Tuesday, September 15, 2009

A gazebo to stand the test of time

Larry, our Deerfield neighbor, is never timid when he takes on a project.

When he designed his workshop, he made it so it would hold a dozen cars plus assorted tractors and equipment.

When he put a two-story addition on the back of his house, he installed an elevator.

And when he planned a gazebo for his side yard, it was a mongo gazebo. I refer to it as the “Deerfield bandstand.” There’s enough lumber in the structure to frame a three-bedroom house.

Larry said he has about $2,500 in the gazebo that he started building back in the spring and just finished this weekend. All he lacks is the stain. He did the work himself with help from daughter Angela and son Geoffre, and, of course, the moral support and daily critiques from his Deerfield neighbors.

I cringe when I have to cut a 45-degree angle, but Larry has about every angle on the protractor in his octagonal structure. To add to the challenge, it’s built on the side of a steep hill.

The center foundation support is a pillar of concrete upon which you could launch a moon probe. If I feel earthquake tremors, I’m heading for the gazebo.

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