Winter was still with us, and seemed unable to make up its mind as to whether it would hang around for a while or depart the Great Lakes Region earlier than usual. Although we finally had electrical power to the barn, which was a huge deal, the big roll-up doors were not yet available for installation, which meant the building was not yet truly weather tight.
TUESDAY 07
As I mentioned in the regular post for February 01 – 21, we picked up the 14’ Werner 2-sided step ladder from Lowe’s a few days ago.
The new 14’ stepladder and 12,000 Lumen light fixture. The light fixture is being powered from an extension cord plugged into the one duplex receptacle that was installed by the electrician as part of the service entrance. The bottom cords of the roof trusses are 16′ above the floor.
As I mentioned in the regular post for February 01 – 21, we picked up the 14’ Werner 2-sided step ladder from Lowe’s a few days ago. I managed to get the new ladder opened and raised into position by myself, but going forward I plan to always have someone help me put it up, take it down, and move it around, unless I can find a wheel kit for it. Otherwise, it’s really too much ladder for one person to handle safely. I used it to hang a 120-Watt, 12,000 Lumen, 5000K integrated LED flat panel light fixture that I bought a few weeks ago at Rural King. I had already attached the plug cord that came with it, and wanted to test the beam pattern and brightness when it was suspended just below ceiling height (about 15’6”).
WEDNESDAY 08
The dually tire tracks leading into the drainage ditch.
When the snow had melted, I discovered that one of the utility trucks had driven into the ditch along the road where the new pole was stored, and driven back out right over the end of the culvert under the driveway, partially crushing it. Ugh. I took photos and e-mailed a couple to the case manager who had been assigned to our project and asked what, if anything, DTE might be able to do about this. Other than not ever getting advanced notification when crews would be here working, this was the only damage that had occurred to our property during the whole project. And the culvert wasn’t crushed shut, so it could still drain, but this damage should not have occurred.
The dually tire tracks in the drainage ditch clearly headed up and over the end of the culvert into the gravel driveway.
Sometime after that, but still in the first two weeks of the month, I got another customer satisfaction survey from DTE. This one acknowledged that the project to replace the pole/transformer and get power to the barn had been completed, and asked for feedback. So, I provided it. Well, once again, I got a call from a customer service representative. In fact, it was they same women I had chatted with the first time. My complaint by that point was that the case manager had not replied to my e-mail, even though the last communication I got from her said to contact her if there were any remaining issues. She said she would escalate that and check on the other pole that was sitting in our yard.
The top center of this photo is the east end of the culvert under the driveway. A little bit of the metal is visible, but the top was squashed down and it is mostly covered and filled with mud.
FRIDAY 10
The builder’s Pettibone Telehandler on site, waiting to help install the two large roll-up doors.
Although it took some doing, the builder (Chuck) managed to get his Pettibone Telehandler relocated from a jobsite in Washtenaw Country to our driveway in front of the barn. This machine weighs about 28,000 pounds and has to be moved by a tractor on a flatbed equipment trailer. Chuck has a guy he uses for this work, and today was they day they were able to get it arranged. The telehandler will be needed to install the two larger roll-up doors, which are now in the possession of Everlast Doors & More, the local company through which they were ordered, and who will install them (with Chuck’s assistance).
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