After more than forty years of working in this business I take pride in saying that we know how to plan and work at our projects in such a way that deadlines don't mean we have to stay up all night to finish our projects. It's been almost twenty years since I've had to do an all nighter. I like to push hard at the front end so we are ahead of the finishing curve at the back end. But even so, the reality is that things happen in our lives too. Things go wrong. Elements and pieces are added along the way. Weather and other uncontrollable events force delays. In short our lives are pretty normal.

All this means as the deadlines approach on our big projects we put in a few more hours than normal. The Whistle Punk Hollow project is no different. In the last few weeks we've kept our ear tuned to the weather forecast and then worked late when it's favorable. Last week the two Matts and I put in some long hours to do the bulk of the onsite concrete work. Yesterday, Peter and I drove out one more time, determined to finish things off. We needed to wire, mud and carve one last bridge and the log/ramp into the steam donkey. It was ambitious to say the least. I had a great day with my son as we worked (fitting for father's day) and we finished those tasks just as the light was fading from the sky.

But we weren't done yet. The log and bridge needed a thick coat of concrete on the decks to ready them for carpet. The owners of the park and two of their friends mixed the concrete while Peter and I trowelled it into place, working with night lights to get the job done.

Jeff and Janice, will undoubtably put in many more long hours this week as they do the last of the thousands of tasks necessary to open the golf this coming Saturday. The weather looks to keep us from doing the final paint until after the park opens but I'll be there next Friday (working late once more) to hang the gates and help put up the final signs in preparation for the grand opening.

Another wonderful project is almost done.

-grampa dan