My Trees Don't Stand a Chance

The Pick-up Crew from lf-rt: Heather H., Sean, Crazy Matt, Elisha O., Angela H., Chris F., Amy T.

Saturday was a huge work day that started at 7:30 a.m. for more than people than usual. I usually am at the house by 6:30-7:30 on Saturdays, straightening things up, making sure I'm ready for the crew around 9:30. This Saturday was a bit different.

Not 30 minutes after I had gotten to the house I heard chainsaws barking outside. Thing was they were in my yard! I decided it would be best to go out and monitor the commotion. My anxious brother Sean was hard at it, making sure to be the one to fell the first tree of the roughly 30 that needed to be cut. Go get 'em I say. Withing about 20 minutes my father-in-law Russ and Uncle Keith had arrived and were wearing the professional chaps, head gear and ear wear that made Sean and I look like part-timers. They proceeded to tear into it one tree after another and blazed through most of the work of felling the trees before the others arrived - it was safer that way. We only had one small accident when a 40' tree fell on top of Sean, well not the entire tree, just the last 4' - which of course had the most speed. It left a pretty nasty mark that wrapped around his forehead and bridge of his nose. He looked a little like Gill from Finding Nemo. He's tough, he got through it. Everything went relatively smoothly from that point. We had another 4-6 people working in the morning; Doug & Matt G., Kevin and Ben L., Russ and Uncle Keith VH., my brother and myself (now looking at it - all brothers or father-sons - interesting). We had more later that did a ton of cleaning and stacking of cut wood, and everyone that helped enjoyed the relatively cool but sunny day outside. (More photos to come of the devastation.)

INSIDE the house (sort of) there were a crew of folks that removed the remaining foundation under the kitchen eat-in area and further braced the floor so that when trenching the new foundation, the supports wouldn't cave in. While a good idea, I think it's over kill. But I suppose better to be safe than wish you had been. So we're in a place where hopefully this Saturday we start trenching the foundations, setting the forms and pouring cement. It's getting close - I can feel it. This kitchen has grown to be a MUCH larger project that I had originally anticipated. I guess there's always one area that kicks your butt, I'm glad that it's only one. I know this room will be great - it's just been extremely frustrating to get to this point and knowing that I'm still 2-3 weeks away from it being completed to the point of being ready for drywall is tough. I guess the old adage of good things come to those who wait is true for good reason.

This weather lately has been a real drag. I'm ready for warmer weather. It wears on you to be at a construction site day after day that is cold and breezy that doesn't have lights and you're forced to work with a spaghetti network of extension cords and it's hard to keep track of things. I know there's an end for all of this, and sometimes I feel as though we make real progress, lately though I feel a bit discouraged that I can't get past this freaking foundation and kitchen thing and it has taken it's toll. I greatly appreciate the folks who have helped get it to this point and I look forward to its completion. I guess part of the problem is that the work spent on it is the type that won't even be noticeable when it's all complete - frustrating. Oh well, we'll continue to push through.

I hope to see more on Saturday as the remaining 16 trees needed to be cut down are of the precarious type (leaning next to or over the neighbors' houses) and we have a lot to get done before a crew of Central College students arrive on Tuesday and I REALLY want to get that kitchen foundation done. Pray for good weather - we could use it.