Need a Lift?

Rona, Kylie, and Diane took a road trip down to Columbia, SC, to pick up a used pool lift listed on the South Carolina Assistive Technology Exchange website. The lift is similar to the one in the bottom photo. Many thanks to Laura Touchberry--the lift will enable some of our older children to safely access the pool!

A friend indeed!

A new volunteer has come to the rescue! Just when Diane thought she couldn't possibly mow another blade of grass or chop another dozen trees into firewood, relief has arrived! Desiree is donating her time at Bridgewater to help get things ready as soon as possible for the children, and especially for her friend Kylie. Desiree is a fireball of energy with a whole portfolio of skills including landscaping, painting, electrical, and plumbing! Thanks, Desiree (and Kylie!)

Our first Harley!

Adele and George of Monroe, NC, hate to part with this beauty, but they are glad to see her go to a good home. With a whisper quiet battery powered ride and a top speed of nearly 15 mph, guests can now tour the Bridgewater grounds in style. Thanks Adele and George! And good luck with your coastal Carolina adventure!

Muddy Mess!

OK, so the top picture is not really from Bridgewater and it is a bit of an exaggeration! However, rainy weather over the past week has certainly put a damper on pool progress. We need several dry days before we can proceed with the concrete and stone work. :(

Busy Thursday, (last Thursday, that is)

Last Thursday was a busy day poolside. Nate and Dana worked hard to clean the red mud out of the water as fast as Dean (of Campbell Grading) worked to dump it back in! Actually, Dean was adding more fill behind the spa to make sure we have room for adequate decking for the wheelchairs. At the same time, Oliver (of the most excellent Absolute Tree Experts) was volunteering his time and expertise to remove some trees that were in the path of the concrete and equipment. A veritable symphony of competent men!

Spa Scene, Day Six

Bob stopped by just in time to help Bill and Nate set the spa on its foundation. Now we are just waiting on the final OK from the inspectors to turn the power on to the pumps and filters.

Aquatic Antics, Day 5

Nate and Bill move the hot tub from the pasture to the pool area. Needless to say, the horses were disappointed.

Bill takes a break after installing the jets on the lower tier of the hot tub. With a heat index over 100 degrees and a back full of red Carolina clay, who could ask for better working conditions?! Meanwhile, Diane digs out a hole for the spa. It needs to be just the right height to make transfers easier for our older kids.

Water Works, Day 4

Today was an electrifying day, literally! Nate and Bill wired up the pool lights and connected the remaining plumbing to the equipment pad. Meanwhile, a team from Matthews, NC, set up some new circuits in the power box and ran enough electrical line to light a small city!

After nearly ten hours in the hot sun, the guys from Ideal Electrical Services can still muster a tired, sweaty smile! Devon, Chris, and Ryan--thank you for all your hard work today!

Pool Progress, Day 3

Today we backfilled the hole with gravel and brought in about 6000 gallons of water. The guys also set up the equipment pad and moved the filters, pumps, and heater into position (third time's a charm! Sorry, fellas!)

If you're picky about where you want your plumbing lines to run, make sure you have your backhoe handy, ladies. Diane helps out here by digging a 35-foot ditch to the equipment pad to keep the plumbing from running under the proposed pool house/dressing area.

Pool Play, Day 2

The guys were back on Saturday crawling under and around the pool to level it, add support pylons, and get a jump start on plumbing. Everyone will get a good rest on Sunday before returning Monday to finish plumbing and start backfilling the hole.

Special Delivery from Brant!

Branton Queen, a PT from Atlanta, went above and beyond the call to personally deliver our new Universal Exercise Unit (aka "spider cage"). Thanks for the VIP service, Brant! This is going to help our kids so much!

Our Pool Arrives!!! Day One.

Today we celebrated the arrival of our San Juan pool from Florida, thanks to Dwayne (a trucker with nerves of steel!) The team from Cabarrus Pools quickly went to work to dig the hole and move the pool with a little help from Mike of AME crane rental. Special thanks to Gene Shaver of Gene Shaver Backhoe for his expert excavation and also his kind donation to Bridgewater Farms. Bob, Bill, Nate, and Robert will be back tomorrow to level the pool and install the plumbing.

Shane and Shane

Shane and Shane work together to lay new tile in the family media room. Although I'm reminded of "Darryl, and my other brother, Darryl", Shane and Shane are not brothers. Just cousins.

The room is looking fantastic!

Dog days of summer!

Whew! It is H-O-T in July in South Carolina!!! But the crepe myrtles are blooming and the sky is a beautiful Carolina Blue! Nothin' could be finer . . .

But the really good news is that the pool is being delivered next Friday!