It was just another day....until 9:13pm

ON August 2nd, 2005 at 9:13pm the first 911 call came into the emergency management center in Sevierville, we got the call while on vacation in Spain within 20 minutes that our dream was going up in smoke.


We arrived back home on Sunday and it was still going up in smoke, a year and a half of work laided on the concrete 2nd floor.


The crown jewel of the house, a 46 foot tree laid over on it's side.


The second floor deck railing that was handmade by a couple of college guys laid on their sides, half burned......The fireplaces were melted into the floor.....


Nothing but burned posts and beams along with a mountain of scaffolding was all that remained....


The first floor was protected by the concrete pre-stressed panels and had little damage.


The crane and a highlift were also destroyed, the temp electric meter burned off it's post, and the trailer that had delivered roof trusses on Monday had it's tires melted.......


While the Fire Marshall worked thru the remains, we finished the bridge so we could start the cleanup...and there was over 100 pieces of scaffolding that ended up in the dumpster.


We brought in another crane to lift what was left of the posts and beams that had been cut to 6-8 lengths. What a mess.....


Once everything was removed, my son and I personally power washed the second floor down.....it took us three days....it was a personal thing at this point.


Even as we continued to clean the second floor, it was day 21 when the first wall went back up. 5 days for the fire to be declared out, 5 days for the Fire Marshall to release the house back to us......and 7 days to fix the back retaining wall....and it's was it to get back to business.


We still don't know how this happened, but after the fire we found these pics, with the roof over the great room being installed, and the guys cleaning up after the fire.


While one worker is handing up boards from the second floor, the Fire Marshall is picking thru the mess...


Lots of questions......but in reality there can only be one outcome...to press forward....with no retreat and no surrender.


While standing their talking to the guys about rebuilding and when we would get back on track, I looked up and saw a rainbow and their was no doubt in my mind. REBUILD it, but this time built it better, built it without shortcuts, without taking away but only increasing the value of the outcome. We all agreed and to this day they are still working on the dream.....

YOU never ever give up on a dream