Take It Off. Take It AAALLL Off.

The Pony spent an hour this afternoon stripping.

Perhaps that's not exactly the career I had in mind for my precious baby. But his father will be thrilled. Ecstatic. In fact, Farmer H is the one who suggested such a pastime last night, for today's itinerary.

"Pony. Did you get those boards done for your Sword Shack today?"

"Uh huh."

"I'm going to need more tomorrow. At least 15 so I can build up the sides. There's a heavier hammer if you need it. In the BARn."

"The hammer's fine. Sometimes, the nails are bent, and I can't get them out."

"That's okay. You can use the Sawzall to cut through the nails."

"No. The hammer is fine."

"Okay. So tomorrow, you'll be stripping."

"Okay."

Yeah. Farmer H is building a Sword Shack for The Pony to keep his collectibles in. He has a bunch of skids he brought home from work that they take apart for lumber. The Pony's job is to knock the boards loose and remove the nails. Farmer H calls this stripping.

As with all of his projects, I try to stay away from Farmer H structures under construction. My eyes glaze over when he tells me about them. Even though the Sword Shack will be in sight of the Mansion, right next to the Little Barbershop of Horrors, I try not to look. It's his project. I'm not all that interested.

There had better not be a pole in the middle of that Sword Shack.