are here:

Right now, the best ways to help are as follows: by sharing the link to Wings's site (preferably with a testimonial, if you have some of his work), because sales are gonna keep this thing rolling; and sharing the link to our wishlist (which badly needs updating), with an emphasis on the Lowe's gift cards, because those are what will help us pay for all the stuff that will make this place liveable, like a water heater and flooring and so forth. And if you do want to kick in a few pennies now, the PayPal link is here.

I'm given to understand that Karen has made, or mostly made, her moving expenses goal, and that Lauralee has gotten a temporary reprieve from the court. There's another match on for Karen right now, to finish out the moving expenses and, as I understand it, give her a little breathing room for incidentals and maybe a start toward the next phase of what she needs for what I find myself thinking of as her "survival fund." I'm sure Lauralee can also still use the scratch while she makes whatever arrangements can be made for herself, her daughters, and their dog, so her link is here.

Many thanks and much love to everyone. I am so far behind that I'm never going to catch up, but I've got to try. At least it's sunny today, even if everything was frozen solid this morning (and 27 degrees), and we're finally supposed to be back in the fifties this week. Which is good, because I have a ton of physical labor ahead of me, starting tomorrow.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.