Chaos in the yard

One of the conditions of them giving us 30 days to vacate, and not demanding we get out now was, everything that was left in the yard, the owner would be charged a removal fee based on equipment and labor used at an hourly rate of 400.00 an hour.

There was utter chaos in the yard. People started doing things they never would have thought of doing before. People started burning stuff in piles in the middle of the yard, wood, supplies, old paint, etc. The stink and smoke was horrible. Some were burning in barrels right next to their shed. The fire hazard was extreme.

One of the things I had really liked about the yard, was the comradery of the residents, the one for all and all for one attitude. Boy, that went to hell in a hurry. Every man for himself. I felt very sad, not just for the demise of the yard, but to see what was happening to my friends, my neighbors, my companions in boat building.

While I was eating lunch one day, I noticed a couple of guys going and coming from the shed next to me. They made a few trips and then they started carrying stuff out and back to their sheds. I knew the guy next to me was not there, he was up North working on a tug as a cook. He only got to his boat a couple of times a year, and then only for a week or two. He paid his rent one-year in advance because he was not sure when he could get back.

I asked them what was going on. Their answer was, he will not be back till long after the notice expired, so his boat, a nice little 30 foot wood sail boat that he was rebuilding, would be going under the dozer blade and there is no reason to waste any of the equipment on board. A close friend of mine took the mast and boom. This activity eventually caused our friendship to end.