From the Forest

Today was a work day. We went over the calendar and timeline for finishing our fort. We only have four more Wednesdays and only 8 more Monday/Wednesdays to finish! We took a quick rest and play break before heading to put out some serious elbow grease.

First, we dug holes to secure our base and level our structure.

Using our bodies, we tested the structure to see how wobbly - or not - it felt.

Rachel and Soleil were both able to do pull-ups off the steep edge. A good sign!! (And how impressive is that?!)

We took a break because it was cold! And we were hungry... Just a note, we will likely have to build on other cold days, maybe even rainy days, so please send your child with warm clothes, sturdy shoes, and things that are OK to get a little dirty. We aren't messing around, that's for sure!

Back to it! In the afternoon, we took out some 2 x 4's that weren't as flush as we need them to be. After re-working a few places, we felt much more confident in the precision and consistency of our structure.

Next, we added additional supports for under our platform. Next week, we will cut our plywood floor and install it.  Clamps are definitely our best friends. We often need 3-4 people to hold pieces in place, clamp it all together, pre-drill pilot holes, then insert the screws.

With our supports, braces, and now level base, we are ready to move forward!!

It's hard to tell just how steep the hill is that we are building on - and how hard our design challenge really is! This picture captures the hill, and the first carefully planned safety test of our structure. We still have a few more braces to add, but it's remarkably sturdy considering the slope.

Back at the house, we continued our flag design for NOMAD and for the city of Burlingame. We worked on the Burlingame proposal presentation for the mayor which will be happening on Friday, and looked at flag design companies who will help us create our finished products.