Lady Liberty Hits the Road....
So the day I finally wrapped up my big
Statue of Liberty project last summer was a giddy one indeed -- except that it was actually as of yet only PART of the whole story. She still needed to somehow make her merry way across the country, safely and intact, on an epic journey of 2,000 miles in order to be united with her new owner on the west coast. Being 8 feet tall (minus her two-feet of ever-practical detachable arm) this was going to be no minor feat....
Calling around, I'd already established connections with a suitable shipping company I wanted to work with. Once a few logistics were worked out, I needed to think about contructing for her a strong, sturdy container in which to travel. I was warned multiple times by my shipping rep that she needed to be as
carefully packaged as possible, for the long trip was bound to be a rough one. Not wanting any 'mishaps', I took that to heart. Thankfully my teenage son was home at the time, and willing and able to help, designing and putting together for me a large, sturdy, handy-dandy and highly serviceable wooden crate.....
(Wooden Crate: 8'-6" x 4' x 4'-6". And heavy as heck!)
Once everything was all set up and ready to go, it was time to schedule a delivery date. I admit the day of her pick-up from our house by the shipping company last October was a nerve-wracking one, for it was a matter of getting her well situated within her crate as securely as possible (and all the while just sort of figuring out exactly how to go about that as we went along)...
I'd begun by wrapping her up like a mummy in packing material that I'd been saving/hoarding, as well as any number of old sheets and plastic tarps, and taping it all securely in place. Then, with the help of my husband and daughter, we were able to schlep her outside and position her within the box, tying her snugly in with taut clothesline so that there would be little risk of her rattling around in there, while at the same time bolting her base to one the end of the crate with wood screws. With these measures in place, there was no way she would be flopping about very easily, regardless of how roughly or carelessly she might be handled along the way:
Well, needless to say the whole shebang was REALLY quite heavy -- between the Statue and her weighty wooden sarcophagus, the entire kitn'kaboodle had to be well over 400 pounds....:
But, finally she was ready, all properly tucked in and secure within her big box, so we could attach the remaining side of the crate on with a network of wood screws:
She was ready to hit the road, and in fine style. By now it was only a matter of waiting for the truck to show up at our house, which it did, eventually, much later in the afternoon (as in, MUCH later -- all I can say is, thank goodness it was a dry, sunshiny day!)....
Once the truck pulled up, and the trucker and I exchanged our various paperwork, we found wheeling the thing down my (gravel) driveway toward the semi not the easiest task -- but between the trucker, his little power-dolly thingie, and myself, we managed to roll her (if awkwardly) out into the street:
(Mister poor trucking guy is behind there somewhere).......
With the trucker then getting her up into the truck bed:
(Thank goodness for the hydraulic lift on the back!)
And with that? Away she went, on to her new west coast home, and much to my extreme relief....!
So while the whole entire project may have taken a few years off my life, heh, I'm so glad and grateful to have had the opportunity to be involved in such a fun challenge, and very much appreciate the experience. So long, my Lady...!
