Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah!

Several months ago, our family went to a pumpkin farm and loved it mainly for it's "kiddie" zipline. So, when buying Christmas gifts for the kids, we knew a zipline would be perfect for them! I lucked out and found one for really cheap and Brad finally decided to go put it up outside. All of you who know Brad and I know what an ordeal this was to get done! Basically, the cable is only 35 feet long so we were limited to where we could put it AND the cable had to fit tightly around two trees (hardware included). The instructions were very clear as to how to assemble the zipline and how to attach the "clasps" to the wire so the wire doesn't slip off the trees.

Well, after Brad assembles it (and pretty quickly might I add), the kids take off "zipping" through the sky as I am the "catcher" on the other end so they don't smack into the tree! After a few runs, the cable is sagging like a wet noodle and the kids are hitting their knees on the ground! So, he unhooks one cable from the tree (keeping the other intact) and tries to raise the cable to make it tighter. I went inside to answer the phone for a quick minute. BIG MISTAKE! After I went back outside, I see that Brad had wrapped the cable around the other tree about FIVE TIMES and was hammering nails through the cable and into the tree! And he was proud of himself!! He even said that the company didn't know what they talking about with the assembly directions and the "clasps" weren't working or SAFE!! Here is a picture of how it is supposed to be secured (with "clasps"): Here is the work of my own Clark Griswald (without "clasps"):
Look at the poor tree "bleeding" sap everywhere!

I just knew that when the kids took off, the cable was going to come flying off the tree, the kids would come flying off the cable down to the ground, breaking some bone in their body and we would be making a trip to the ER. However, the cable is still intact and has never even sounded like it is weak at all, no broken bones (yet!), Daddy is the hero, and Mommy is "no fun" so says the kids.
Here is a video of the kids enjoying the zipline with a surprise at the end! (oh, and don't worry....we taught the kids how to kick the tree so they don't smack into it!):


Yes, even though the directions said the weight limit was under 100 pounds, he wanted to try out his workmanship on the tree to see how sturdy it was!

Success! Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah!

p.s. When we all finally went inside, I saw the "clasps" sitting on the table and there were both "clasps", but only one washer and one nut. When I asked him if he lost the other washer and nut in the grass when trying to reassemble the cable, he just laughed! Hmmmmmm.....