Up On The Roof

Temperatures in low seventies had us hustling to get work done before winter stays for a few weeks. February is always our worst winter month.  Not so far.  The first day was perfect so up in the tractor bucket. We were lifted with heated tar to stop a leak in the roof and check out the gutters with Andrew at the controls.

I'm not one for heights but didn't know it until I was grown.  I thought that heart stopping breathless condition when I climbed trees to the top was just the thrill of the conquest.  It wasn't.  Found out later on, in fact, when Hubby and I went to the county fair. I was terrified when we stopped on the very top of the Ferris Wheel.  Didn't help that when Hubby started to swing our seat. He has always enjoyed making me scream and still does!

So we were slowly raised in the tractor with a bucket of hot tar which is the way we seal cracks and leaks on a roof around here.  Ideally we would get a new roof but ideally is not always an option so we do what we know how...make do with what we have.

Andrew, the bucket operator, could not resist tipping the bucket to get a reaction from me.  Papa made over!

The chimney was tarred as Dad did to get ahead of any possible leaks.

This is a steep roof.  I am still gripping the bucket and trying to clean the gutters. The thought of getting onto the roof had me about ready to pee my pants!

Andrew felt sorry for torturing me and monkey climbed the tractor arms and bucket to help the old man on the roof.  Since Hubby is my senior by around three years I was ashamed.  Not ashamed enough to climb up and help.

Having developed a leak on the front porch we wanted to get ahead of it by trying to stuff all possible places with hot tar to keep the rain out.  That is a male "we" as the female me is still gripping the bucket with a death grip.  It's not pretty but who's going to see it?  May this be the solution.  It has been a tried and true method our fathers used so cross your fingers.

And the younger generation learns by watching!

Hopefully.

In the background you can see my worm pit/compost.  My sitting area that I bored you with this summer.  You might also note how terribly high we are from the ground.  I prefer the ground.  

If we have more warm days maybe we, uh, they can accomplish some more daunting tasks.  I wish we could call a roofer.  No funds.  This roof was installed right after our big tornado a few years ago. The company who did it were idiots taking advantage of the tornado damage or we would not be having these problems.  Oh, well, another life lesson.

What did you do yesterday?  I bet it wasn't as heart stopping as this was for me!