Sooke, B.C. couple turns tree trunk into 10-foot-tall 'Boot House'
Melvina is delving into her photo albums, recalling "so many memories" made in "so many houses" that she and her husband fixed-up.
"That’s kind of been our passion since we’ve been together," she says.
Over the past 40 years, Melvina and Lloyd have built or renovated 13 houses together.
"13 and a half, I think!" Lloyd says, nodding to their latest project on the front lawn.
Before we get to the new half-house, Melvina tells me about another property where they’d built an outhouse.
"The outdoor lock locked," Melvina recalls. "And I couldn’t get out!"
She tried unsuccessfully to kick the door open and the walls down, before resorting to hollering for help.
"Finally, my neighbour heard me and came over," Melvina smiles. "We had a pretty good laugh about that."
Melvina says a sense of humour is crucial when you’re living in a construction zone. So is a vision.
"My husband’s a little weary when I say I have an idea," she smiles. "Because that means more work for him."
Melvina dreams and Lloyd makes it a reality. It seems to make them a good team.
"We enjoy doing it," Lloyd says, before smiling. "Up to a point."
"If I suggest moving again, that’s were I’ll be living!" Melvina gestures to house number 13-and-a-half.
Melvina got the idea for their latest project in the midst of cutting down a dead tree in the front yard.
"I thought she was crazy!" Lloyd laughs, when his wife told him she thought the remaining trunk was shaped like a boot.
Lloyd changed his mind after working to realize Melvina’s vision. After he built three windows and a door to attach to it, their son installed a roof on top of it, and Melvina bought rope to lace-up the length of it.
The trunk was transformed into a 10-foot-tall boot treehouse right out of a fairy tale.
"It’s whimsical," Melvina smiles, before showing me the gnomes she’s placed on the boot’s front porch and the garden she’s planted around it. "We had a lot of fun with it."
Melvina says there’s nothing better than working together with her husband. Lloyd says he appreciates his wife’s drive to make things better for their sons and 15 grand- and great-grandchildren.
"Mel always tries to make a happy family for all us," Lloyd says meaningfully. "And she’s done a very good job."
Together they’ve turned 13-and-a-half houses into home sweet homes, with heart and "sole."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.