We're in the midst of fall and even though I keep expecting nonstop rain to start any day now, I'm continually surprised by the beautiful weather. We did have below-freezing temperatures this week, but that's generally a sign of clear skies. Autumn colors show all over Pucón, particularly in the late afternoon light


That volcano again

Red rocks too

Ideally we wanted to have the roof on before the rain started, so I was really pleased on Monday when Claudio and Enrique started to hang brackets for the roof supports.


Watch your step

Bolt the bracket

They bolted the brackets into the braces of each pillar at the level of the interior ceiling.


Inline brackets

Is that a pyramid in the background?

The roof supports consist of 2x8's joined in an interleaved fashion for extra strength and bolted to the brackets.


Techo support

The madhammers

Support beam

Por supuesto, a flat roof requires some tilt for drainage, so on top of the supports the acrobatic madhammers added a triangular or bowed level of framing. The techumbre cubierta plancha or roof sections will sit on top of these frames.


Tilted framework

Let's drain downhill

Cross section

Here you can see the roof support sitting just above the top of the closet framework in the bedroom.


Pretty big closet

Meanwhile, another flete truck appeared with a new surprise, pipes for the plumbing.


Flete arrival

Soon the gasfiters had copper piping snaking through the 2x4's.


Is that why they're called gasfiters?

Chile, home of copper

Lavadero fittings

Not to be outdone and to add a little more fall color, Fernando the luz maestro began installing orange conduit and electrical boxes.


Orange for luz

I hope I don't have to reach that high

Living room boxes

To finish off the week the crew added the outer wall framing the stairs at the end of the pasillo.


More support for the roof?

We could add advertising

Framing the steps

Worried about the pirca wall? Have no fear, Juan continued puzzling the rocks together adding a few creeping plants to the mix.


One more pirca on the wall

Pirca plants

Movin on up

By Friday he'd completed one side of the wall. On the top he interspaced planting areas which Cyn plans to use for growing herbs.


Juan at work

Nice work Juan

Now that really rocks

Almost done

One last note about fall in Pucón, now's the time for harvesting castañas otherwise known as chestnuts. Seems like these trees appear everywhere, adding to the autumn coloring. The dark brown castañas grow throughout the summer inside of little pincushion type pods. In the fall the pods split open spilling the castañas to the ground.


Castaño

Ouch those are sharp

Castañas - why are the nuts feminine?

I'll let you know how they taste.


So now what do we do?

Oh yes, the pinhead's been adding his own color to the season, but it doesn't compare to that ciprés. At least I think that's a ciprés. Being a gringo I first thought that the tree was dying, but it's just that time of year. Hasta luego!!


Colorful