It takes a village

To be driving towards my place in the dark November evening, seeing a light at the end of the road that hasn’t been there before. Driving into my new carport and the inside fixtures lights up by my car entering. Magic! Stepping out of the car under a roof, drumming from the rain.  Putting the engine heater in the outlet and the sound of the fan tells me my car is going to stay warm. Going outside watching the exterior fixtures light up the façade in the most beautiful way. And from inside my house looking out through the north windows where it’s always been pitch black, seeing a small building shining! This was the day when the power work was finally done, and there was a new functioning home for my car, at last!!! I tell you, I was almost crying out of happiness for having accomplished this project.

The need for this addition to my place has been there since I moved here to my grandparents homestead close to 32 years ago. But it wasn’t until two years ago that I started projecting for it. I knew it would be a lot of work, but I had no idea how much. And it started out in the worst possible way, an obstacle that looked like there would be no way to get around: It suddenly seemed like the location for the carport wasn’t even my property!

To make a long story as short as possible I want to say that it took a village to realize this project. And I am so fortunate to have a village. To be a part of a village. My little Swedish village.

My next door neighbor Melker knows every land document for the village hundreds of years back in time and spent hours talking to authorities, and I don’t know how he did it but eventually they agreed on them being wrong and that piece of land actually being mine. Thank you so much Melker, without you, definitely no carport!

Bertil and Clas took down the forest north of my house, letting the light in and room for my new addition. I know this is what you love doing guys, but thank you anyway!

My second cousin Roland and neighbor down the road, Erik, did all the land planning, assisted by Bernt and Jonas. Scooping up uncountable big rocks and truckloads of dirt and soil, exchanging with tons of gravel and concrete blocks for foundation. And although that was heavy work the hardest part was fighting the evening mosquitoes. Thank you guys, you are my heroes!

Bengt and Hans were the carpenters sent from heaven, as my first solution fell through late May, and it’s easier to find a needle in a haystack then a carpenter that time of year. So the day they pulled over at my place was my lucky day! They put the carport up in a little more than a week and we had so much fun I am still laughing out loud thinking about them. Thank you thank you thank you Bengt and Hans, you were my life saviors!

So, when the carport was almost there I felt safe and took off for Seattle late August. Trouble 2, his girlfriend (let’s call her Audrey, that’s the right name for her) and friend Jonatan moved in to my place, house sitters and carport painters. Only, that’s when it started to rain. And it rained. And it rained. For weeks and months. Those poor painters. So, there is still some paint job left for Trouble 1 next summer, but my beloved kids, you did such a good job! Moving to Paris (that’s where they are now) was just the right thing to do following that frustrating task.

Per was the one taking care of the telephone cable touching the roof, moving it up a bit, hopefully safe for the snow, thank you Per!

And now, this week, the final touch: power! My long time electrician Broman and colleague Jonas spent two days mounting 120-meter electric cable and all the fixtures. They did such a great job; you can’t even see those cables! The light I first saw driving towards my place the other night was the light at the front, telling me from far away that the work was done. That my carport was all done and finally there. 32 years later. Before I went to bed it started to snow. And I wasn’t panicking. Thinking: Let it Snow! Thanking my village. Being very happy.