Our Family Treehouse: November 2006

Off to the Turkey Rod Run

There will be no working on the treehouse this weekend. We're off to the Daytona Turkey Rod Run. I know the picture is not in front of the treehouse but we're in a hurry. . .

The Day Before. . . Turkey Day!

Mea came home from the university for Thanksgiving so I had to show her what we had done to the treehouse while she was away learning computer programming ...*cough* playing computer games *cough* or are you supposed to *sneeze* when you say that?

Anyway, tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we are having the family over for dinner. No work will get done on the treehouse this weekend because the Friday after Thanksgiving we head off to the Turkey Rod Run in Daytona Beach. We're taking our 1956 red T-Bird!

I'll have to take a picture of the T-Bird in front of the treehouse so you can see it. I love to drive it, it's so much fun. And tomorrow is Royce and my wedding anniversary, we have been married 21 years! Doesn't time fly. . .

Another Truss Day

Royce & I made the front trusses and he nailed them in place. It takes a lot of nails and time because we are nailing them together by hand instead of using the nail gun.

Here's what they look like from the inside of the treehouse.

Royce nailed some temporary 2 X 4s to take the place of front porch posts to support the trusses until we can get the real posts in place.

Once we get them together then Royce can use the nail gun to secure them.

Back to Making Trusses

Now that the pine tree ordeal is over we can get back to making the trusses for the treehouse.

I have a feeling these may take awhile with the holidays upon us, we will be quite busy with finding time to work on our project of love.

We got a few trusses done today despite the time we had to spend cutting down the dead pine tree, cutting it up into logs, and carting them away.

It's getting late and it's almost too dark to see what we are doing so it's time to put the tools away to work another day.

Looks like a fine job too me!

Gone is Gone

Good As New

Well almost . . . I would rather have the tree living and the floor cut out around it. But you know what they say "Stuff Happens!".

So we made the best out of it and replaced the floor boards.

I'm trying to wedge this one back into place so we can nail it down. It was a tight fit but we finally got it back right.

The tell-tale sawdust is the only evidence that a tree was ever here.

Ole Pine Tree

Pine beetles will kill a pine forest and the only thing to do when you realize that they are in a tree is to get rid of it fast.

Before all our trees start looking like this we have to cut this one down.

Royce gets the chain saw and makes quick work of cutting down the problem.

All that's left is the stump of the pine tree.

Making Trusses

Royce cut the boards for the left side of the treehouse trusses and I nailed them together.

We used small pieces of plywood to hold the 2 X 4s together. Now all I need to do is make sure I don't hit my index finger again with the hammer.

As I was nailing them together Royce was putting the left side of the trusses in place. We discovered we have a problem with the pine tree you see directly in front of the treehouse,

it seems that pine beetles have bore holes in it and all the pine needles have turned brown.

Taylor's Birthday

Today is a very special day. Can you guess what day this is? I'll give you a hint. . . Nine years ago today our first grandchild was born. Yes It's Taylor's birthday!

She's our treehouse creative artist!

Treehouse Trusses

Royce cut the 2 X 4s for the roof trusses and we nailed them together. Then he started nailing them into place on the treehouse.

This is the first part of the roof that will support the dormer windows. The center of the treehouse will have a higher roof. That's why you see the 2 X 4s going straight up near the center.