Goodbye Old Fort

When my son was 8 or 9, we bought him a wooden play structure, a fort if you will. It wasn't fancy, we never got the slide or the rock wall we dreamed of, but it had a rope ladder and a steering wheel and it was good. My son is a kind enough big brother that more often than not, his sister was climbing on it too. They would have elaborate play times in it, adventuring all over in their imagination.

Even the dogs loved it! It had a rope swing that the dogs would make made dashes at, tugging and swinging back and forth.

It hasn't been used in a while, by kids or dogs.

It was sitting on the back corner of our property looking sad and lonely, literally rotting away with neglect.

My son said I could give it to my nephews. I asked my sisters and I got a taker. But it's actually a daunting task to move a play structure without taking it apart, and no one wanted to take it apart! So there the fort sat, waiting.

Then today my sister said she was ready for it. A spot was cleared at her house, my husband would be home with the truck, we would move it. So we did.

I was in the middle of cooking dinner and didn't want it to burn so I did not see it get loaded up. I did not drive down the alley's of the next two blocks to come to a stop at my sisters house. I did not see R and T's joy at having a fort in their back yard.

And my husband said the boys were beyond joyful!

I keep telling myself the fort has gone to a better place. It is going to be loved and used and keep going on its adventures with two very clever little boys....

Apparently my husband was right when he told my sister I was going to cry later.

I so am.

Goodbye Old Fort, you served us well. Give R and T some awesome memories, but please, keep your splinters to yourself!