Here’s what Mr. Wild Dingo did:

1. Bought and read some books on hi-wind-exposed tree house design
2. Bought the wood, hardware and rope
3. Recycled old netting left over from Nitwit Bridge project
4. Bought patio pillows for dog beds at a furniture sale (like those are gonna last)
5. Measured stuff
6. Wore a tool belt for two days
7. Mitered, ripped, and chain-sawed the wood
8. Climbed a ladder one-thousand, forty-two times
9. Drilled 87 holes for safety railings
10. Used 27 power tools, such as nail gun, miter saw & auger bit
11. Lifted heavy boards
12. Asked for my help once or twice in holding something
13. Installed rope railing and netting
14. Installed plank
15. At Juno’s request, installed slats on plank

Here’s what I did:

1. Complained that the design may take away Juno’s favorite tree stump
2. Pretended to understand the drawings and approved the design
3. Held a 2×6 board on one end for 30 seconds
4. Eased county inspectors concerns on new construction
5. Took notes on home improvements and handed list to Mr. Wild Dingo for county dog-ficial compliance
6. Held a housewarming for the new occupants/inspectors and Wild Dingo Construction
7. Took photos

Good thing we only do these once per year. I don’t think I have the stamina to do that much work on a regular basis.

Wild Dingo begins construction on a new home. 

County Dog-ficials were alerted to new construction so Permit Inspectors show up.

“Um…excuse me Ma’me, do you have a permit for this new building?”

“Well as long as there’s no running water, we’ll allow it.
But make sure the piers are 25 feet deep per earthqauake regulations.”

“Sheer” wall goes in.

This Inspector prefers to maintain her Victorian lady-like dignity while the boys work outside.

There’s nothing hotter than a husband weilding a tool belt working the power tools.
Loki’s ears tell us he’s not all too certain he likes the going’s on around his yard.

Sometimes I think he can’t get more handsome. Then he pulls out a pose like this.

Behold! The Treehouse.

County Inspectors doing what they do best: nothing.

Occupants move in.

This Inspector requested safer on-ramp/exit ramp.

So she got miniture stair-stops.

I am Juno Belle Starling and I approve this on-ramp.

 There seems to be plenty of ventilation in this house.

More tree house shennanigans to be posted later this week!

This is what Scott did:

1. Designed the fence in Power Point
2. Designed the post recessed panel and crown facia
3. Researched finials and hardware from Victorian catalogs and ordered
4. Measured for amounts of materials he would need
5. Bought the wood
6. Ordered the finials (not yet installed)
7. Cut a template for the pickets and asked for my approval
8. Mocked up a post design in wood for my approval
9. Mulled for days over the post design heights and aesthetics
10. Shopped for any extra hardware he may need, like the paint sprayer
11. Installed all the post exterior facia
12. Decided two post fasciae are wrong and re-installed them
13. Measured spacing between each post to achieve the “divine proportion” separation on pickets.
14. Developed spreadsheet for spacing between pickets and # of pickets he’d need
15. Tried to print out spreadsheet during precious daylight time, only to run into still unknown computer/printer communication errors
16. Cursed printer, HP, all their ‘kin, and decides to “wing it”
17. Cut, sanded and installed all pickets
18. Masked for painting
19. Primed and painted the fence
20. Installed the hardware and hinges

This is what I did:

1. Approved designs
2. Approved posts
3. Approved pickets
4. Approved divine proportion
5. Bought the paint and primer. This was kind of a huge pain in the butt because I had to go to the store TWO times because Scott didn’t know how much paint he needed. Teaches me to marry a guy who doesn’t know what he’s doing.
6. Walked and played with Loki
7. Attempted to mask for painting only to have Scott grow completely frustrated with my lack of skills and did it himself
8. Started to sand some pickets only to run out of time because Loki needed to go to the park to play with his friends.
9. Oooo’d and Ahhh’d a lot

Glad THAT’S over. That week sure wasn’t any picnic for me.