Man of Many Projects

Thinking back I can't remember a single repairman ever coming to our home when I was a kid. The time the pipes froze under the kitchen sink...my dad took care of everything..I can still see him huddled under those cabinets with the blow torch lit. Or when our lower level (a fancy way to describe a walk-out basement) needed updating and remodeling...my dad did it all. He ripped out the 1970's red shag carpets, hung and painted new drywall, designed and built walk-in closets with cedar lined drawers...and the list goes on and on. But the many talents he possesses are not limited to only home improvements and carpentry because he's also a whiz at general car mechanics, boat engine repair, antique car restoration, and lawn design. At least once a year some huge project evolved from his imagination. One summer it was the expansion of our sundeck complete with a privacy wall of his design and a new outdoor table fashioned from a door! Or the time he winterized our house by switching us over to wood heat by installing wood burning stoves on both levels, creating a wood shed with a secret door (making cords of wood accessible from our breezeway so you didn't have to brave the elements outdoors when stacking) all in order to save some money on heating bills. His expertise in all things extended to more than just repairs and building for a purpose because these schemes and ideas of his were put to work in order to maximize the fun of every situation. For example, each winter he would build elaborate jumps at the bottom of our sled hill to maximize lift. Or how he would take the snow blower to the pond out back to clear the ice once the river froze...but if it hadn't frozen yet he would create our own ice rink using the garden hose on our backyard. I remember camp-outs in random boats he had just purchased to fix up and learning to drive in antique cars with three on the tree. I don't believe there is anything he can't fix or figure out! When I really stop to ponder what he's capable of doing it's pretty darn extraordinary. And it makes him exactly who he is...my dad of many projects. (By the way his latest project has taken him to northern Michigan via his motorcoach after spending the summer in Colorado working as a handyman...and remember he's retired!)