(If you’ve come to this post, then I’m assuming that you’ve already read the first 4-5 posts, or else this one won’t make much sense to you.   The first one is called “Welcome to Cottonwood Creek”, followed by “Buying a 25′ Tall Teepee”, “Age and Youth Collide,” etc.  I’d read those first.  This is a continuous story.)

The monumentally largest day of all came upon us Saturday.  ELECTRICITY!!!  Never under-estimate it.

Very handy.  Haven’t had it.  REALLY needed it.  We’ve been borrowing a gas running generator for months that powered all of our tools.  But, because we now have electricity, we can refinish the floor.  The generator wasn’t powerful enough to run it.  Once that’s done, we can bring in all the FURNITURE and bathroom toilet, bathtub, and plumb the place!

Our day began after only 4 hours a sleep, at 6am.  Out to the land we went by 7am, equipped with my daughter’s homemade blackberry muffins.  Charlie (remember him?) came out and helped Steve dig the trench with our rented trencher.  From the main road and our electric pole it is 350 feet to the cabin…through a forest of trees. (the horrible quality of the pictures is from my dinosaur cell phone)

With the trench dug, it was now time to unroll the huge spool of thick wire.  And, I mean THICK..

…and heavy.

Charlie and Steve got busy unrolling it through the property, winding it between the trees.  I took pictures (which is an equally challenging job).

After they unrolled all 350 feet of wire, it was time to slide “conduit” (plastic pipe) over the wire to protect it from gophers and such in the ground.  HARD WORK!

I learned that I am officially a wimp.  (I’m still recovering from that hardcore reality, actually.)  I helped Charlie slide the end of the wire into the each pole (maybe 10?), and then slide the poles down the wire, working their way to the middle…over 100 feet down.  I didn’t get that far.  I got a few feet down, and quickly realized that I had met my strength match.

Fortunately for me, God sent our neighbor over right at that time, unexpectedly.  He rolled up his sleeves and started to work.  So, Charlie and I put the wire into the conduit poles, Charlie slid them down the line while I kept the wire from pulling along with him, and Steve and Jacob slid the poles all the way down to the middle and glued the ends together. (I wish I had a picture of Jacob.)

I confess…I didn’t finish the job.  I abandoned it.  My arms were hating me, and could have sworn I heard my bottle of Ibuprofen calling out to me from my car.  So, I bailed.  (Shame on me, I know.)

After that, they pushed the conduit into the trench, while I sat and watched.  “Rest.”  That’s a novel concept for me after months of work out there.

Jacob left…God bless him and his hard work…and two more friends showed up.  They both  helped lay the piping for the water, and recovered the trench with sand.  God knew we’d need as many hands as we could get…and sent them, without me asking, or telling anyone we could use help.

Steve and Charlie wired the box.  One step closer!!!!

DInner anyone?  Growing hunger pains?  In comes Gina!  God bless Gina.  In she came with ice chests of drinks and sandwich supplies.  We had a picnic on the unfinished floor.

My mother-in-law has also brought us many, many picnic dinners, from barbecue to chicken salad sandwiches (though I don’t have pics of it all…I was too busy eating it!).  God just keeps supplying our needs, without ever having to ask a single person to bring anything.  They just come…when we need.  He is amazing.

After dinner, Charlie took Gina for a spin on the trencher. (Isn’t that too cute?)

The next post is “Finishing touches”.   Just click the link…

Or click on Welcome to Cottonwood Creek to start from the beginning.  Or, What is Cottonwood Creek to find out what this blog is about.