We turned a "catastrophe" into something fun

**many houseapes** · 10-25-2007, 09:17 PM

This past Monday we had our first strong cold front blow through here. As it was coming in,dd#3 & I went outside(we love this time of year) to watch it come in....it was awesome....until the wind caused a HUGE limb to fall off of our beast of a rotten tree in the backyard(been trying to gradually cut it down) and fell on top of our fence. We couldn't believe what we just saw!...so 4 of the bigger kids & I worked for at least 30 minutes lifting & pulling(with a rope) the branch off of the fence-taking out a fence board as we did so(repaired that).
The limb was still attatched to the tree where it was dangling & being afraid that it might fall on a couple of kids if it finally came completely loose, I got my crew together.With a saw in hand,I shimmied up the tree like the monkey mom that I am and set to saw a weak spot while all of the houseapes except for the youngest ones, dangled with all their weight(under strict supervision) at the same time to convince this stubborn thing to break loose...and after a long while- it did.(neighbors must have thought that we were all looney tunes - all of the laughing as we were working)
I know this is long.....
anyway, the branch was big enough to make a "cave "with the branches. We enforced the walls & roof with the smaller stray branches..then covered the cave with a worn-out shower curtain & a few garbage bags. So now, the kids have the coolest fort ever...until their dad gets home - he'll have to cut the branch up with a chainsaw & put it out to the curb

.
I can remember as a kid making forts in the woods with whatever I could find...I was just happy that i could share this with my kids...we all worked together & made some great memories

**Missy** · 10-25-2007, 10:06 PM

sounds like fun!

and a memory the kids will always have.

**Cricket1** · 10-25-2007, 10:15 PM

That sounds like a great time. I can imagine all the laughing that went along with it. It sounds like you'll have a beautiful memory.

**Michelle68** · 10-25-2007, 10:17 PM

Very cool! Sounds like y'all made lemonade out of lemons. BTW, except for your downed tree branch, wasn't that cold front great? LOTS of wind, but it finally feels like fall. (Well, as much as south Texas can feel like fall.

)

--Michelle

**kittykatstrong** · 10-25-2007, 11:02 PM

I bet the kids had a blast. I loved making forts as a kid. I would make one with just about anything.

Katy

**many houseapes** · 10-26-2007, 08:04 AM

Yeah..that cold front was great I finally was able to turn the ac off.....but now its warming up again-ugh! I wish that I lived in a place where its not summer one day & winter the next...this weather is sooo fickle. Can't wait until another cold front comes through here....and hopefully, we'll have the rest of the tree cut down