Thursday, October 07, 2010

Cracks

It started with the cracks in the driveway.  I was thinking about the theme for this week, “branched”, trying to avoid trees, and that was the first thing I thought of.  But you can only get so many pictures of cracks in the cement, and none of them struck me as particularly awesome, so I went around the house looking for more cracks.  Happily, I didn’t find many.  Really happily, none of the ones I did find were in the foundation.  So I’m down in the basement I so cleverly describe as “the dungeon”, not finding many cracks, but I did find many things that branched out.  Electrical.  Phone.  Plumbing.  So, here’s the branches of my house.

Cracks in my driveway.  Looking at the cracks from a different perspective.  More cracks in the driveway.  No doubt I need to get a new driveway, needed it since I moved in 17 years ago, but I’m not ready for that project yet.Old and the new.  The duct work for my heater.  Some of it is new, some of it is from the original furnace installed sometime in the 30’s.  (It worked up until I put in the new one about 5 years ago.)  Some of the old wiring.  Don’t worry, there is no longer any electricity flowing through this stuff. Water pipes.  Since the house was built before indoor plumbing and electricity were common in homes, the dungeon is a hodgepodge of wires and pipes. This, at one point, routed the phone lines in the house.  And finally, the sewer pipes.  I thought about cleaning off the cobwebs and dust, but decided against it.

So there you go, a quick tour through the bowels of my house.  Thanks for coming, and be sure to tell your friends.

10 comments:

A Paperback Writer said...

Having been in your basement, I can appreciate these pics. (I was going to say I'd been in your dungeon, but that just sounds kinky. Sort of "Bluebeard" or something. Ick.)
Anyway (moving away from the junior high school mindset), you were more creative than I at choosing your subjects. I bow in your general direction and acquiesce to your creativity.
While you were posting this, I was posting my own, however, so do drop over and see them-- even though you've seen most of them before and were there for at least one of them.

Mustang Sally said...

Well look at you all prompt and everything ... and will original takes on the theme at that.

Well done ... and you didn't even upstage me this time lol.

carmilevy said...

1 - I love your house. The sense of history is amazing. My 20-year-old place has zero character by comparison.

2 - I'm thrilled that you deliberately avoided actual tree branches. Driveway cracks: Seriously brilliant. I think mine has a few, but nowhere near as much fun as yours.

I like how you think.

Gilly said...

Great ideas! But its time you got that cement mix out!! ;)

The Gearheads said...

Gotta say, I really like the driveway pics, those look great. I think the other pics are a great take on the branches too.

21 Wits said...

Very cool. I never would have guessed looking at piping, and electrical branching could be so darling and timely all in one! Many points for "getting out there, and under there" for our Branched theme! Oh yeah I love the pine needles on the driveway! TY Karen

Max Sartin said...

**Writer - aye, I'll have ye in me dungeon one day, lassie.
**Carmi - the house is going to be 100 in 2012, character it has, evenly spaced wall studs it doesn't.
**Gilly - yeah, I know. Sometime when I'm rich and famous I'm going to redo the entire driveway. Since the garage is behind the house, and the parking area takes up the width of the property, it isn't going to be cheap.
**And thanks to all for the compliments on the pictures. Good thing this old house has 10' ceilings or I wouldn't be able to fit my ego in.

Kalei's Best Friend said...

I love this... wow the stories those cracks can tell.

janie said...

love the third photo, the pine needles filling the crack make it look like a furry animal, rudolf just missing the red nose.
can you see it too or is it just me?

Max Sartin said...

As soon as I looked at it with your comment in mind, I could see it. At least I think so. I put the red dot at the nose, click here and let me know if I saw it the same way you did.