Once the painting was done we got out the cutting tools, crow bars and hammers and started dismantling the scaffold. I worked on cutting the top railings into sections and tossing them to the ground while Peter pried up the planks. Then while I cut the supports from the structure flush with the tree, Peter mixed up a batch of fiberglass reinforced concrete to apply as patches over the holes. This was allowed to set up while we ate lunch. When we got back it was ready for carving to match the surrounding tree. It didn't take long to finish the task. In a few days we'll paint the patches and they will blend perfectly into the tree.

Finally we could see the whole house and how everything related to each of the other pieces. It seems to work pretty good. Now I am anxious to put all the soil back around the tree roots and perhaps start in on some landscaping. That will have to wait a little while yet, until the windows are in and all the painting is done.

Tomorrow, we'll be seeing a whole lot more color as the crew returns for one last week before they head back to university. I'm looking forward to a great wek!

-grampa dan