IT'S DOWN !!!!

After well over12 months of little use, the bar-b-q pit has been removed. As it turned out, it was a very good move. The timber I bought in the first place to erect the pit was supposed to be rot and ant resistant. So, no ants but heaps of damp area fungus. With the rains we had just lately, I think the heat at the time gave the fungus a wonderful chance to get in and run amok!!!

The complete bar-b-q pit

The pit with the top opened for use of the gas ring.

I had a great helper when I was building it, my son Alex.  His help with the heavy stuff was invaluable and he also had some ideas that worked out far better than my original ideas. I am just glad that I took some photos just after we finished it. The top was an innovation that I had thought about for a while. It was not only to keep the rain out, but also hinged so that half of the top could be folded back to permit access to a gas ring for Kay to cook on. This happened after Alex moved to Portland in Victoria, so I can take credit for this idea. 

Its a shame that it had to come down,  but it turned out as a necessity.

I was talking to my wife Kay after it was demolished, and she told me that daughter Shasha had told her when she returned from Malaysia that Alex and I had done a great job building it and it looked good and was functional.  Kay had told Shasha that it wasn't really to her liking, but she would not say anything about it for the time being. I really appreciate the confidence Shasha had in Alex's and my ability as backyard builders and I know now that the ground it was on was not really the right place for it. But, stubborn old me!!!

I made a couple of errors (I don't usually admit my mistakes, but this is a first!!) while "de-constructing" the pit.
I did it over 2 days and should have had enough sense to take at least 5 days to do it, but. again, stubborn old me thought I was younger and could do it. Yesterday I stopped when my leg started to get sore and then did a bit more and then a bit more again, until I HAD to stop.
Today I just kept going until it was done. Now I am really paying for it. I started about 9:30 am this morning with the temperature touching 30 degrees and finished about 1:30 or 2:00 this afternoon in temperature of 35 degrees. Talk about sweat!!! I know, only horses sweat, but I certainly felt like old Dobbin by the time I finished. And the flies!!! I had them up my nose, in my mouth and ears and flying around every other part of my body, and I couldn't do anything about them, there were just so many. I suppose they were after the salt in my "sweat".

When I had taken the sides off, I started on the platform by removing the flooring. That's when I found the rot!!! There was some sign of it around the sides, but not more than what would be expected. I was astounded by the amount of fungus and the degree of rot in the bearers. Check out the photo above!! And they are just the bottom sides of the platform boards. Miserly old me only used fence palings (I always work on the cheap) and the amount of damage is negligible, unlike the so-called "treated" bearers. The fungus on the palings will easily come off with a bit of sun and a paint scraper with the minimum of damage.

Finally ...... The cleared plot. We will extend the herb garden and grow some more chillies, basil, chillies, garlic chives. chillies (Oh. Did I mention chillies!!!)

So, the deed is done and I should have listened to Kay earlier when she told me it wasn't the right thing. As it has turned out, if I had done it earlier I would have been able to salvage a lot more of the timber.
Thank you sweetheart. Next time I will listen!!!
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