It’s time to get started.

After months of talking, measuring, drawing, planning and finding the right materials, today is the day to start work in the tree at the Ithaca treehouse site. It’s a beautiful morning, aside from a digital thermometer that reads 23.6 degrees. There’s lots of sun shining off the snow cover and the ice on the pond, and the weather service promises highs in the mid 40s this afternoon. Not exactly the tropics, but we should be able to get some work done.

Late March in the Finger Lakes still means snow, but sunshine and relatively mild temperatures make it a good day for a water level to set Garnier limb locations.

Late March in the Finger Lakes still means snow, but sunshine and relatively mild temperatures make it a good day to use a water level to set Garnier limb locations.

I’ll be heading out later than I’d like to today. I need to give the sun a chance to get things warmed up – at least enough to keep my water level from freezing. Because of the cold, I’ll keep the tasks light: measure, set and mark the location where the high-tech steel Garnier limbs will be installed.

These special bolts were developed by treehouse pioneer Michael Garnier, and there are eight of them on this project. That should keep me busy for a while. Drilling and installing the GLs will be its own full day, so I’ll wait for a midweek warming that’s due in the days ahead.

There are still some materials and tools to pick up, and rain in the forecast tomorrow makes that the day to finish those tasks. As for now, it’s time to get dirty.

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