A Closer Look

I started out my day here.  I know, you are thinking this is the wrong temple.  But for me, it was the right one.  It's been closed for six weeks and opened this morning.  There is a brand new ladies room, if you are interested.  Five star.  Flowers, even.

Last week a blog reader asked about the zoom on my camera.  Maybe you would be interested in learning about it, too.  I have mentioned before that my camera is not expensive.  But it has an awesome zoom lens, and I'm going to show you what it does.  I stood in this spot on Center Street to take this shot.  You have seen a lot of pictures from here, but I always zoom in quite a bit.  This shot is totally un-zoomed.

This is zoomed in as far as it goes.

So is this.

I walked along University Avenue and took this picture.  You can see that it's hard for me to get a good shot of the north face, but if I do take a picture here, I zoom in to get just the tabernacle.  I noticed the crane busy at the northwest tower.

I zoomed in to get this picture of the west gable again.  You are seeing, by the way, original bricks on the west side, rebar on the interior, covered with shotcrete which stabilizes the gable.

An onlooker and I have had a couple conversations about the holes where the I-beams were.  We wondered if they were going to be used for supports in continuing construction.  But, we have learned that they will be covered up, and it looks like that is happening in this photo.

There are beam pockets and beam brackets on the walls which will hold the supports for the interior construction.  My zoom lens can show them to you.  I tried to find them in the lower levels of the basement but couldn't, but they are there.

A porch was poured on the north side over the weekend but the cam wasn't working.  The cam is on the Nu Skin building which is being renovated.  When their power is off, the cam goes down.

I love the pigeons which seem to live in the tabernacle.  I zoomed in to catch this one.

Then I zoomed out so you could see the difference.  

Missionaries and members from the Provo South Stake man an information booth along University Avenue.  These two Hermanas were busy the entire time I was at the site.  I was surprised to find myself interrupting one of their conversations to put in a good word about the Book of Mormon.  

This view comes from the overlook behind their information booth.  I hung around for a few minutes because I kept watching the crane block.  I wondered if I was going to be lucky again and see a support pier lifted out.

While I waited, my camera zoomed through an opening on the south face to catch one of the batter piers on the west side.  I believe that the only piers on the interior are along that wall.  Pretty soon, the only remaining piers will be under the two east towers.

I have noticed that there are beam pockets on the two northern towers.  This is the pocket on the northwest tower, easily visible from the University Avenue overlook.

I headed down to Second South.  At the corner I took a picture without any zoom.  My camera has an LED screen that flips out and tilts, so I don't have to be tall enough to see over the construction fence, which I'm not.  I just have to be tall enough to reach over the fence.  And if I stand on the curb with a little momentum, I am.

Then I zoomed in to check on the block.  Still not moving.

I walked west about 20 feet.  It's a slightly different view, but I didn't want to miss anything if that block started to rise.

I zoomed in most of the way so you could see how beautiful the building is.

I wasn't hyperventilating, but I was sure that when I walked along First West behind the post office, which you can barely see on the left side of this picture, I'd miss the block rise.  So, I stood here at the new entrance for a few minutes and took this picture, completely zoomed out.  I know this entrance isn't permanent.  It's been moved here so micropiles can be placed in the southwest corner, to the left of this picture.  But it sure looks permanent to me.  They even brought in tiny gravel instead of using the big rocks for the ramp.

I was killing time, waiting for that block to rise.  Zoom in, zoom out.

And when I'm zoomed in, I often miss stuff right in front of my face.

I walked to the west edge of the south lot and took another picture.  This picture is very deceptive.  A lot of work has happened in this corner.  You have seen pictures of wells being dug here.  But right now most of the work is buried.

And then I zoomed in one more time on the block.  Still not moving.

I ran along First West behind the post office.  Sometimes my friend Julynn is at the Nu Skin construction entrance, and I stop to chat.  I didn't have to worry about being rude today, though, because she wasn't there.  I hustled, turned the corner into the post office lot, and was relieved to see that block in the same place.

I took a picture of the beam pocket on the northeast tower, easily visible from the post office lot.

I zoomed in all the way so you could see a little more detail.  Killing time.

I could hear the cutting torches inside the building.  I knew I just had to be patient.

The foundations for the two east towers will be built soon, but when that happens, this east side thoroughfare will be closed down.  Right now it's essential because these two front end loaders and Mr. Dashing Track Hoe are helping with the construction of the new north slab.

The final lift pour for the towers and the west side foundation happened Friday night.  Forms were being removed this morning.  The building looks so wonderful on a firm foundation that I hate to think that this will all be covered up.

The crane operates in stealth mode, but I was watching.  The block began to spin, and then it rose.  And up came a beam!  OK, not a pier, but still, so fun to watch!

Before I left the post office lot, I took a picture of the west side.  Big, fat, green rebar is being placed here in preparation for another slab pour.

And then, in a bonus moment, another beam was lifted out when I got back to the overlook!