it’s really going slow. “it” being “everything.”
the deck is coming out very nice… but it’s taking forever. finished installing the decking surface on the upper deck, got maybe 1/3 of the lower deck’s on.

trimming the boards to go around the 4×4 posts as tight as possible took some time. ’specially with a pretty broken jigsaw. ended up doing most of it with a japanese trim saw and a chisel.
trimmed the end of the boards just before nightfall, so i at least feel like there was some accomplishment today.

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THAT should be added to the title.
oh, she’s cute… and i love having her work with me… but it definitely takes a lot longer to get things done. it’s not necessarily her being in the way, which she’s actually very good at avoiding, the slowdown comes from things like me playing with her. it sure is cute when she lays in the trench i just dug, and says “HIIIIII” with a big smile…

i do think it’ll be advantageous to both her and myself to have her help me with the work: she’ll get to learn as i did… and i’ll get to teach her. my grandpa had me help with everything, starting when i could walk. mowing a lawn, felling a tree, rebuilding an engine, or repairing a TV. anything and everything in between. sure, part of it was me being free labor (once i was old enough to actually provide proper labor, rather than just make a mess)… but i use what my grandpa taught me, daily. he instilled the “i can do it myself” attitude that led to me learning to do everything myself. further than just doing it myself… doing it right, solving issues, and enjoying it. mechanical aptitude, technical thought and determination (along with stubbornness and being too cheap to have anyone else do the work) has become part of me. i’m proud to have the ability to not only do work with my own hands, but to be good at it. my grandpa imparted upon me a set of values that are priceless.
now it’s my turn. i can only hope that she’ll enjoy it even half as much as i do.

~

the trench:

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