Feeling It

Trips to town and to the grocery store and I was still ill-prepared for yesterday's events.  Of course, I didn't know then I was going to need hot dogs and marshmallows.  The weather had held and Mike came late (for him) in order to let any night moisture to dry off on the deck.  One thing Mike is not is a dawdler and he went right to work.  It is a big structure and sealing it was going to take time.  Florence and Dan came about 1 or so to select any usable lumber left, some discarded weathered boards and odds and ends of the new stuff.  Turned out there was quite a lot for projects at their place.  It was a win-win all around.

There had been two huge piles of wood in the back yard.  Florence and Dan had gone through some of it on their last visit, but there was even more this time.  One thing I will not do by myself is set fire to a burn pile, the danger of it getting away from me is too great.  With four of us here, there was safety in numbers and they lit one and it went off like Vesuvius.  I can't say I was much help, but did carry unwanted wood from one pile to another while Dan used a table saw to cut usable lengths and Florence stocked their trailer with the good stuff.  Holy cow, the heat from the burn pile was ferocious!  Even if I'd had marshmallows, we couldn't have gotten near enough to toast them.  As Florence said, though, it was a perfect day for this kind of work.  It was overcast, but not hot and not cold, and there was no wind.  Mike agreed.

Michael was delighted to see his friends again, and their housemate, George, had sent a packet of homemade dog biscuits that immediately became Michael's favorite.  I'm not exactly jealous, but it pleased me no end that Michael came to sit by me at break time.  (I will admit I took more breaks than anyone, claiming seniority.)

Mike ran out of sealer (the vendor had miscalculated how much would be needed) just about the time Florence and Dan ran out of steam.  I had called it quits before the others, my supply of steam being much lower.  We decided, weather permitting, that we'd meet later this week and do it all over again.  There is a lot more wood for my friends, and a lot more to burn, and Mike needs to get more sealer.

I don't know about the others, but when rolling out of bed this morning, I was feeling it in every bone and muscle, the result of a sedentary lifestyle.  I know what I'll be doing today, which is exactly nothing.

It was a good, very productive day.