West Virginia Destruction & Reconstruction

Granny and Pap moved here 40 years ago. The house was abandoned and near ruin. In some rooms there weren't floors. There was no indoor plumbing, electric, of course, and I believe all the windows were busted out. 

There also was no back porch, 

I remember this; a wasp sting and driving my little trucks around in the soft dust. 

Over time it got built back up and comfortable. 

But things have a way of going down hill after a while. It's starting to look like I remember it did when I was little, some is through age and some comes by the way of big trees.

It looks like it should be abandoned, but Granny won't budge. We all shake our heads in amazement the way the tree skimmed down and just took out the porch, why, if it landed any closer the whole house might have collapsed. That thought is only stopped by the fact that Granny herself was inside.

 Granny has great neighbors that came to her rescue, and got busy right away peeling the tree out of her face.

 It doesn't look too bad with out the back porch and I kind of though we would wait until fall to get one built back. But I didn't realize how much weather came into her house with out this shelter, or the fact that she needs the ramp to walk into her house. 

A crew was assembled, along with plenty of bystanders.

 

 That's Ted, in the red shirt, he ramrodded the outfit. Barking orders and chewing on his cigar, he was the man for the job. He had a good balance of doing the job right and an understanding that this project was a fine example of new wine in an old bottle.

 Some Samuel Self Shot

This lumber was milled a few days before with Ted's Wood Mizer (sigh, drool, sigh).

 A good day's work and the porch was done. Everything righted and cleaned up.

Looks pretty nice, doesn't it?

My mountain Granny. 

It was hard to say goodbye.