Our bigger and better gazebo arrived and we went to pick it up.
We were in the old beater truck as the package we were collecting weighed 550 lbs. As we got into Nanaimo we stopped at a light and I noticed wisps of smoke coming from the left front wheel well. Great, that’s all we needed.
We got to Lowes, dropped off the old gazebo and waited for the fork lift to load the new one. All the time I was worrying about how we were going to get home with a busted truck.
They eventually brought out the package and we tried to load it onto the truck. There were three of us pushing with Rosalie supervising. The darn thing got stuck and wouldn’t slide off the forks. But then somehow the lid of the box popped open and low and behold, inside were six smaller packages. Now it was easy.
We still had to get home though. The problem we had was that the brake was dragging intermittently. I found that if I hammered the brake pedal with my foot it would free it up for a while. It worked and we got home just fine with no more smoke. Another job for another day.
That afternoon, I opened all the boxes and checked the contents to make sure all the parts were there. This took about two hours. Holy smoke, there were a lot of parts. I couldn’t start without Peter who was coming the next day. I had to have him to supervise, lose bits and generally get in the way. I jest! I couldn’t have done it without him. Thanks again Peter.
So, the construction begins. The instruction said that it would take six to eight people two and a half hours to erect. Peter and I reckoned we could halve that time. We had started at about 10:30 that morning and at four o’clock I called it a day with about an hour’s work left which I finished up the following morning.
We would have completed it a lot sooner but neighbours kept dropping by. Some out of curiosity and one to offer a second ladder which we found very handy. I didn’t mind the interruptions as one brough me a bottle of wine for helping him find a TV antenna.
While Peter and I were working Rosalie had gone to the monthly campground meeting. She returned with the news that they had been discussing gazebos in the park. I don’t know what it was about but it was up now and no way was it coming down anytime soon.
We love it, it’s comfortable and way back in the trees where the air is coolest. If it gets too cool we can close the walls and light the new chiminea. Which is another story for another day.