We knew what we were in for on Saturday, because we had been there before: painting the roof. Last round was the primer, this round was the top coat. We got up nice and early and rolled down hill to the farmer's market and stocked up for the week. I treated myself to a pound of local beef because I knew we'd be totally drained after 9 hot hours on the roof.
The painting went well and we were better prepared this time. We brought lots of water up there, wore hats, and had enough paint on the roof to get the job done without coming down for supplies. We pretty much duplicated our pattern and technique from the last time, with Erika taking chicken ladder duties out back and me taking them up front. We started a little after 10AM and finished at around 7PM.
We cleaned our brushes and had a beer on the back lawn, admiring our work.
I was really hoping that we'd be done in time for me to play in the woods, and we were. So I grabbed the clippers and began cutting a trail from the back yard up into the back woods. The goal is to have a trail up to the summit of the property, as a way for us to get back there and enjoy some of the land. See now, in the middle of summer, it's completely overgrown and impenetrable thanks mostly to the brier. I spent more than an hour back there and made good progress before getting a wood fire going so that there would be some coals to cook these tasty burgers on. And they were tasty. We ate outside in the dark at the picnic table and finished off this bottle of champagne. Topped it off with vanilla ice cream, chocolate chips, and fresh wineberries (we've been putting those things on everything!). THAT's how we recharge after a tough day on the roof!
Sunday
Sunday, after wineberry pancakes, we decided to hit a couple of trusty antique shops for some lighting ideas. Cruising down route 29 with all the windows down that summer morning, Pinback never sounded so much like Thingy to me. It was a good cruise but the store on the other end of it was closed until 1PM and it was around 11. Turned around and headed to Covesville where we picked up an old copper chandelier that we may use in the dining room. We also scored some silver chalice-looking things that we plan to mount on a small wood shelf and wire them for vanity lighting above the bathroom mirror.
I'm not sure what happened after that. I know we came home and made some lunch. It was so hot that I just put the fan on in the bedroom and fell right to sleep. A nap! Wow. I must have needed that. Erika woke me at one point to tell me that the first baby phoebe had left the nest. We'd been watching them practice and exercise the past couple of days, and now one was sitting in the bush outside. By evening, the other two would also leave the nest. Congrats, Phoebes!
Erika scraped some caulk and got a coat of paint on one of the window's exterior trim, and I took advantage of having a little more time to continue carving a trail up into the woods.
Oh yeah, our garlic is hanging out to dry on the front porch. Smells so nice!
- John
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