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The importance of forts

      Bob Scheuer of Ely e-mailed today, commenting on the column I wrote last Friday about kids building forts. For the past couple of summers, his grandsons have been busy building a cool fort in the woods near Scheuer's home.

    "For the better part of two days we rarely saw them except at meal time and before going to bed -- at which times they were discussing the progress of the fort.  They asked only for a brush cutters, a saw, a hammer and some nails.  Lunch time was even cut short with the plea, 'Come on, you guys, we got to get out to the fort.'

     "At the end of that time they proudly displayed their fort.  All things considered, it was a marvel.  Actually the marvel was that they were determined to do it, that they bothered no one, that they cooperated with each other planning and working tirelessly and proudly together for two days to build this '"fort.'

   "The fort still stands, as I felt I must wait another year before dismantling it.  The need for young boys to build a fort is one of those happy mysteries of life."

    Scheuer attached a few photos of the fort. Here are two of them:

The fort. (Submitted photo)

The fort builders. (Submitted photos)

Tags: sam cook, outdoors with sam cook, outdoors, blog, fort, ely