For many years my wife Pat has wanted us to have a flag pole in the front yard so we can proudly fly Old Glory.
I’m here to inform you that now has been accomplished.
I also give much and most of the credit to my neighbor and friend Bret Ellard. If it were left to me alone to do it, our front yard might still be without a flag pole.
But as of last Saturday afternoon, Old Glory has been flying proudly each day in our yard.
My wife said to me last year we need to get our flag out and remember to fly it this Fourth of July. It’s not a very big flag. In fact it’s small. But size of the flag doesn’t make any difference.
I said early last month it’s the thought that counts and proudly displaying it is what’s important.
She recently told me, “I want to us have a flag pole. We’ve never had an actual flag pole. And if there’s ever a time in our lives we should have one, it’s now.”
She was serious about that. So I went on a mission to find one and install it, though I knew I’d need help.
The first person I turned to was Bret. I went and visited with him several weeks ago because he flies Old Glory each day.
Once we began visiting about what all was involved, I discovered there was quite a bit more to it than I realized.
I was curious to know how tall his flag pole was and he suggested we might want one not quite that height.
He advised we would need some fast-setting concrete and lava rocks and the amount of each.
Pat and I went and purchased the concrete and lava rocks so we’d have it whenever Bret was ready. I can’t emphasize enough how instrumental Bret was in our getting this accomplished so we’d have a flag pole in our yard.
Last Saturday morning I received a text from Bret and he was ready to do it that day. Only one thing was left to do and that was purchase the pole and the flag. Pat and I quickly handled that and shortly afterward Bret and I started digging the hole.
My contribution to this project, honestly, was helping dig the hole where the pole was going, hooking our hose up, providing the wheelbarrow to mix the concrete in, holding the sleeve straight for Bret as he poured the concrete in the hole.
And whatever else Brett asked me to do.
By 3 that afternoon, the flag pole was up and Old Glory was flying.
As Pat looked at it she said, “It looks so good. I’m so proud we have it.”
And I must give all the credit to Bret and I told her so. I so appreciate him leading this project. She does also.
On Sunday morning as we were having coffee, she asked did I think all it took to have a flag in our yard was getting it, digging a hole and putting it up. I said pretty much. I told her I knew we needed concrete, too.
She added she thought so.