Crimping steel cables

Again I was able to cycle, being careful to avoid the extra traffic going to the Fair. I’m beginning to favor the route up Cleveland Avenue rather than taking the busway over the railroad bridge. The ride up Cleveland is much more gradual and pleasant.

B, Curator J, and students R and T were all there.

I began by helping Curator J... clean the soot from two small Hibiscus clayi plants (native to Hawaii), see photo.

Next, I set up stainless steel cables over the vine bench in room C3 (see photos). The six cables will hang down to viney plants, allowing them to grow up the cables. I had to find a ladder long enough to reach the overhead support cable - I found the ladder down the hall next to the maintenance department (there was nobody there to ask for permission so I borrowed it anyway). I used the big metal crimper tool to fasten grommets onto the loops of cable. We used up all three of the remaining carabiner hooks, more will have to be ordered to complete the project (see photo).

Finally, Curator J asked me to clean the soot of a fairly large potted bushy plant, Podocarpus matudae (a native of North America). This dirty beast took most of an hour and a half to clean. And, I restaked it to give it more vertical support.

August 31, 2023 (photos above)

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