She had sat for several weeks, alone and out of her element, sat on blocks of wood & frames of steel, lines drawn on her hull, her cabins, inside & out. They had hoisted her up on the steel frame & wood blocks, stripped her of her large bronze propeller & rudder and left her. It seemed an odd end for her. But then they returned, climbed on board her and set to work. Her cabin interiors were removed, the bulkheads stripped to the bare metal, her wheelhouse was gutted, her wheel & telegraph taken from her as was her radar and radios and other items. They went to her engine room and disconnected her once powerful engines, cut her hull at the waterline and a large hole in her deck and hoisted her engines out. Her wheelhouse and cabins now stripped had larger sections cut from her leaving her open and well vulnerable it seemed to her. Her bottom was sealed up as was the hole in her deck after all her inner workings were removed. They cut and reshaped her, taking from her what she was and making her into something else. Then came the other, grinding her all over, sanding making things smooth, then she was painted in a new livery, a bright shiny red white & yellow, & a large blue 4 was painted on her stack. Then the ultimate indignity befell her a she was hoisted on a large truck and taken away to a new place. Here she was then taken off and placed on the ground her bow pointed straight out over the water of the bay. She was nestled into a spot had it sealed up as other things were added around and to her. A section was cut from her starboard side and one from her aft quarter port side, ramps were put in and new white railings were installed on her upper decks & wheelhouse. Blue neoprene was placed about her bow & along her sides to look like water,then the workmen departed, took their tools and devices and so forth and left her, again. The next day dawned bright & sunny and to many people standing around her looking, commenting, others spoke to and about her and then there was a great applause as the ribbons & tapes were taken away & and people came up the ramps and on board her, tramped around on her decks, climbed her steps, stood in her wheelhouse and in her cabin spaces, milled about, talked and breathed life back into her once again. But it was the kids who came on board that filled her with the greatest joy, kids who took her over, ran, yelled, jumped and a host of other things, kids who made her into a pirate ship, fought sea battles with her, sailed her on imaginary voyages that only kids could do, took her and claimed her as theirs as they ran about her decks and up and down steps, yelled screamed and had fun. She sits proud now a testament to her new life, one that will endure now much longer and with greater purpose than before as now she is affectionately know now as " The Boat Playground." ........thanks for the peek