Spring with John

John has been building a pergola on our back deck. The old Trek decking  failed due to a manufacture's error and needs to be replaced. Trek will pay for the new decking, but will not pay for the cost of installing it, (mumble, grumble) so John is doing it and of course needs to make it bigger and better, thus the new pergola. We greatly appreciated Thomas's engineering experience, youth and strength. I always worry when John does something big like this since his last heart attack occurred while putting in our sprinkling system, but I can't stop him. He didn't have a heart attack, but he did give me a scare. I was in the kitchen and happen to look up just as I saw John's ladder (the big tall one seen below) give a lurch sideways, and the last beam Thomas and John were trying to span across the posts fall on his shoulder. I raced outside in my stocking feet and supported John's ladder so he wouldn't fall 15 feet onto the deck supports below, as Thomas flew off his ladder and moved it so he could  lift the beam off of John's shoulder. Afterwards Thomas said, "Mom, it was a tender mercy that you happened to look outside when you did. Dad was just about ready to fall."



My new camera has this really cool lighting effect. I love this picture of John and Thomas moving the ladder!

John actually did fall of the ladder as he was finishing the pergola, but as he puts it, it was only four feet, so it wasn't bad, just a banged up knee and some bruising. Sigh.

John has been smoking brisket and pork for the Davis High Invitational Track Meet coaches luncheon since Annie and Thomas ran track, about 15 years, 10 of which haven't had anyone in high school. The track meet was this weekend and I have to admit I am getting a little tired of it. John has to stay up all night to keep the fire going and he is exhausted by time we cut and serve the meat. I suggested that maybe this could be the last year. But John said no, he really likes being able to do something for others. He is a lot nicer that I am. He is also able to get the track team a $1000 grant from Allstate because he volunteers his time and that would go away if we quit.

Besides the track meet John really wanted to go kayaking Saturday afternoon. It was the first warm day we have had this spring and we are going to be busy for the next four weekends. Annie also wanted to get her kayak out on the water so we went out to the Great Salt Lake for a paddle. Even though we were both tired from the meet, it was great to get out.



I feel like I look really squatty bodied in the kayak with my life jacket and hat.



Annie in her new kayak, notice she is color coordinated. and not squatty body

When I started writing this I didn't realize it would be all about John, sometimes that's the way it goes. He is such a huge part of my life right now with the kids gone. I still have visions of finding him laying dead of a heart attack in his shop, office, yard or at the bottom of a ladder. But I can't stop him from doing the things he loves, so I just try and do them with him.