Expressions of Love

Thanks to an identification band on our white dove's foot, we were able to locate her owner via the internet. Dove and Clementine Bryant were reunited Thursday afternoon. Clementine raises doves to be used in dove releases for special events and her husband Jeff raises racing pigeons. Our little dove got tuckered out on one of her first training releases and took a detour to Bridgewater for a little R&R. Fly by anytime, girl! We'll miss you!

Back at it!

The hard-working men from Torres Concrete Co. in Matthews, NC, arrived Monday to frame and fashion the cantilever decking along the perimeter of the pool. Additional decking will be added later when the path from the driveway is added.

As in the days of Noah . . .

A friendly visitor greeted us at Bridgewater this evening! Although she was not carrying an olive branch, hopefully she is a sign that the rainy weather has passed, the ground is drying up, and the pool guys can give it another go this week! Bob and the boys from Cabarrus Pool will be back first thing Monday morning to lay the forms for the decking and start pouring the concrete.

Beaver re-location program accelerated

The pond at Bridgewater Farms has a fairly significant population of beavers that are destroying valuable hardwoods along the shore as well as damming up overflows and waterways between adjoining properties. Several ideas have been "floated" to address this issue and, being in South Carolina, you can imagine that many of these plans would result in the beaver's demise.

However, thanks to an animal-loving friend, an alternative solution has emerged . . .

Beth McKinsey, a PT from Asheville, NC, is in charge of the Bridgewater beaver re-location program, in collaboration with Rachel Maddow of MSNBC. Beth's plan is to transfer the beavers to friendly parts of Canada where their intelligence and strong family values are appreciated (beavers are loyal family animals who are monogamous). OK, so it is not really Beth in the photo and Rachel Maddow is not actually collaborating on our relocation program (although she did do a special report on the incredible intelligence of the beaver). But Beth truly does advocate (strongly) for our furry friends and so no beavers have yet been harmed at Bridgewater Farms. They just continue to destroy trees and dam up waterways. God bless 'em.

A beaver is seen here hard at work carrying the trunk of a beautiful Maple tree intended to shade the wheelchair pathway along the pond's edge. OK, OK, this picture is from the internet public domain, but the local beavers have really taken down some trees meant to shade the wheelchair pathway. Really.

Desiree uses the front end loader to clean up branches and overgrowth on the peninsula. Who knew it was the top of a beaver lodge?

Just looks like a pile of sticks to me . . .

Ding-dong . . . . Avon calling . . . . are there any beavers at home? We are having a special on musk and tooth whitening gel!

No, no. The burrow-cam shows clearly that no one is home. Thank goodness, because my hand on the camera shutter was very close to whatever may have been sleeping in there. In any case, these beavers will need to build a new lodge. The peninsula has been re-claimed for humankind. I know, it is so very selfish. Just remember, no beavers were harmed (homeless, but not harmed) in the recording of this adventure. Please do not contact PETA.

Roll it out, Round 'em Up!!

Kathi straps the big garden spray applicator onto her husband's golf caddy and goes to town keeping beds clean and Round(ing) Up fence lines.

As you can tell from her belly, Lady certainly won't miss the extra grass!

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!