Lizard Hollow Observatory Construction Journal
October, 1999:

October 1, 1999 - "It's Quite a Site!" (Part II):    Took the 'scope out to the site for the first time and marked out the size of the foundation slab with string (see picture on September's page).    At 10'x12', it will be cozy inside, but not cramped.     Anything larger would require a building permit, with all the bureaucratic hassle and expense that entails, and would significantly increase the cost of the foundation's concrete slab and the run-off rail structure for the roof.    The County building department would also want a site survey and require an engineer to sign off on the design of the shed/run-off rails.    If the County decided the structure would be too close to the big wash which runs back of the place, a new site would need to be found and the other possible ones would be more difficult and expensive to build on.    Our dealings with the County building department in the past do not encourage me that they would be quick about the approval and inspection process, either.

        The seeing was abysmal at first, but slowly improved with time.    I hope this is not typical for this site.    By 5:00 am, the seeing was down to about 1.5 - 2.0 arcsecs.


October 2, 1999 - "The Attack of the Giant Ants!":    You can see in this photo of the site an ominous looking (after you've lived in the desert awhile, anything you haven't seen before looks ominous) mound of earth in the middle distance, just to the left (East) of the Palo Verde tree.     It looks somewhat like a lopsided crater.     It's  about four feet across at its widest.     You'll also note the small horizontal white line at the bottom of the photo, marking the spot where the South wall of the observing shed is to be.

observ site2.jpg (23749 bytes)

We've seen large, slow-moving, black ants in various areas of the lot since we built the house 4-½ years ago and not thought a whole lot about them.     We even knew where they came from - this crater-like hole is the entrance to their nest.  But, during daylight hours there were very few of them to be found around the nest entrance.

    I gave all that little thought.     Bad idea, most times, but even badder in the desert.     For at night, this crater seethes with nocturnal marauding ants, scouting the  surrounding acre or more for tasty morsels to feed their hungry maws.

     Fortunately, they haven't tried to eat this homo sap, at least.    But they may come into the observatory through the low-to-the-ground ventilation.    Whether they will invade in large numbers remains to be seen.

October 5, 1999 - Sticker Shock (Part II):    The second bid for the foundation and pier came in today's mail.    At a full $600 above the previous bid, I begin eyeing my mutual fund balances with a view to staging a raid.    This most recent bid does have the advantage over the first bid - it includes all the work I want done.


October 10, 1999 - Sticker Not-So-Shock:    My partner, the architect, made up an 8x11 drawing of the foundation and pier, showing dimensions and detail inset drawings.    I took this back to the first bidder and pointed out that their first bid did not represent the total project.    They said they'd re-price their bid and get back to me.


October 15, 1999 - "I Smell a...":    So far, site-related issues have consumed a great deal of time, far more than any other issue to date.    To paraphrase a noted magician: "And now for my next site!"

            Having survived tests of neighboring illumination proximity and severity, of site slope requirements, of visibility of the building from the surrounding streets, and of proximity to the house, the first site bit the dust because of - sewage.    Or perhaps I should say lack of sewage.    The problem boiled down to one question:  Where is the septic tank?    Because access to the septic tank must be maintained for that distant time when the honey dipper truck comes to do its smelly task, I can't build over the tank.  Which brings us back to the question:  Where is the septic tank?

            Excellent question!     Long and deep searching through our own construction notes and at the County Building Department during the last two weeks proved helpful only in narrowing its location - the first site (The Ant Hill) covers approximately 25% of the tank, perhaps as much as 70% of it.

            So, tomorrow, I go in search of a new site....


October 27, 1999 - "...Sewer!"; or It's Quite a Site!" (Part III):     Found it!    (Not the septic tank, unfortunately.)    The new, improved, Mark II site looks remarkably like the first one - lots of burr sage, some Palo Verde around, etc. - so I won't include pictures of it in its virgin state.

            Today, I received the revised bid from the first construction outfit.    After the large bid of October 5, this one was easy to take, and I gave the contract to them.     It is quite a relief to have the contract finally signed and partly paid for (half now, half on completion).    Even better, my mutual funds are safe for another day....

            Construction begins Monday, November 1!

 

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