FLAGPOLE 101

 Good Morning World!!  We are still kicking around here, though we are looking at rain and 45 degree nights.  Mr. Cooper is hanging in there, as is Jonathan ... the two old men of the house.

The young two year old Kitters is happy and healthy too, I'm proud to say.  I know cats have different personalities like any animal, but this one is just weird.  She hides out in the house in the mornings, then out of nowhere, jumps on my lap with nose and whiskers in my face looking for scratches.  Thirty seconds later, she disappears again.  I've never seen a cat so lovey dovey.  

SURPRISE ... I've smelled skunks every morning now for several days. That's a bad sign.  Though I thought at first it was the neighbors smoking skunk weed, I'll head out to the back forty today to check the fence.  I have a feeling they are digging under once again.  Ugh ... I really don't want to go there again.

Meet Nick.  He's the Honor Guard Commander for our area, a great guy that would do anything for you.  Sadly, he's had a few bouts with cancer and has a hard time breathing.  I tried to get him to take it slow.

So how many things can go wrong with flagpole installation????  Let's count the ways.

1.  The eagle for the top (ordered separately) didn't fit in the HOLE at the top.  Surgery had to be completed.  

2.  The roller piece holding the rope line would not screw on to the bolt.  I brought out two crescent wrenches.

3.  That didn't work, I brought out eight more tools.

4.  The poles are not numbered, nor are they the same size around.  We played pull it apart - put it together for the first 30 minutes.  

5.  IT'S HEAVY!!  Putting it up was VERY difficult.

6.  One pole had two little holes in it for the rope keeper.  It ended up way too high for me to reach, so we took it down.

7.  Though the directions said the hole in the ground was deep enough, it should have been at least six inches more.  It's not crooked, that is the picture taker.

8.  We finally, after a lot of maneuvering, got it in the hole.  It shook and rattled.  We STILL didn't have those sections in the right places.  We took it out and played "Switch The Pieces" once again.

9.  It's WAY too tall and wobbly.  We took it out AGAIN and removed one piece.  Back in the hole.  Much Better.

10.  While Nick was attaching the flag, one of the four cheap clips broke.  

11. The flag is on the wrong cord and is smashed against the pole.  Take flag down, remove the clips, breaking one more, and put it on the correct cord.

12. The two holes to hold the keeper were drilled too close together, so the appointed screws would not go in the holes.  One screw broke.  

13.  I looked up to see the flag about 12 inches from the top.  I'll fix that later, after I find another screw.

We held a little ceremony and TA-DA the flagpole is UP!!!  It looks SO GOOD!!!

I went back after they left to fix the keeper and raise the flag to the top.  It's the perfect height and the flag is beautiful, but a really cheap one, so it will be replaced soon I imagine.  

Where's the eagle you ask?  It's so small it can't be seen, but that's okay.  I really don't want to take it down AGAIN.

And THERE IT IS ... the light shining down from above (solar of course) .... and I love it!!

That makes SIX flags flying in our neighborhood of eleven houses.  Very cool!!

Now you know what it takes to put up a flagpole!!  Be sure to have your toolbox close by.