Long ago my arborist son brought home four cedar poles. “Let's use them to build a shed around the well,” he suggested. Holes were dug and the poles set, and there they sat. Four, forlorn corners waiting to be connected to one another. I toyed with all manner of materials as I pursued our rustic dream. Great gobs of time passed. Then came the hail storm and the roofers. Presto, I had tin, and old tin is a time-honored rustic material.

I even had salvaged 2X4s from an old fence to use to hang the tin. Or, so I thought. Turned out they were rotten and warped beyond repair. So, I bought new wood and off we went. At first, I thought we only needed three sides, a typical lean-to structure, and it looked nice. But I had leftover tin so I added a partial front wall. And then it was obvious, it needed a door. And this is where the old fence came back into play. I used the old slats. Presto, a door.

I hung the door yesterday, put on a closer, and some old chain as a latch, and now my rustic shed is complete, and my well and the tank is sheltered from the elements. I even have new storage space, which is a bonus. And if I were those four cedar poles I’d  say it was about time, but nod in approval with how they’ve been put to use by a son and his father in the afterlife of  a tree.