Happy Valentine's Day!
Four months to the day after the Viking's Heart Event in 2008, he called the family together for the weekend. There was a big tree near the hay barn that was dying. We needed to get it out of there before it fell onto the barn. The daughters and their significant others watched him use his chain saw to bring down the huge tree, and we all helped haul away and stack the wood. I sent some photos of this milestone to the doctors that saved his life. You have to look twice to see the Viking--he looks very small next to that tree. I was worried that he was overdoing it, but he used the occasion to say to us and to the world, "I'm back."
A couple of months after that, we were working on our Solar Center. This is a small structure that holds the batteries and inverter, complete with dials and switches that tell us how much juice the batteries have and how much the panels are producing. It is made from Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs). (Essentially a 6" piece of foam sandwiched between two sheets of plywood). Things went smoothly until it was time to put on the roof. There was a logistical problem because the panels are quite heavy and unwieldy. Still a bit concerned that my hubby was overdoing it, I called a halt to the process and suggested we make a plan--you know, think about the best way to get the panel up onto the roof without killing either one of us. The Viking responded to this idea by saying, "I often find that if we just start doing something, something will happen." Unable to refute this logic, I grabbed one end of the panel and tried to help him shove the thing into place. The Viking, standing a couple of rungs up the ladder, almost got it into place. Then the weight of the panel pushed him, step by step, back down the ladder until he came to rest with the panel on his midsection, his arms and legs flailing insect-like. He wiggled out from underneath the panel, but not before I had another of those moments where I wondered if he'd get out of this one unscathed. Somehow he always does. He's just fearless that way.
Living with an artist who happens to be a builder, one becomes accustomed to inventive solutions to problems. Like the metal roof he designed and installed for the dome. Ingenious. And the gopher-proof fence he built for the garden.
We mostly finished the interior of our little love nest, so our thoughts turned to making the approach to our home look more presentable. We envisioned a little landscaped area with native plants and interesting rocks, some lovely rugged tree sculptures, and maybe a water feature thrown in for good measure. Something feminine and round, to echo the shape of the house. We pictured water flowing down the sides of the thing and into a pool of water. We couldn't find a fountain we liked at any of the lawn and garden places.
Our farmer/welder friend Robert saw a 250-gallon propane tank on Craigslist and we drove to Pueblo to see it. It looked so cool sitting there in front of the guy's house. We bought it and drove it over to Robert's so they could uninstall the valves and air the thing out. They drilled a couple of holes in the top for the fountain pipes. Then Robert helped The Viking load it back into the pickup and he brought it home a few days later.
We wanted to see how it would look in place.The orb weighs about 700 pounds.The plan was to simply roll it out of the truck. The thought was that the combination of its mass and the deep snow on the ground would hold it where it landed. Unfortunately, the Viking's calculations were faulty and it started heading down the slight incline of our yard and straight for the arroyo. He leaped out of the truck to stop it and promptly fell down in the snow.
I was talking to Strawberry Blonde daughter on the phone, unaware of the drama that was taking place right outside the window. I looked out just in time to see the sphere rolling away and then the Viking falling down. He was behind the truck, so I couldn't tell if it had rolled over him or not. I told daughter, "AAH! AAH! Oh! I'll have to call you back!" and raced outside to make sure he was OK. He luckily didn't fall into the path of the juggernaut, and was able to stop it before it got too much farther. Then he tried to roll it back up to the proposed site but of course NOW it would not be moved. I called the daughter and told her he wasn't dead. Since the thing was still full of propane fumes, we decided it couldn't stay near the house until those dissipated. While we waited for this to happen, we dug a pond.
We painted the sphere a lovely dark blue and put it in the middle of the pond. The Viking routed the water to go up through the middle of it and cascade down the sides. Nine goldfish and a spotted salamander live in there year round. The spadefoot toads use it for a hatchery and their love croaks fill the air for weeks while they're trying to find one another. I think some of the tadpoles get eaten by water snakes but many survive to continue the cycle. It really is a thing of beauty but not the simple little water feature I had envisioned. The Viking's visions are often unrestrained and unique, to say the least.
One thing I love about the Viking is that he is mostly cheerful. He calls me in the morning and tells me, "Isn't it just a beautiful day?" And then proceeds to tell me about the deer or the turkeys or the bobcat he saw on the way to work. He thinks blizzards are just as beautiful as sunny days. Even when he is tired, he has a positive attitude.
He has mentored many young men by hiring them to help him build houses. He has the ability to convey what it means to be a responsible person, how to be proud of what you do for a living, and to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and like what you see. He doesn't understand how some people believe that craftsmen are second-class citizens. (We had a customer who never spoke to any of his crew, and that bothered him). The homes he builds are not only functional but beautiful. He can't help it.
He's compassionate and kind. He gives waitresses generous tips. He gives presents to his customers to say thank you. He brings me flowers. And loads of compost for the garden. He does yoga to stay strong enough to keep building houses as he gets older.
He's an artist. He would paint, draw, and write more if he had the time. Taking care of his family has always been his priority. We are looking forward to retirement so he can spend more time doing the things he loves.
One morning he stopped his truck on the county road to let a herd of elk pass. He watched as they took turns jumping over the barbed-wire fence. One cow caught her hind foot in the fence and started thrashing and struggling. Elk are big animals, but The Viking didn't hesitate. He grabbed a pair of pliers and ran to help her. It took him a minute to get her loose because the wire was wrapped so tightly, but he was able to cut her loose. She bounded away unhurt.
He is what you'd call A Real Man.
Happy Valentine's Day to my Viking. I love you always and forever.
