Lintels for second window

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As the cob walls reach window height, the 2-foot thick walls require lintels (beams) to span across the window opening.  In this photo you can see a concrete lintel above the rough window frame and two mesquite wood lintels. 

 The bark was removed from the mesquite wood using a 'draw-knife'. Removing bark is hard work.  To strip to mesquite beams of bark and cob them in place was a full day's work.  However, from the photo you can see the effort was worthwhile. It looks beautiful.

 I applied a little wood oil to the exposed wood to provide protection from the elements and reveal the wood grain.  After the building is weather-tight and the inside walls have been covered with an earthen plaster, the mesquite-wood beams will be cleaned-up and further protected with additional coats of wood oil.