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We had a few above-freezing days in January, and we stole as many as we could at the Horseheads treehouse site.
Battling sub-freezing temperatures and a touch of cabin fever, we squeezed in work at the Bond treehouse anywhere that mother nature would allow.
Flooring was laid in place. Side posts were trimmed at a uniform height, then the long red lower rails were set. More posts of varied heights were attached above the lower rails, and the pitched upper rails and custom curved sections were attached. After some complicated geometry (if two sides of a triangle ay 70 degrees have rails on each that lean out 10 degrees, what angle of forward lean will result when the sides come together to form a bow?) and some field checking, the bow was built and attached to lock in the sides and create the nautical profile we sought. A neighbor, a very nice lady who’s been a fan of the project since it began, asked when we’d be taking animals two-by-two. I guess it really does look like a ship.
Work had to be stopped at the end of the month when upper rail spindles started cracking like ice in a convenience store slushy machine. Call it nature’s reminder that wood has a high water content, and the thermometer was reading 26 degrees. Being 80 percent water myself, I knew how they felt. Time for winter to get serious in these parts, and a great time for hot chocolate and office work. I’ve got plenty of both, so off I go.
