Building a Bridge Out of Wood

An Introduction to an Amazing Story: The world of a disabled child is so often limited in multiple ways.  They frequently hear words like can't, challenge, and inaccessible.  It is difficult to be positive and hopeful when life is a series of constant obstacles.  Negativity does not build bridges to solve the problem, however.  This story is about words like can, gift, and share.  It is about building a bridge.

Now the Amazing Story:

Nadiya in our new accessible garden

Maybe it began with the fallen tree or with two church choirs combining.  I'm really not sure about that part.  I know I would not have met Gary and Sue if not for the two church choirs combining.  I would not have gotten to know this fascinating couple, but the tree was important too and that must be acknowledged!

Gary and Sue were always accepting of Nadiya and interested in her story and her well being.  Anastasiya was definitely drawn to both of them early on. As I got to know Gary I realized he was handy and creative.  He made the kids a wonderful Advent Calendar this past Christmas and talked about various projects he and Sue were working on.  An energetic and fit retired couple, they have an active lifestyle filled with family and friends.  So it wasn't unusual last summer when I complained of a groundhog eating our entire summer crop of vegetables, that Gary offered a trap and a promise to pick up the animal once contained.

It was worth a try.  This over sized animal was eating everything.  It had gotten to the point where it would look through the sliding glass doors into our house before venturing into the all you can eat garden buffet.  On the occasions where I collected enough energy, or rage, to chase it, the animal tore through the yard with the speed of a gazelle.  It was foolish of me to think its size would slow it down.  The animal scoffed at the trap walking around it into the buffet and never venturing into it.  Our garden was a waste and the groundhog had made a mockery of all the work we had put into cultivating it.

After the trap failed David thoughtfully suggested creating boxes for raised beds.  He thought it would keep the groundhog out and at the same time make the garden accessible for Nadiya in her wheelchair.  David had never attempted this before but short of this groundhog getting hit by a semi it seemed the best choice.

I mentioned this plan to Gary who said he had done this before.  He offered to help David build the boxes.  This was in the fall and there were many months to think about it.  My experience has been that often people have the greatest intentions but lack the follow through to make it happen. We are all guilty of this.  David and I see this often with things pertaining to Nadiya from activities we should do and trips we should take to educational and medical follow up that people need to do for her. Sometimes I must choose between constantly reminding people or taking their ambition with a grain of salt and moving on.  It would not have surprised me if the idea of the beds had been buried in the snow frozen and forgotten. They weren't.

Spring approached and as the earliest daffodils poked the tips of their leaves out from the earth Gary asked me when David would like to get started.  I told him April and he asked us to measure the height of Nadiya in her wheelchair so he could calculate the measurements of the raised beds. He said he didn't want Nadiya to just see roots! I laughed when he said that but silently I realized that for a moment he was looking at the world and this project through Nadiya's eyes.  I think often people forget to do that.


This is where things get interesting and where the fallen tree comes in...  

Gary had mentioned having some lumber that he said we could use for the beds.  He and David planned to start constructing them one weekend when we got an email from Gary sharing an idea.  He thought the project should have a story so that when we talked about it the boxes would be special and interesting.  A large oak tree had fallen on the church rectory property during Hurricane Sandy last September.  Gary and Sue had gone there to clean up the tree and claim the wood.  They cut the tree into eight foot long huge logs. Using a pulley system they hoisted the cut logs onto Gary's truck and transported them back to their house where Gary has a small mill area set up.  There they sat resting on the ground just waiting for a purpose.



Anastasiya plays with the chickens and looks for frogs.

Gary and Sue live in an older well established neighborhood not far from our house.  Their yard is a child's wonderland bordered by woods and streams as well as a few neighbors.  Playground equipment claims a corner for their grandsons and to the right an old barn that Gary built overlooks the back of the yard. They have flower gardens and vegetable gardens and organically fed chickens who lay beautiful eggs.  Anastasiya spent her time searching for frogs along the stream bank and playing with the chickens.  At one point she carefully followed a garter snake through the grass. 

Nadiya was more interested in watching David and Gary mill the huge logs.  The buzzing sound of the saw and the sweet, pungent smell of the wood filled the air stimulating the senses. She watched in shade a safe distance from the mill work.  She knew this project was important and that it had something to do with her.

Nadiya watches David and Gary mill the wood.

Milling the lumber was a fascinating process and required a lot of muscle but not from me!  David and Gary did all of the work.  I took pictures and asked questions.  They removed the bark first which is used as fire wood. The log is rotated as they remove the bark and then they remove cuts of wood from each side.  The first few boards are higher quality.  They have less knots and imperfections so they are used for cabinets and furniture.  Those boards were put aside for other projects.  The lumber for the raised beds was taken from the center of the log.  When they were finished they had a pile of lumber which they transported to our backyard and stacked it with separators so that it could dry out.

David and Gary position the log for the mill 

David winds the pulley system to
get the log in place while Gary guides it

The log is in place on the mill.

Gary take measurements to calculate each cut that
will be made.  The tree is pretty large!

Gary and David begin removing the bark for firewood.

Here without bark, the first few cuts are better quality and will be used for cabinet and furniture making.  The center cuts will be for the raised beds.

    

Gary transported the newly milled lumber to our house where he and David
stacked it with separators to allow the wood to dry out a little.

Gary cuts the wood to the
calculated length for the boxes.

After the lumber dried for the week Gary and Sue came to our house to help David build the raised beds.  Nadiya watched from her chair at a safe distance.  We chose the same location as our previous vegetable garden because we knew the sun would be adequate.  Gary and David made sure Nadiya's wheelchair had enough space to pass between the two boxed that they constructed.  The intention was the boxes would be accessible from if Nadiya was sitting in her wheelchair and just as well if she were standing with support by the beds.  At the same time the groundhog would not be able to access the vegetables without a stepladder or a pair of wings.   




The first box take shape.

The second box begins to take form.

Nadiya fits between the boxes perfectly!

Anastasiya helps with the screw gun.

Once the boxes were built it was time to order the dirt.  Gary calculated how much leaf grow we would need and how much top soil to fill the two boxes.  He suggested putting the less expensive and nutrient rich leaf grow in the bottom of the boxes.  Then the topsoil would finish the boxes off.  This was much better than the sandy dirt we have in our yard that drains too quickly and does not hold any moisture.  Those boxes seemed much bigger when it was time to fill them with dirt! 
     


Anastasiya helps David with the huge amount of dirt.

I ordered the dirt from our local Farmer's Co-op.  They delivered it the following weekend and were kind enough to drop the dirt in our back yard which cut our transport to the boxes in half.
David did all of the loading of the dirt into the wheelbarrow and transporting it to the boxes.  A few days before Gary and Sue had brought us ramps to use.  The ramps allowed us to dump the dirt into the boxes rather than have to shovel it back out of the wheelbarrow. Anastasiya and I then spread the dirt out evenly in the boxes to prepare for the next load.  I was surprised by David's endurance with this since it was difficult, heavy work.  Eventually I helped to pull the wheelbarrow load up the ramp because it was so difficult for one person to do alone.  Quickly the boxes filled first with leaf grow and then with top soil.  One load after another the plan came to fruition.  This was really happening! It took us about 4 hours to fill the boxes with dirt.  Once that was done David and Anastasiya went to get some vegetable plants from the Farmer's Co-op. 

David loads the wheelbarrow.

David and I dump the last few loads.



I level out the dirt.




Gary and Sue bring us some plants for our new garden.

 Later that day Gary and Sue come over with some additional plants and seeds for our garden.  We planted  lettuce, beans, peppers, squash, a few types of tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries.

We decided to put our herb garden on a table because the groundhog even ate our herbs last year.  The only thing it wouldn't touch was our pots of mint leaves.  We had plenty of mint last year but nothing else.


Anastasiya and David plant the vegetables.

As the vegetables grow we will put tomato cages around the tomatoes and attach a trellis for the cucumbers to climb.  We are looking forward to actually being able to harvest some of this.  Nadiya really enjoyed looking at the garden and breaking up clumps of dirt with a small spade which I helped her hold.  She will have great pleasure in participating in the gardening.  I look forward to helping her pick some of the vegetables.  Maybe we can even use some of them in a keto-friendly meal for her. 


   

Nadiya is very interested in the garden.

       












This story is not just about a great idea that came to pass; it is a story about selflessness and good intention.  It is about seeing the world as a good place and obstacles like challenges to overcome. Gary and Sue are always ready to smile and give of their talents and of themselves.  They are always involved  in helping with something at church or giving of themselves to their family and friends.  Because of this their lives are so very rich.  They did not want anything in return for this wonderful gift they gave us.  The joy of having helped us to include Nadiya a little more in the world was enough.  So this story is also about sharing talents, giving, and achieving.  It is about building a bridge out of hope and friendship.  It is a bridge that connects us to each other and Nadiya to the rest of the world.