October 1
We arrived at the lake around 7:30am to find George already there, waiting with his 6000lb all terrain fork-lift, ready to unload the logs once the trucks arrived. The three trucks were due around 8:00am, having driven down from Tennessee, carrying all the supplies from Battle Creek Log Homes that would be needed to construct our log cabin.
Having some time to kill before their arrival, we walked down to the dock to enjoy the view of the lake for a bit.
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- another perfect fall morning on Colemans Lake
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- Waffles and Dave check out the lovely view
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- the leaves are just starting to show their fall colors
We heard the loud sound of diesel engines in the distance and headed up the drive just as the trucks pulled into sight.
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- George jumps onto the truck to have a word with the first truck driver
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- Dave, George and the three drivers discuss how to go about unloading the supplies
It didn’t take much to realize that there was no way the heavy trucks could make it up the driveway. So, as George had somewhat anticipated, the trucks would have to remain in the road and he would have to use the fork-lift to carry all 52 pallets of supplies from there, up the steep driveway to the top of hill, and scatter them around the building site.
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- truck number one
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- George brings down the fork-lift
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- carefully lifts the first pallet
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- lowers the lift and begins the long process of carrying pallets up the drive
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- at the top of the hill
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- George places the pallets in order of building neccessity
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- Dave, riding down to the shed with Waffles close behind
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- cutting two by fours to lay under the pallets
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- bringing the cut boards up to the work site
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- hey Pittsburgh folks, notice that Dave is sporting a Primanti Bros shirt…we happened to be up there last weekend and just might have stuffed ourselves with a couple of their french fry laden sandwiches…yum
Though time consuming, the unloading went smoothly till George picked up a giant pallet containing the heavy timbers for the roof, that didn’t quite fit between the trees that line the driveway. No worries though- it seems that there is no difficulty that George can’t surmount!
Without a word, he lowered the pallet, jumped out of the fork-lift cab and onto his bulldozer. In no time, he had widened the driveway and was able to successfully bring the large pallet to the top of the hill.
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- George runs up to get his bulldozer
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- down go the trees
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- I have to admit, that watching this made me glad I wasn’t there to see the entire home site cleared
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- an image of the Lorax standing on this pile of down trees kept popping into my head
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- George successfully passes through the tight spot
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- yeah, George!
The rest of the unloading went smoothly and seven hours later, they were done.
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- Dave watches to make sure one of the pallets doesn’t fall off the other side of the truck
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- George gets out to take a look
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- SUCCESS, we knew he could do it
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- Dave helps the third bus driver, Dustin (whose last name is also King), load one of the pallets onto the fork-lift
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- Dave and Dustin take a break
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- George and Dave discuss the placement of the pallets around the work site
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- our windows and french doors!!!
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- Using a little extra care, George carefully backs up the driveway with the windows, making sure the oversized crate doesn’t tip forward, off the fork-lift
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- George picks up the last pallet
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- up the drive he goes one last time
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- Dustin and Dave walk up to count the unloaded pallets, Waffles by their side, ever ready to help out if needed
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- pallets…
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- pallets..
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- everywhere, pallets
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- logs….
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- we have lincoln logs!!
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- siding for the second floor
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- railing
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- tongue and groove for the exposed ceiling in the great room
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- timbers that will support the second floor, remaining exposed on the ceiling of the first floor
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- giant 8 x 8 logs that will make up the frame for the wall of windows in the great room
And me? I had three jobs: taking photos, checking the pallet numbers off the list as they were unloaded, and bringing lunch back to the boys while they worked. Two went well, the other, not so much…
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- taking pictures and checking off pallet numbers went well…
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- notice the lug nuts on the front wheel stick our farther that the rest of the truck?
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- I didn’t….coming back with our lunch in Dave’s 4Runner, I was not quite successful in passing the truck on the narrow road…oops
Waffles faired much better. She had a big day chasing after Dave, supervising the work and swimming in the lake. She slept soundly all the way home!
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- Waffles waits ever so patiently by Dave’s side
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- “that’s right George, ease it down gently…”
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- “hey George, George, where ya puttin’ that one George?”
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- Waffles picks up a scent
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- “this lake water is the BEST ever”
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- “sure was thirsty Mom”
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- pooped baby, slept all the way home
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- still exhausted once she got home, Waffles snuggles with Max and almost falls off the couch
the coleman cabin 
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