Hittin' it hard

Ref's brother Shawn tore into the job like a man on a mission.

This is not a family that lacks a work ethic.

On Friday, he hand-chiseled the openings for the living room and bedroom doors to the deck, and then went hammer and tongs after the assembly that will hold closets, office nook and TV in the den.

"I don't use the gun much," he said between massive swings to drive No. 16 nails home in tough pressure-treated pine.

As he called out lengths for 2-by-4's and 2-by-6's, I marked and Brantley cut. Four of these. Eight of those. Fourteen of that.

Shawn started assembling pieces of the big box.

Some emerged with odd boards sticking out, and others had odd spaces -- all of them finally fitting together like a giant wooden puzzle. As one piece mated smoothly with another, Mr. B and I just looked at each other and grinned:

Not just a mission, but one fine method as well -- and how great to see that kind of talent shaping the house again.