I have my old wooden ladder under my back porch.
      Kind of a metaphor for us old Galoots.
Its made a wonderful life for me. It has helped me, and helped others 
which helps myself in the bargain. Its been there when the chips were down.

Got this ladder used about 20 years ago. (just like the porch)
Yard sale or somesuch. (porch was free)
It was used, but not that much.
      I have 20 years of jobs associated with this ladder. It has lived 
a really long time in wooden ladder years.  In this time, only once, in 
all his time, did I need to go over all the fasteners and generally do 
the serious ladder maintenance once over. Look at and adjust every part 
of it, you know.

Well it was time.
Summer and low humidity means it was as loose as it was going to get.
Lots of screws to be drawn up. Rivets to be tightened. And the main top, 
the strong part all the rest of the ladder depends on? That needed more 
support.

    If you don't think these were the screwiest angles I ever had to 
fit, well you never built a boat.
  http://users.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/images/house/ladder4.jpg
See how tame they look attached like this? Yeah right.

Such weird angles I simply had to cut n try, remark, cut n try. Then 
copy one to the other in mirror image.
http://users.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/images/house/ladder3.jpg

   The little paint can shelf is actually critical to the engineering, 
and I had to reinforce that too.
http://users.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/images/house/ladder5.jpg

  Every part is now tight as a drum again. I am pretty sure it can go 
another 20 years now, with utmost care.
    I hope we can too.


So.................. porch stories?
  Want to hear a story?
  How about a story of a girl?
   and nothing less than the absolute perfect girl on skates for me. 
Perfect age, location, perfect circumstance, local leader. A radiantly 
darling ex cheerleader.
I fell in love with her in 5 minutes, 15 years ago. Its stronger now.

Not just me. The whole town, whole valley, everyone.
Watching us and waiting.
We are both as public as we can be.

I am operating a genuine fairytale castle life over here.
   Complete with real magic.
I am offering it to no one else.

   Whatever I do, in whatever way I do it, infuriates her.
  Like, I love Lucy infuriated.

   I am living in a Shakespearian play.
        yours Scott

-- 
*******************************
    Scott Grandstaff
    Box 409 Happy Camp, Ca  96039
    scottg@s...
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/hpages/index.html