Soren's new tree house

Poor Soren... He has pink eye, but he also has a new tree house! Should we pity or envy him?

Well, if you have to stay home from preschool for a week and a half, you might as well have something fun to climb on in your own backyard!

Jeff has been busy (at least, until he caught pink eye from Soren yesterday--sigh) building this structure from salvaged lumber.

It features poles from the deer fence that was shortened when we built our garage, treated wood joists and untreated cedar planks disassembled from a deck one of Jeff's solar clients was getting rid of, and a temporary aluminum ladder for access.

The tree is a volunteer plum that was there when we cleared the lot for building, and has been doing poorly in the last year -- many dead branches. So Jeff carved it up and left a structure of branches that would support a tree house.

It will get a railing eventually.

Here's Jeff at work. This corner of our rather big backyard is the least "organized," to put it kindly. But we're working on it. There's a playhouse planned to be built out of the rest of the deck pieces at the far left of this photo.

The new planter bed (will be between the two play structures) has raspberries and strawberries, because when Jeff asked Soren what he wanted his playhouse and tree house to be like, his pithy response was, "I want them to be near berries."

I think we need not pity Soren, because he's almost all better. The pink eye diagnosis was actually the first time he's been to the doctor outside of preventative visits. His strong constitution headed off the worst, and his energy has remained high. (To my weary chagrin...)

P.S. I am the lone healthy person standing in our family of three. Pray for me!