What comes down must go back up

This weekend is a loonnnggg holiday weekend in the USA, as Independence Day is next Tuesday. The company that I work for is also closed on Monday, so it will be in essence, a four day weekend. I am extending that to five, as I will be taking Friday off as well.

Last summer, we had to take down our backyard shed, due to damage from branches overhanging from our backyard neighbor. It didn't help that squirrels found openings from the branch damage and seized the opportunity to make our shed their winter home. That, plus age, water damage and rot, it was time to say goodbye to the old shed.

A new one is coming on Saturday. However, before they can install it (it's pre-built) I need to get some things done, hence the reason for taking Friday off. They will have to temporarily remove part of the chain link fence that separates our property from our neighbors, so they can haul it into the backyard. Once it's back there, they will simply lift it onto the same patio block pad that is already there. I'm okay with it being in the same place as there are new owners of that house back there, and they removed all those trees that had caused the damage to the old shed, which you can see in the photo below.

There are weeds to be whacked along the chain link fence, so the fence workers won't be cussing me out under their breath as they do their thing. This is a constant battle. As soon as I whack them, they spring back like Slinkies after a good rain. I need to mow the lawn and get all the garden stuff off the pad. What garden tools and paraphernalia that we decided to keep have been residing on the pad under a tarp, so that has to be moved so that the pad is free, clear and clean.

The most concerning part for me is that the mast that supports my W3EDP is hose clamped to one of the chain link fence support pipes, so that has to come down. Also, the coax that runs from my Butternut vertical to the shack is very neatly secured to the chain link fence top sections by cable ties. That has to be removed, rolled up and neatly stored so the truck coming in to set the shed in place doesn't crunch my coax.

So the order of the day for Friday is antenna removal and landscaping. The original plan (there's always an original plan that gets shot to blazes) was to get this stuff done each evening this week after work. Mother Nature has put the kibosh on that. Ever since Field Day, we've been getting some pretty intense thunderstorms towards the dinner hour.

The forecast for today and Friday has changed. Both days are supposed to be sunny and warm, but most importantly, dry. I am hoping to get the front and backyards mowed tomorrow evening after dinner and leave the antenna work and weed whacking for Friday. I'm not going to kill myself and try to get that all done after dinner on Friday, so I decided to take the day off. This way, I have the entire day to get the needed work completed, under a lot less stress and pressure.

The concrete that they will have to pour to reinstall the chain link fence posts will need some time to set, so I probably won't be able to get the W3EDP back up until maybe Tuesday. I'm hoping I can move that mast farther back along the property line, more to where the red line is in the photo. That would make it a little less conspicuous and would make the XYL and my neighbors a bit happier. I will also have to run the rolled up coax back to the Butternut and re-secure that. That can actually be done on Saturday, weather permitting. It's a good thing they are coming early Saturday morning to install this shed, because it's looking like as of Saturday afternoon, we're going to return to this cycle of thunderstormy weather for Saturday afternoon, Sunday and Monday. 

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!