My dad, my brother Nick and my brother-in-law Gary did a lot of work on the house on Winchester Place, and I helped out when I could make it back from college. I was able to help clear some of the land in the beginning, and when it was done I was able to help to clean the brick. Cleaning the brick involves scrubbing hydrochloric acid on the brick to remove the excess mortar and squeezing out between the brick as they were placed.

The house in the background of this picture has a tall 2.5 story wall on the downhill side of the house. I was in the skid loader bucket fully extended to scrape and scrub as high as I could. The skid loader was positioned in the driveway that runs aside the house above the empty wooded lot, which soon became Tina's.

As I was scrubbing I noticed I was moving slowly further away from the wall. I looked at the base of the skid loader to realize the gears were slipping and the multi-ton machine was inching toward the drop of the edge of the road and the property.

I yelled "Dad!" "What," was the response. "Hurry up and get out here." "I am in the bathroom." He comes running around the corner, jumps in the skid loader, buckles his seatbelt and the machine begins to tip. I jump out of the bucket and try to scrape down the wall I was young and ok. Dad went tumbling over backwards in the machine, breaking small trees and smashing brush along the way. Thank goodness Tina's house came a few years later.

After the dust cleared a many thousand pound machine was on it's side in uncleared woods 8 feet below the driveway. So, we went and got the car hauler (also pictured), placed it on the street and pulled the winch out, used chains and the bucket. Some time later I was back in the bucket scrubbing brick.

While things usually went more to plan, this type of activity with dad was typical. While at the time I thought the time I spent with my father normal, later I understood how fortunate I am. 

A month after we had Levi, Nick and Belle came out to meet him and stay for Levi's first Christmas. We live in a small 900 square foot, 2 bedroom condo, on the 27th floor, in the middle of downtown Denver; one whole side of the living room wall is a sliding glass door with a killer view....I'm pretty sure it was Nick's nightmare. To say he got a little stir crazy in our house would be an understatement. We being new parents, were not too use to getting out and about with a newborn, compounded with it being winter, kept us inside a little more. Nick's inablitly to remain idle in a small space, had him finding some "projects". 

First he wanted to go up into our crawl space...which was quickly terminated because we don't have a crawl space. 

The second project, he recruited Scott, and the two of them waited for Belle, I and Levi to go out for some shopping. We had a great time getting our Christmas shopping completed. We  were out for about 2 hours, which was quite a long time with a newborn and I was exhaused and ready to be home. When we got back, the house was in complete disarray. 

Remember that sliding glass door I mentioned.....

Remember that it is December in Colorado.....

These 2 clowns had taken the sliding glass door off the wall and had it in the middle of the living room. Cold air flowing freely into the house & no where to walk because the sliding glass door is 1/3 the size of our living room wall. Levi's baby swing and bouncy chair piled up on the couch. Tools everywhere. 

"Oh you're back. I know this looks really bad, but my Dad and I are fixing the door for you, so you can open it easier."

"SCOTT, IT'S DECEMBER & it's 20 degrees outside right now." 

"I know, that's why I hung a blanket over the opening."

"Why are you doing this right now? This is a summer project. Are we going to be able to stay here tonight?"

"I think we can get it fixed by tonight...I hope so..."

Nick then interjecting: "It's not gonna take all night."

Scott then adding: "I have to go back to the Home depot now and get some more parts." 

3 hours later and a second trip to the home depot and the door was up & it did open and close much better. After that, when they would come and visit, I made sure to save some home repair projects for Nick. He screwed all the wobbly chairs & dining table legs for me, helped fix the vacuum when it stopped working & then vacuumed the house, fixed the couch legs and some of Levi's toys. I'm going to miss his tinkering.