Structural repair

The structural lift began today for the building that will someday be the gallery, residence and studio. The contractor and his team came in to help; Stan, his wife Melinda and their daughter. We'd been getting ready for this ever since the engineer visited back in May 2006.

While the contractors worked on dismantling sheetrock and disconnecting the joists that might affect our neighbor's property, we pried old baseboards using wonder bars that made a satisfying screech as the old nails gave way.

Last night the wind howled and rattled the seven foot windows. It kept up a vigil all night long, unrelenting. It felt like the building was a ship stranded on noisy seas. Because we have no insulation yet in this 100 plus old two story building, the gusts seemed even more insistent and frightening. A metaphor perhaps for myself, in this unstable structure, in need of support and care. I so long to be finished with this process, to live in a space instead of out of a suitcase.