Demolition Day Two

The Sipps joined us on this trip.  Sandy to help with the kids and Matt to help out with the demolition. 

On day two the contractor beat us there and started clearing away the dirt from the walls in order to be able to take down the walls that were buried back into the mountain side.

Instead of nails and screws this time we picked up styrofoam that had been used as insulation around the foundation and basement walls.  The pile you see above is only about half of what we accumulated.

A PVC pipe that melted even while being underground due to the heat of the fire.

We got a head start on picking up styrofoam before the contractor fired up the backhoe.

Sandy brought the kids out to see the action around lunchtime.  For the Sipp kids this was the first time seeing the effects of the forest fire.

Phoebe and Moses kept a safe distance by hiding out in the backhoe scoop.  After a few minutes Sandy took off with the kids and the contractor took off to check on another job site.  Matt asked if he could run the backhoe while he was gone and James told him to go ahead.  We were all shocked!

So, Matt got to spent the next 45 minutes playing around with the backhoe.

Matt even mastered picking up cement blocks.  He was a kid in a candy store!  Once James returned Matt had to hand his new favorite toy back over.

Here the walls are down and the cement pad was being pulled up.

I had told James the contractor in advance that I wanted to participate in the demolition as much as possible.  I told him I had build a large portion of this cabin and I was going to be a part of tearing it apart, painful though it may be.  He understood and told me I was welcome to help out in any way I could.  I am thankful for that.  After lunch I was on my hands and knees in the dirt picking up trash while he fired up the backhoe next to me.  I asked if I should move and he reassured me I was safe so I went on with my work.  Next thing I know there is the massive backhoe bucket next to me picking up concrete.  I look up to see Chad and Matt who have stopped what they are doing to stare from a safe distance behind a pile of dirt.  I wish I had a picture of their faces!  That is when I decided I needed to move.