HOT NEWS Archived Posts
Date 07-01-2011 to 12-31-2011 with the newest at the top of the page.
07-31-2011 WORK DAY
Today we focused our work on the track. We worked to finish shaping the
starting hill front side first. After getting the shape about where we
wanted it to look when finished we watered it for about and hour then we
took a long break to let the water soak in, we left and got something to eat.
When we returned it was time to pack in our work. We still have a lot of
work ahead but the starting hill is shaping up nicely. After we packed it
with BEAST we took out a few minutes to play around and ride. Then it was
we were off to the bottom on the starting hill to clean things up to prep
for grooming the track for use. Since the track has been built for some time
now there is a lot of sand and small rocks (from our dirt) that have risen
to the surface or washed of the faces of the jumps. That will be cleared off
so we have good clay to work on when we groom the track.
Our next big or should we say small project is getting out Porta-Potty
enclosure built. It may sound like a small job and most of the work will go
fast once we have the material on site but installing the fence posts will
be a lot of work. The post holes will be most of this hard work since the
area the city told us to put this enclosure is sandstone bedrock with a
little soil on the top.
Todays high was 105°.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-30-2011 WORK DAY
Another day of work on the starting hill. We moved more dirt to the back
side of the starting hill then finished shaping it for packing in. A good
heavy watering was next and then we packed it in with BEAST. We added about
25 loads of dirt to the back side with the Bobcat. That was dirt we cleared
off the area east of staging and another pile north of staging plus about
10 loads from the reserve pile of dirt. After we packed it in it looks like
we need about 4 or 5 more loads to get the area in shape completely. That
work will come later when we have the Bobcat out again.
Todays high was 103°.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-29-2011 WORK DAY
It has been a while coming but there was some interesting things that
happened today in our sport and at the track. We had a visitor today, one
who wanted not to be seen. A light brown Crown Vic with heavily tinted
windows came out today. Parked in one place and then moved to another. We
were about to run an errand and pulled up to the car as we were leaving.
Guess they didn't want to talk, they left in a hurry.
As luck would have it we had many things to do today and we got a few done
and others started. The back side of the starting hill has now been filled
and leveled. Now we water and pack then maybe a good covering of sod is next
for this job. We also cleared some brush today on the north side of the
track. We have a lot of this to be done.
Todays high was 100°.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-28-2011 WORK DAY
It was another day of work on the starting hill. First up was to finish the
drains for the gate 'cut-out'. Then we filled the ditches for the drains.
Next was to finish tearing out the forms inside the 'cut-out' and cleaning
up the mess. We left part of the forms for now. Next we moved more dirt on
the back side of the starting hill. We got enough dirt and shaped it a
little bit before dark. We put out a sprinkler and started to wet it so we
can pack it. It is starting to look like a real starting hill for a BMX
track.
Todays high was 103°.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-27-2011 WORK DAY
Still moving dirt to the back side of the starting hill. We got all we could
from the east area and moved the pile north of staging today. So far we have
moved about 25 loads with the Bobcat to fill and level off the back side.
Now we have a nice 6 foot deep area behind the gate for staging. Still more
to move there and then we will start shaping and packing.
Todays high was 107°.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-26-2011 NO WORK AT TRACK TODAY
We took off the day and did no work on the track today. We did however begin
a new little project for the track. It seems our air cylinder has needed a
little attention since way back in 2002. We started the work today. A rework
on the wiring is the job and we plan to upgrade that wiring while we have
it torn down. As many may remember we had a problem with this on and off for
a long time. A pull on the plug and then things would go haywire. It has
been reworked until major work was needed. This will be easy and will last
for a long time.
Todays high was 104°.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-25-2011 WORK DAY
Today we worked on clearing the track of grass and watering the grass we
want to stay. We now have most of the 1st straight cleared but have not
cleaned up our mess yet. This time around we will not spend months doing
this job since we have kept most of the grass off the track since spring. We
are getting to a point when we will start grooming the track for riding and
racing. It has been a long time coming but we are getting very close to that
day.
Todays high was 96°.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-24-2011 DAY OFF FROM THE HEAT
After spending 24 hours out of 48 (Friday and Saturday) we took off today to
escape from the heat. It was a nice break and we plan to be back at it
tomorrow. The starting hill is taking shape and we will be working to clear
the track and finish out Porta-Potty enclosure. This will be out last bit of
construction till after we open the track.
Todays high was 105°.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-23-2011 WORK DAY
Another almost long day of work today, only 10 hours. We spent a little time
while there talking to a couple of folks who are interested in starting to
race BMX. One of them even brought a bike and rode a little. Since the track
is still rough and loose it was not much fun but most of us got out and rode
the track at least one time.
We worked on forms again today. No more of that stuff for us, well maybe
just a little more but that is almost finished. While there we also started
hauling dirt to the 'hill' with the Bobcat.
Todays high was 100°.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-22-2011 WORK DAY
What a long day at the track today. Up at 5am, at the track by 7:15am and
left at 9pm. We had to meet people there this morning for some contracted
work. Those guys were some great folks and did some really great work for
our track and they were fast. Gone in under 4 hours they left us to cook in
the sun and water all afternoon. We worked on a new shady area to the east
of staging today. All the dirt we moved was put on the back side of the
starting hill (since we decided to raise it) to fill in a small gap we have
up there. It was not enough but we have a lot left to use.
We have also worked on our Porta-Potty enclosure project.
Todays high was 100°.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-21-2011 WORK DAY
One would think we have worked on forms enough here. For having forms in 3
different places it may seem like more than we need but we had to fight to
keep it to only 3 places. Today we finished the forms for the 2nd place
which is for the Porta-Potty enclosure. This was a very easy job and it got
done quickly unlike the starting hill forms.
Todays high was 100°.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-20-2011 WORK DAY
It was a day of many things. We get another tire for the trailer today since
we had one sling off the tread while hauling the Bobcat last Sunday (17th).
We talked to our concrete contractor today about the schedule date of the
pour. We started work for the forms for our Porta-Potty slab. If there is
any left over concrete from the starting gate we will use it for this little
slab. This needs about a half yard of concrete. If any more concrete is left
we will use it for a footing for our water control box enclosure, that is if
we can dig this before hand.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-19-2011 WORK DAY
After all our hard work to get ready to pour concrete for our starting gate
we have had to hire a contractor to do the pour. We were unable to get
concrete delivered on a weekend so it will have to be pourd during the
normal work week. We also cleaned up the work area on the hill today.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-18-2011 WORK DAY
Today we got a late start to our work day but it was OK. We spent some time
on the phone today talking to contractors about our concrete for the gate.
We also got in some time to start clearing the track of grass. This clearing
will allow us to start working on grooming the track for use. We still have
a lot of work ahead to prep for riding but things are going well.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-17-2011 WORK DAY
We got in a good day of work on the 'hill' today. All work is complete on
the gate for the concrete pour. We spent most of our time working on the
gate but did other work as well. We cleared debris from the track, the
concrete conduit which we removed to dig a ditch between the 1st and last
straights.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-16-2011 WORK DAY
Most of our work was again on the 'hill'. We worked on leveling the gravel
and tying rebar for the gate slab. We still have a little more work but are
close to finishing this work then we will be ready for concrete. Next step
will be to get our concrete and pour this monster.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-15-2011 WORK DAY
Get got a late start today since we spent most of the day working on getting
things lined out to get concrete for the gate slab. This is not looking good
since it seems the local concrete suppliers do not deliver on Saturdays. We
have planned all along to do this work on a weekend but that may have to
change. We did get some time in working on the rebar for the slab and
started on the finish grade of the gravel which will be under the slab.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-14-2011 WORK DAY
We finished the form building today. We installed 2 drains for the area
under the gate. We also put in the gravel going under the slab and did a
quick, rough leveling. We also had a visit from deq for an inspection to
continue working to closeout our stormwater permit with the state deq.
While the inspection was happening we were told we really didn't need this
permit after being told we HAD to have it. This is another one of the
growing list of mis-information we have gotten on this project. Time and
money wasted.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-13-2011 WORK DAY
More rain this morning so we were not able to work at the track again until
late in the day. We spent the afternoon working on getting the rebar ready
for the gate slab. Buying the rebar, cutting the items needed and a little
bending work for us. We were able to do a lot of this work in the shade
which was nice since we have had over 100° days so far this month except
yesterday which only made it to 98°.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-12-2011 NO WORK TODAY
We got a nice rain storm or two today this was enough rain to stop us from
working as it was just to wet. NWS records show 2.91 inches of rain today.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-11-2011 WORK DAY
Todays work was all on the 'hill' again with more work on the forms and
while at the track we also got in some watering in the area east of staging.
We have new grass coming up in this area, our 1st of many places we need to
get grass growing around the property and track.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-10-2011 NO WORK TODAY
A day off from the heat and it was about time for a break.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-09-2011 WORK DAY
A long day of work on the forms again today. We are getting much closer to
finishing the form work. This is a lot of work and we have a lot more
ahead but it is getting there each day. It was very hot today with a high
for the day of 110°.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-08-2011 WORK DAY
Today we watered and worked on the forms. We still have a lot of work till
we are ready for concrete but things are looking much better. The hot
weather has slowed us down but we are plugging along and getting closer each
day. Todays high was 100°.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-07-2011 WORK DAY
Today we watered and worked on forms again. The watering work is really
starting to show now. We have a large area east of staging which is bald
from work for the electric service and we are working to get this covered
with grass. Most of this area was bald when we started work on the track
years ago. Todays high was 108°.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-06-2011 WORK DAY
We watered and worked on forms again today. The outer forms are for the
most part finished are we will starting work on the gate opening forms. The
new gate will be cast into the concrete slab and the area under the gate
will not have concrete. It will be filled with dirt after the pour is
complete. We also need to install drains for this area but that will come
in a few days before we start installing the steel rebar for the slab. Our
high for today was 105°.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-05-2011 WORK DAY
Starting the day we worked on the Bobcat. For some time we have had a minor
problem with the fuel tank and getting fuel out of the tank. After some
research we found out there is a hose inside the tank which has fallen apart
from age and we are not getting fuel from the bottom part of the tank. Today
we installed a temporary hose in the tank. We also worked on the forms today
and got some watering in as well. Todays high was 104°.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-04-2011 WORK DAY
It is the 4th of July and time for many things. Being thankful we are living
in the USA, our family and friends, our freedom and of course fireworks,
hot dogs and home made food. We had all that and more today. It was time to
start work on the forms for the gate. Our 'gate' is different than what we
had at the original Sooner Pearl, the new gate will be in concrete. It will
be 30 feet wide and 10 feet down the hill. Six feet behind the gate, our
'approach' most gates have 5 feet. With about 2 feet below the gate and a
full 3 feet on either side. Most will be 5-6 inches thick with about 10
inches on the edges and lots of steel inside. It will even have drains!
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-03-2011 NO WORK TODAY
It was a welcome break from the heat today. We spent our time in the cool
spots today and did not venture to the track. Our high for today was 104°.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-02-2011 WORK DAY
At the rental place a little late, about 8:15 then to the track. Water the
work area once more and unload the plate compactor while it dries out. Then
the fun begins as we make about a hundred trips back and forth and around
and around a 10 foot by 30 foot work area. After 3+ hours we returned the
little shaker. Then a 2 hour break for food cooling down and changing
vehicles then off to Home Depot for some lumber and screws. All the material
for the forms has been purchased and it is time to start. Now only a few
more things to fabricate and the forms will be ready to install.
What have you done at your local track this week?
So who said it was going to be easy?
TOP OF PAGE 07-01-2011 WORK DAY
It was a good day for Sooner Pearl. We hear we will have the concrete for
new gate donated. We don't have all the details but is very welcome news.
We got finished with the excavation on the starting hill today and did a
bunch of watering. We spent another hour watering the starting hill work
area. Tomorrow we will rent a plate compactor and make that hill shake for
a few hours. Next up will be getting the forms up there and set in place.
