(Written by Gever, Elizabeth, and Ana)

After a brief morning check-in, everyone picks up wood, tools, screws, and heads out to Tinker City to get to work. We've seen a distinct pattern this summer (and noticed it previous summers); Thursdays are a big work day. Projects are often still somewhat nascent on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, and by the end of Thursday you can really see the future clearly.

Erving (aka Matilda) and the Nooi are almost ready to put the deck plates on their bridge.

Kablooi gets to work with Gever this morning (who is filling in for Camp Captain Caroline [miss you Serena]). Their next step is a big one; it's time to put the deck on the platform.

Ben and Liora get started on the composite twelve-foot posts they need to suspend the Piki rope bridge.

At the other end of the post, we find the unstoppable Aya.

Lucas is Likewise Lworking hard. It feels like everyone knows what they need to do, why it needs to be done, and how to do it. It's a great start to a Thursday.

Now Erving has moved on to the digging part of the plan. They need to level out the ground where the Nooi bridge supports meet the earth.

Oh board, thou art so rectilinear and straight. What will I do with you today? Shall I make thee into a triangular support for a bridge, or shall I just appreciate and admire you on this oh so overcast morn? (Zyla)

We don't require ear protection for sorting lumber, but it can't hurt, right? Ben and Lucas are starting to notice that we are running low on wood at this end of the summer.

Muktuk (aka Simon) and Swiss Champ (aka Michael) are transporting lumber and supplies on the flatbed cart, but are now getting somewhat annoyed that the guide wheels have been cannibalized.

Kablooi has decided to use plywood for the deck of the tree house and that means that they have to cut a tree-hole in half of a giant hexagon, so Ana shares her extensive jigsaw skills with Ava.

Lily gets a hand from Miles as she puts the crossbar on the suspension towers that will hold up the bridge.

Ben, Liora, and Lucas get ready for the next big step in the bridge tower build.

Portrait of a Tinkerer: Lily

Still life with driver and hammer.

Ava and Ryker work out the cut lines for the deck half-hexagons.

Portrait of a Junior Collaborator: Lauren

In what will become a theme for the day, Gever shows Michael how to safely use the circular saw to make a long cut on a full sheet of plywood.

Portrait of a Zombie: Caden

Happy tinkerers at play.

Muktuk takes a turn at the circular saw.

Meanwhile, back at the chopsaw, Erving cuts some bridge parts.

Portrait of a Tinkerer: CR-7 (Nathan)

Erving, Elizabeth, and Zyla, a study in blue.

Portrait of a Consternated Collaborator: Yoel

Portrait of a Tinkering Manager: Karen

Then it's time for Piki to try the circular saw.

Bridge Party!

Caroline decides to try the platform (after all of Kablooi take turns climbing on it)...

...and then gets to work.

Martha expressed some concern about the reliance on clamps to hold the deck in place, so she gets to work with the driver.

Not wanting to be left out, Cooper gets in on the action.

So so hot.

The Piki suspension bridge is patiently waiting to be suspended, but before the suspenders can be put in place, they have to excavate footing for their pilings.