For Christmas 2011, I built a lighted star to erect near the
top of a 200’ hill behind our house. It looked great! Sometime the next spring,
a big windstorm blew the star down. Last year, I waited too long to put it back
up and snow prevented a safe operation. Therefore, the star layed, face down,
on the side of the hill, for almost two years.
This year, I promised to get it back up … but, again, almost
waited too long. About a week ago, with the temperatures down around zero, I
got the star propped up on a couple of sawhorses to see what the damage was and
if any of the lights survived. Surprisingly, most of the lights survived, with
only about a dozen lights requiring replacement.
Last Wednesday, Jacquie and I decided to try to erect it back
up. Unfortunately, we had a slight snowfall the night prior, but it did not
look like a “deal killer.” Now understand, the star is not light, in weight,
and is on about a 30 percent grade. Both of us huffed and puffed and got the
star up to about a 45 degree angle, when my footing slipped and the star came
crashing down … on top of me! Other than a slightly strained thumb, no one was
hurt. Jacquie raised the star enough for me to slide out from under it. It was now
about dark and neither of us was in a mood to try it again. I was hit by a
Falling Star and lived to tell about it! (How many people can say that!)
Thursday, we got about four inches of new snow and I told
Jacquie that star was dead, for this year, as it was not possible to even try
it again.
Starting Saturday morning, we were getting unexpectedly warm
weather and a little rain. Today, Sunday, after church, the situation looked
better and I decided to give it one more try, if I could get some strong arm
help. I called my friend Scott and he was available, so we gave it one last
try. By 3pm, we had it up and again, surprisingly, every light still worked.
It was worth it!
Long Live the Star.
