Make Like a Mule

Cue the old Rolling Stones tune, I’m going to be a Beast of Burden. It appears I’m going to need to make like a mule for the next few weeks.

Last Friday we started shifting the lumber for the new veranda. We splurged and paid for delivery to the roadside, which kept us from needing to make several trips with the Jeep, not to mention loading and unloading, swapping out the car between Michelle and me so she could work, and all the other hassles.

I began that morning by going out to take a look at the lumber pile, and to pick up a newly-filled propane tank from the car to haul in. I brought a beam home in my arms on that trip. Then, Michelle and I hiked out and shuttled the lumber across the bay a few boards at a time, to stage at the trail head. Crossing the bay requires about a half mile hike, so we logged a few miles running back and forth with loads. After Michelle went on to work, I hauled about 4 boards home, and left another pair about half way.

Since then, we’ve been bringing boards home a few at a time. If they have the energy, Aly and Michelle each grab a board for the hike home. I try to bring a few over each day. If I can time the trip right, and get a little help balancing the load while I secure it on my back, I can carry a couple of boards over on the back board, with a third in my hands. These boards are sunwood, which appears to be heavier than plain lumber. I can’t seem to carry as many of these as I did when we moved the lumber for the grow boxes over the trail.

In addition to this, I’ve got firewood to haul from The Blow Down still. Not only that, but Aly isn’t moved in completely . . . . Sometime in the coming week, her household goods will arrive by barge. Twenty-two boxes (and a sledgehammer!) for a total weight of 640 pounds! That all needs to get here somehow.

Of course, we don’t have the right tides or weather conditions to move all of these items by boat—at least not so far—things might change before we’re done. I may hire a neighbor boy to help haul, too. He needs the money, and his young muscles will recover more quickly than mine.