Goodale Family Musings: Andrew's Eagle Scout Project

For Andrew's Eagle Scout project, he has been building and installing benches along two trails down at the Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge at Lake Lowell in Nampa, Idaho. To the right here is a panoramic view of part of the refuge, with part of one of the trails in view, plus two of the four benches, and even my favorite mother-in-law walking the trail (you'll have to click on the pic to enlarge it to see the detail). :-)

These benches did claim a victim. I had just returned from a business trip to San Francisco and was helping Andrew with the benches in our garage last Friday evening. Now... these things are made of very high quality (and heavy) Trex board and cast iron steel - in total I estimate each bench approaches 200 pounds. One of them fell, and like an idiot I tried to catch it. I would like to claim that my actions saved Andrew from a broken toe or foot, but I think he got out of the way in time, anyway. Emergency Room x-rays later that night revealed no broken bones, thankfully; however, the tendons are severely strained, and it's just a bad sprain. The E.R. doc was talking about surgery it's so bad, but I'm just chalking that up to crazy talk!

Andrew "sold" the benches to sponsors at the refuge's 100th anniversary celebration back in June (pic at left). We've been building the benches at our house, where they had take over our garage. This past Saturday, though, was the big day when we installed the benches down there. With a small crew we installed all four benches in about three-and-a-half hours. I went back there yesterday to remove the "caution" tape now that the cement has set, and to cover the cement bases back up with dirt and rock.

Other than Ma & Pa and Gran'Ma, the two adult scout leaders to come and help install were Delynn Searle and Scott Ableman [pictured at left eating pizza, supplied by Gran'Ma (also pictured) - thank you!]. They're both a crackup and made things really fun, so thank you! Thank you also to Lloyd Lumber of Nampa and Kuna Machine Shop (of Kuna - go figure) for all their advice and at-cost supplies to help make it all possible.

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