Well, 15 years after the ice knocked it down, the flagpole is back at 372 Killarney Beach. I'm sure that Dad and Mr. Close, who made it, would be pleased.
Recently I welded a new section in to replace the bent section. Then I made a base for it from pipes and concrete,since the old base had been damaged by sea wall work and was in the wrong place anyway.
My neighbor, Darrell Jones, helped me push it up this morning (or rather, I kinda pushed a little as Darrell applied the muscle). Darrell had more faith in my weld joint than I did, but it turns out to be justified. The real test was when the pole was barely off the ground,because then the weight of the whole upper section was cantilevered and trying to break it. Even Mr. Close did not use butt welds on the pole.
I put up a flag in the stiff north wind to celebrate.
