Day 1080 Free loading

25th July 2020

We drove to Menards to collect a bundle of cedar feather boards that had been there a week. They incorrectly wrote down my email address so we’re unable to contact me.

Kelli had called them and they confirmed it had been delivered.

The pack was twelve foot long that meant it had to go on the roof. Luckily the fork lift driver was on hand to do the honours.

We secured it with bungees, and the ride back was slow and careful, but we managed to get back without encountering any interference from the local police.

As the pack was opened the strong smell of cedar filled my nostrils, it’s one of my favourite.

As we sat down to lunch, I had just taken my first mouthful when Kelli announced that there was some free stuff that had been posted six minutes ago, so like the fire brigade we dropped what we were doing and ran for the truck.

Encountering slow moving traffic is typical when we are out on manoeuvres, Kelli took a short cut, but that was scuppered by someone towing a boat heading down to the city slipway. Once clear, there was a clear road.

We slowed down looking for the freebies, seeing nothing.

“ How could someone have got there before us?” Kelli said despondently, before realising that we were looking on the wrong side of the road.

Then we saw them.

Two furniture pieces and a large wicker basket.

The dresser was a little beaten up, but repairable, the tall dresser was in good condition.

Getting the dresser into the truck was a challenge, but the larger unit was too big and heavy.

The answer was to load the drawers into the truck leaving the carcass for the return trip.

At the end we had some good pieces to work on all with no outlay, which is the best.

Now was the time to start the heavy demolition of the shed side, it was hot and sticky, my t-shirt stuck to my body like a second skin. On top of that there was a squadron of wasps buzzing about.

I stripped off the rotting sides to the shed, then we decided it was pool time.

The water was pleasantly warm, just right to soothe our weary bones.

After nodding off a few times, bobbing in our watery heaven, we emerged, revitalised and ready to attack the new cladding.

The perspiration came back quickly, but we persisted even though Kelli wanted to be somewhere else, preferably with air conditioning.

Most of one side was done before I admitted defeat and finished for the day.