Like most things around Birdland, grand visions, the realization of them, or even a small component of them seem to take time, a lot of time. The arbor is taking a long time to construct. Several months for a relatively simple structure. And I, being a builder, should have had this thing hammered out over a weekend. Sometimes, the events that transpire in between tend to lean towards the negative despite good intentions, and so it goes with the arbor. It's not difficult to build. Currently, it's the lack of funds, scheduling and work load that's holding things up. In our household economy, every dollar is currently allocated and not much nothing is left over for building projects. I no longer wonder if we're in too deep. It's our future and cost to pursue our dreams. It's just another day at Birdland. It's the pressure from the old man, Katherine's dad, Russel.
I designed the arbor for grapes and people. A subtle place that will provide dappled sunlight to filter through to a cool place below where we can sit and gaze out over our domain, shaded by the fruit of our labor, someday. We sited the arbor on a location where an old cottage once stood. Dale from the hunt club intentionally burned the cottage down one day. He got into some big trouble with the authorities and the fire department over it, but that's a topic for another post. The center of the arbor is directly over the old chimney foundation since removing the foundation would be a pain. The area directly under the arbor will be covered with crushed stone, perhaps flagstone, or so the plan goes. The pier foundations are in and now it sits; waiting for a lumber delivery and waiting to be built.
The pressure is on. Arbor construction is now moving up on our priority list as the grapes that have been purchased, still in their containers, are climbing up the wall of the pavilion. Russel has purchased a number of grape vines and kiwi for the arbor, more than I care to plant on the arbor, not to mention train and maintain. He's more than anxious to get going and if we can't get this arbor going soon, he's going to buy more grapes. It's a constant mantra that Katherine hears from her dad when she talks with him, "Where's the arbor, where's the arbor"? As a matter of fact, he's bought more grapes because they're on sale. I don't know why, other than he's just plant obsessed. It creates a logistical nightmare for Katherine and I, reacting and having to constantly adjust.
The summer heat is on full blast and mulch needs to be spread, truckloads of mulch. The other plants and trees need attention, more mulch and water. More mulch! more mulch! A nasty summer storm has blown through and there's a good probability that the utility company and their line clearing crew will be bringing in more truckloads of mulch. Nasty summer storms = needed watering and mulch. Storms are welcome anytime.
The work is great, the workers are few, as I've heard. And so the arbor waits. The summer heat is stifling. The grape vines remain in the shade of a cherry tree next to the pavilion and they wait too.
The pressure is on. Arbor construction is now moving up on our priority list as the grapes that have been purchased, still in their containers, are climbing up the wall of the pavilion. Russel has purchased a number of grape vines and kiwi for the arbor, more than I care to plant on the arbor, not to mention train and maintain. He's more than anxious to get going and if we can't get this arbor going soon, he's going to buy more grapes. It's a constant mantra that Katherine hears from her dad when she talks with him, "Where's the arbor, where's the arbor"? As a matter of fact, he's bought more grapes because they're on sale. I don't know why, other than he's just plant obsessed. It creates a logistical nightmare for Katherine and I, reacting and having to constantly adjust.
The summer heat is on full blast and mulch needs to be spread, truckloads of mulch. The other plants and trees need attention, more mulch and water. More mulch! more mulch! A nasty summer storm has blown through and there's a good probability that the utility company and their line clearing crew will be bringing in more truckloads of mulch. Nasty summer storms = needed watering and mulch. Storms are welcome anytime.
The work is great, the workers are few, as I've heard. And so the arbor waits. The summer heat is stifling. The grape vines remain in the shade of a cherry tree next to the pavilion and they wait too.
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