Desperate times...

...call for desperate measures.

If this tree house is going to get off the ground- pun intended- then I will need to get us some help. Maybe this email will do the trick:

Dear family and friends-

Okay...Its not reeeally a barn raising. More like a tree house raising. As a matter of fact it is precisely a tree house raising that I am hoping to put together.

A little background: some, if not all of you know that last spring I- spurred on by the rather convincing arguments laid out to me by my then 6 year old, Justin- set out to build a tree house. Since I had not endeavored to take on such a project with my 2 older boys, I decided to put some time and effort into researching tree houses. Seeing as how this would most likely be my first and last tree house project, I wanted to make it a nice one.

Justin put together a "wish list" detailing what he wanted in a tree house and I poured over designs looking for a sweet plan to put between two large oak trees in our backyard. We put together a blog- jtstreehouse.blogspot.com to document our efforts. I discovered www.treehouses.com and before I knew it I was ordering specialized hardware to suspend a tree house between the two oaks I mentioned. A fairly large tree house.

A large tree house with large support beams...to be suspended by cables 8 feet up in the air. To be built by the end of the summer.

Yes...I bit off more then I could chew. Summer has come and gone. The lumber, hardware, windows, and door lay in wait. I have bolts in the trees and have pre-assembled the main beams. But I can't get 12 foot long, doubled up two by twelves 8 feet up between those two oaks by myself. Ain't happening. I can barely manage to move them around at all with the assistance of my lovely wife.

I need HELP!

Hence, I am turning to you, family and friends...and friends of family. My proposal: An old fashioned "barn" raising for a tree house to get as much done as possible in one day.

For all those interested in partaking of this event I shall supply-
the company of great guys and gals like yourself...
all of the requisite food and drink (non-alcoholic...until we're done for the day!) to sustain the crew for the duration...
College/NFL football for those wishing to linger when done for the day...
access to the many photo's to be taken to document the event...
My debt of gratitude. Not to mention Justin's.
You supply-
Yourself. No skills necessary. Just the desire to be involved and take part in the birth of one pretty darn cool tree house. There will be plenty of moving and lifting and holding to be done for the non-carpenters among us...
a pair of work gloves- we don't need no stinkin' splinters!
If you have them- any mad skills, tools and ladders that you feel might be helpful...
I am looking to put this little gathering together for Saturday, November 25th- the Saturday after Thanksgiving with that Sunday serving as the rain date. The fun will commence as early as possible. Come when you can and stay for as long as you like. If you feel you want to be a part of this special occasion, let me know here ASAP or call us.

Justin and I hope to see you there!

-Tom McLaughlan