The Wedding - Driftwood Arbor

As I walk along our Florida Beaches

 on occasion I will see a beautiful piece of driftwood.

Washed and worn, some pieces molded by time

with ripples and dimples.

I find myself picking these pieces of time up

 and carrying them home imagining what they have been through 

and how they came be in my hand on this day.

My son Jeremy and his lovely bride Felicia

have seen some of my pieces of driftwood and the 

mirrors I have made with them.

 These two native Floridians thought that a

driftwood arbor would be a wonderful addition

 to their wedding day. Felicia asked Jeremy and I if we

could make their dream a reality.

Jeremy and I both love a challenge so

our answer was, of course, yes.

 For a year I wandered about our small island and 

various and sundry places gathering nature's outcast.

At the end of March Jeremy and his friends

 came to the island and bundled all the driftwood I had found.

 They placed it in their boats and took it to the mainland.

Then they put the driftwood in their trucks and hauled it to the 

shop where Jeremy and I would build the Wedding Arbor.

Jeremy and I figured the Arbor should be 

seven foot by four foot. That would be

 large enough for three people to stand in or in front of

 but not to large to transport.

 Jeremy built the Arbor frame and painted it.

 I asked if I could help but he

wanted to do it himself.

Once the Arbor was painted Jeremy and I started putting

 the puzzle together. Each piece of driftwood

was strategically placed. For hours I handed Jeremy

driftwood pieces as he drilled and screwed them into the 

arbor frame.

I had such a wonderful time working with Jeremy.

He is so talented and creative. This arbor was

as much his design as mine.

We made a great team. 

The arbor is finished.

 Now we must get this arbor to its destination.

 A frame was built in and around the arbor

to give the men something to hold onto

 and to support the arbor

as they lifted and moved it from place to place.

 Jeremy and his buddies lifted and carried

 this huge, very heavy arbor and set it in the prefect place.

Hours of hard work, fun and lots of help,

we are now ready for the final touches on the arbor.

The supports are removed. 

There she stands in all her glory, 

pieces once discarded

have come together to make one beautiful center

piece for a very special day.

Congratulations

 Felicia and Jeremy

Thank you Craig Ligibel for the wedding pictures.

Jeremy, Mac, Josh, Dave, Daniel, Blue, Elliott, Eric, Justin,

Lance, Matt, Christian, Steve, Jay and Rob

    all who had a hand in helping with this project

thank you, we could not have done it without you.