Today was very busy but not frantic as we worked to do all the last-minute items we needed for the grand opening and OPEN HOUSE of the Hazelnut Inn tomorrow morning. Becke and her crew ensured that the last of the annuals were planted and bark mulch was tucked into the many flower beds. The sidewalks were pressure washed one last time and a hundred other small details were taken care of. Unlike most grand openings, we didn’t need to work super late or do an all-nighter. By nine o’clock this evening, everything was declared DONE and ready for the throngs of visitors we expect tomorrow. There’s only ONE MORE SLEEP…
First cuts!
With the Grand Opening of the Hazelnut Inn happening tomorrow we had our hands full getting ready. But there was also a shiny FastCut CNC plasma machine in the backroom that was itching to be tested. I couldn’t resist. I whipped up a cutting file. There was no sense in wasting plate steel on some tiny samples. Our first cut on the new machine was hundreds of steel feathers for a crow weathervane I was planning to build next week. I fiddled with the unfamiliar program and controls for a short while but then turned the machine over to young Keith who I knew was better at the computer stuff than I. My faith was rewarded in a hurry. We had a couple of false starts while we sorted out the settings on the new machine and tweaked the inputs in the software but it wasn’t long until Keith had the new CNC machine up and running beautifully. The machine operated quickly, silently and smoothly. And before I knew it there was a large pile of perfectly cut steel bits ready to weld into a sculpture next week. We LOVE our new Fastcut CNC plasma!
First wall section in place
We were delighted to see pictures of the first section of the entry wall in place. The NEB’s crew is really good at complex and difficult tasks, rising to every challenge they meet. This panel weighed in at about 4,500 lbs. They moved it off the truck, through their building, up a ramp and then gently coaxed it into position around a post and under the overhanging ceiling on one side. This all had to be done first thing in the morning before customers arrived. This was the most challenging piece to position and it will undoubtably go quicker from this point. We look forward to seeing many more pictures as they make rapid progress next week!
