BROKEN TOY BOX

The toys at my northern Michigan cabin were multiplying, so I doubled the length of the garage. To save money, I hand-framed the roof rather than use factory-built trusses. With all this extra space, I’d be able to buy even more toys!

After several snowstorms up north, I received a call from my neighbor, who asked the ominous question, “Remember the garage you used to have?” The weight of the snow had caused the roof to cave in, crushing my speedboat, trailer, snowmobiles and dirt bike. After careful forensic study, I concluded the overloaded rafters had pushed out the walls until the roof collapsed. I probably needed to use more crossties, leaving me with the lesson that a sturdy toy box is worth the extra expense.