Major Sled Repair

Saturday started off cold, but turned nice by the afternoon.  I love sitting and knitting in the sun on cold days and my favorite spot is still the old Grahaminator.  20 decided to join me,  Archie jumped up and climbed into my knitting bag and then Zelda walked up the ramp.  Possum was sitting over on the water tank cover, Bea was just under our feet and the sheep were hanging around the barn lot.  

Since we were obviously now having a barn party, we called Auntie Reg.  I half jokingly told her that I hoped I didn't end up in the ER by falling through the very frail wooden stand.  There was one basically solid section in the top, right in the middle.  The two sides and the front corner were "spongy" at best.

The Grahaminator had been built in February of 2012 and had been designed to give Hank a safe place to eat without having to deal with Graham stealing his food.  Luckily Saint Tim built it pretty heavy duty, because I loved sitting up there too.  For the last year or so, when it really started to fall apart, he kept saying we needed to take it down.  So we did :-(.

And then we rebuilt it! :-D

I was able to find enough scrap lumber so we didn't need to buy a single board.  The new top was made from an old shearing board a friend had given me years ago.  They had stopped shearing their own sheep and I sure hope I don't have to start shearing ours, so I gave it a new job.  I think it will be happy. 

I was able to save the old end boards and several of the short boards.  They weren't in great shape, but with the new framework they were no longer structurally needed and I wanted to keep as many of the old boards as possible.  That's where the memories are stored!  Tim had left by this point ;-)

As I worked to fit the face pieces I looked over and saw Bea sitting up on the hill watching the sheep and I immediately thought of Hank.  Was it just because I was already thinking about him as we rebuilt his old "tree fort"...or was he still around, checking in.  That was one of his favorite spots to sit.

Everything was going well until the last two boards.  I'd decided to add a bottom board to cover up all the rotted ends and cut the front one just a hair too short.  I remembered from an earlier barn project that "Close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades and barn building," but if we've learned nothing from all the knitting rip outs...  It matches perfectly now ;-).

All it needs is a good coat of fence paint!  And maybe the old ramp, just for posterity...or the chickens.

Archie approved.

There are some great posts about the old Grahaminator.  You can follow this link if you'd like to remember some funny stuff.  I love this picture from 2017.  The good old days.  Hank and Comby were still here and the view was uninterrupted up the hill.  I love that I coincidentally took a picture with my old Crazy Creek chair, a new orange cat and the same knitting bag.  

The view from up top last night.  Click to biggify for sheep.