Chapter 51

"So the deck of the barge is just wide enough so that you can walk around the house without leaving the barge. We will have to weld some some uprights, then string some cable between them to make a rail. If that's okay with you," Ev said. He obviously was going to be treating it like his own project.

"Sure that's fine," I said. "One thing I learned from my house at County Seat is that insulation is important. We sprayed on some foam inside and out. We filled in the shape of the corrugations with foam. That stuff gets as hard at PVC pipe when it dries. With a good coat of polyurethane it is just like vinyl house siding." I said.

"Sure we can do that. First we have to make it rigid so it wont flex in a high wind. Cables under tension around the top. Then over the top building to tie it down solid." he said.

"We can make that part of a deck somehow so we can sit out in the evenings on top of the bottom two," I said.

"Let's go inside and make some drawings and notes," he said.

"Sounds like a good idea," I said.

It was two hours later when we we had the basics down so that he could get started. Then the tug dock it, so that it was in a spot where a gate could be closed on it. When that was done the water was pumped out. The idea was to get it out of the water to do the work. It was all kind of new territory to him. He had never built a home on a barge, but he was looking forward to the experimenting. I didn't mind as long as it didn't turn into a million dollar project. I didn't want to be buying him all new equipment. Equipment he would use to repeat the build later. I planned to keep a close eye on the costs.

"Come back tomorrow about noon we will have the water out of the lock. Then it will be sitting on timbers so we can start to secure the hull and get rid of the rust. Some guys with welders and torches will start securing the containers to the deck then we start putting the good shit in," Ev said.

"How old is the lock," I asked. I was just curious.

"There used to be a little out crop of land where the dock is. My daddy dug and build the walls, the when the gate was in he dug his way to the water and bingo he had a dry dock. We have been using it ever since. That was over fifty years ago," Ev said very proud of his dad, as well he should have been.

"I'm going to do some research on the marina tomorrow. I'll try to get by in the afternoon to check on the progress," I said.

I was about to leave when Ev said, "You know it kind of looks like a mini cruise ship."

"I think it looks like a wedding cake," I said. "Don't worry, I won't ask you to decorate it like one."

I drove back to the motel in time to hook up the new coffee maker before EZ called. "How about I pick you up and show you around. I can show you everything you want to see in this area. Maybe convince you that we have everything you need right here."

"Well you have a lot of really nice things here, but I will meet you somewhere. You are supposed to show me where you live today," I reminded him.

"Well you can come see it, but I warn you I'm a bachelor so it is filthy," he said.

"I'll take my chances," I said. Tell me a neutral place somewhere between Watch Tower and where ever you are," I suggested.

"Okay why not meet me at my uncle's boat yard. You can leave your truck there. it will be safe," He said.

"I can find that at least," I said in agreement. An hour later I pulled my pickup into the parking lot. EZ was waiting in a mid-sized Fford. It looked a lot like a Deputy Sheriff's car.

"Well I feel right at home in this car. It's the car we switched to in Warren County last year," I confided.

"I drive it because you never know in my business I might need to need to throw someone in the back seat, or give a contractor a ride somewhere," he volunteered.

"That makes sense, except it's a felony to kidnap people," I suggested.

"That's what I hear, except I can constrain people trying to harm me. Sometimes I constrain them in the back seat of my car." he said.

"You are damn lucky no one has filed a warrant on you," I said.

"I had two thrown out with a verbal warning. I have a good lawyer," he said.

I just nodded. Good luck with that, I thought. I knew it was just a matter of time till he ran into one of those crazies who could afford a shyster lawyer. Or an ACLU lawyer out to prove a point. But that was for another time, and not my problem yet.

"So, what do you want to see first?" he asked.

"Is there any place in Watch Tower that serves a decent breakfast." I asked.

"Not that I know of," he said with a laugh.

"A second choice is somebody who has biscuits that taste like biscuits. Not like a piece of cake without icing?" I asked.

Have you tried the Mr. Bo Jangles?" He asked.

"The national chicken place?' I asked.

"No, this is just a local hamburgers for lunch, and biscuits breakfast kind of place," he said.

"And where is this wonderful place?" I asked.

"Across the river from Watch Tower and a couple of blocks farther inland. Come on it's not far I'll take you by," he said. "I lived here all my life except for the years in the Corp."

"Well if the biscuits are any good, you get to be my authority on the local food joints," I agreed.