Burn

     Feel as though playing hookey: beautiful warm, sunny, dry morn; last rain identify garage roof leak, should repair.  With New Year, revisit last, review 'gotten to this point' decisions, largely happy 'bout drift: much continues organic resolution - support, rebuild Swett Lodge decisions streamline, refine; bolts, boards on hand doable.  All signs point ahead.
     Eugene colonizes brain, encourages Swett Lodge flowering OR experience bud view.  Not only wacko family clan here, accrue wacko friends as well.  What a deal!  Thursday eve, join Kate, Lakeside roll.  Receive neighbor's (Mr. Fireworks) call:  'don't wanna go anywhere New Year's Eve, let's blow off ordnance at Swett Lodge, have some folk by, partee'.  'K'.
     Burn Friday.  At Kate's lake place ash neighbor's pile half 50 yard, 25 foot high shared laurel hedge six feet height cut trims; shear hedge remainder, burn.  Kate sparks blaze 'bout 9am, put pile to sleep twelve smoky, ashy, chain saw yankin', house front/burn pile brush draggin', man's axe (3.5 pounds) wieldin', mud slippin' hours later.  Nice: Kate, friend Trish help.  Trusty cowboy hat; discover some LA thrift shop years ago; faithfully rain, sun, snow, wind protect; frazzle worn; fiery pyre consign, turn in prior.  So long, pardner!

     Roll home New Year's Eve day, hang out, stove stoke, eat dinner, friend shows.  Mr. Fireworks (MF) appears 'bout nine pm, decides truncate show appropriate.  OK.  Ordnance diddles awhile (never my cup of tea), 'ventually round 11pm says 'gettin' close', don cold weather gear, hang outside.  Bit later MF appears: 'paranoid', maybe no go.  Cajole, encourage haul works cross street into park dark corner, go, come back.  Midnight approaches.  'Noid MF takes rig onto sidewalk outside Swett Lodge directly under sodium vapor street light, stopped car's headlights shining his way from couple blocks off, torches both two minute fuses; hesitates - stands there - while fuses burn, shortly before detonation runs off: three good size aerial blasts, few smaller ground blasts.  Definitely New Year's welcomer, shining headlights car honks appreciation passing.  MF says 'never again'.  Paranoia got him.  Not many minutes later cops roll by.  Citizen few blocks off stages redeeming, multi rocket show.  Late, start noddin', MF does too: 'maybe I'll spend the night'.   Doesn't go over too well with Swett Lodge's proprietor - he lives end of the block: heave ho!  Glad didn't invite major bunch for what became minor show, find more exciting NYE companionship next year, hope never experience combat/MF!
 

     Holiday revelers bestow edible treats including cookies, caramel, home made noodles, sweets: most don't last long enough to photograph.  Exception: opening persimmon.  Family members gift thoughtfully, lightheartedly.
     Big New Year's event: Rose Bowl - Ducks versus Badgers.  Only cable airing, Kate works up Rose Bowl party streaming connection with digital lag issues.  Crummy picture exasperated, Spud splits half time prior to view at a bar.  Half time Jesse retrieves xbox from home, achieves clear picture.  Kate calls Spud, he returns.  Almost immediately picture acts up, Spud leaves again, turn radio broadcast on, finally get good picture going, able to enjoy final quarter or so Duck's victory.  If glitches to date any 2012 indication: ain't gonna be simple!   

     Two point five inches rain twenty four hour period breaks December dry spell, produces garage roof leak.

Plastic cover roll canvases, boxes prints/paintings; place five gallon pail, black tub under leaks.

Close roof inspection reveals shoddy workmanship (yep, yours truly :}): fortunately freebie heavy duty reinforced plastic adequate patch material on hand.  (Problem area where lower course black tar paper extends left beyond upper.  Tar seal attempted: NG after one year.)  Next dry day.....

     Crawl Swett Lodge under retrieve small stack 2x6s, etc. shoring wood; seven foot, eleven foot 4x12 previous owner installed beams - nice chunks.  Find water pools round newly placed beam support piers,

 

decide rework east side drainage.  

     Couple afternoons dig drainage ditch alongside carport slab (so far to post, eventually back to carport behind garage) disallow water running over slab, pooling next Swett Lodge,

extend beyond gate into front yard, 

  old drive way area relocate fill,

make nice nearly level east side run off flood plain, lush flat lawn to be.

     

     Await rain, further establish run off ditch/plain shape/depth; resulting fill augment grade level west (garden) side Swett Lodge.  First up, of course: garage roof repair.  Relaxing holidays allow next couple Swett Lodge steps bubble up: begin replace joist ends near middle east side where 2x4 sill plate/studs still good, work toward front.  Ensuing steps: evident in time. 

     Trust lame year launch not indicative year's quality.

     As always: been a gas.

     Happy New Year One And All!  

     Peace