Monday, September 13, 2010

A Rebirth

A year ago this month our hard-working, beloved old high-sided trailer suffered a terrible indignity during a bad wind storm.

This piece of equipment was old when hubby's Uncle George gave it to us shortly after we were married 47 years ago. We've rebuilt it twice and I cannot begin to tell you how much we've used it and everything that's been hauled in it. When we went out to survey the damage the morning after the storm and came upon the above scene, it almost felt like we'd lost a member of the family.

After checking out the damage, we thought it wasn't salvageable. But during the time since the tree whomped down on it, every now and then one of the "men folk" seeing it parked in an out of the way place on the property would walk around it, get down on hands and knees to take a peek underneath and say he thought the frame wasn't too badly damaged and maybe it could be saved. So we rethought our decision to junk it and decided to give a go at rebuilding it.

A couple of weeks ago when family was visiting from California, our nephew-in-law, B, told hubby he wanted to help get started on taking off the sides and damaged metal. They got a good bit done before B left to go home. (What was I doing that afternoon? I failed to get a picture, but I sure wish I had.)

Last Saturday good friend J stopped by, apparently couldn't stand to see the job half done, and insisted on helping finish the deconstruction.

And go at it, they did.

A few cold beers later, and almost finished.

All ready to go to the local body shop to have the frame straightened.

This morning hubby delivered the skeleton trailer to the shop at 8 A.M. and tonight we got a call saying he could pick it up tomorrow morning.

Now some welding on of new supports, building a new floor and sides and we'll be back in business again. Whoopee! We have missed having that trailer more than you could imagine.

8 comments:

Erin said...

Yay! I remember that post and hubby saying "ouch!" when he saw the pic! He had to rebuild our trailer before he left since we went to pick up a refrigerator and it kind of "fell through" the bottom, ooops!

Bet your hubby's happy as a clam - men and their "equipment", such a bond!

Jane @ Hard Work Homestead said...

Nature can really give you a kick in the pants sometimes. So glad you could preform trailer CPR and bring it back to life.

Jenyfer Matthews said...

They don't make things the way they used to :)

Sue said...

Beer---the great motivator!!
Glad you got the trailer fixed.

By the way--you can remove the Making a House a Home from your blog roll--I deleted that blog.

Mary said...

I love reading your blog, and this story was wonderful. :)

Susan said...

One of the many good things about living in the country is that the 'menfolk' cannot stand to see something in need of fixing. And a cold beer or two is usually the only payment needed for their work. Viva la trailer!

Mama Pea said...

Erin - Yup, he did have a big smile on his face this morning when he pulled the "straightened" trailer frame back into the yard.

jane - When the tree fell on the trailer, it was in a spot where we've never parked it before. Was it meant to happen for some reason??

Jen - THAT'S for sure!

Sue - Cheap labor I call it.

I need to do a bit of clean-up and changes on my blog home page. But I just like seeing "Making a House a Home" there. It reminds me of you. But I do have to list your new blog, I know.

Mary - Thanks for commenting. Now I've found your blog!

Susan - Yup. Bless their little equipment/tool oriented hearts.

Marty said...

You were right - that is really a family member!