The soil is still to wet to do anything with, so I focused on transporting some compost to the beds Ive already worked up. Were harvesting salad, radishes, and asparagus, and Im keeping an eye on the tomatoes and peppers. Theyre coming along nicely, the tomatoes especially like the warmer weather, and everybody liked the rain. The garden is way more than half planted, and as soon as the beds dry out Ill get the rest of it in. Becky is pushing me to finish my writing early so we can go to the farmers market this morning. Because she almost always has to work on Saturday, we hardly get to go together. My usual market companion is Travis, so it will be fun to spend some time with my sweetie in the presence of all that produce. Speaking of Travis, were scheduled to have him for two nights in a row this weekend, a first for us. Its like preparing for summer camp, we want to make sure theres enough going on to keep him busy, and fortunately it looks like the weather will be good which will make it a lot easier to entertain him. Becky and I have been debating what to do about the roof on our house. At the time I built the house, we were on a strict budget, and I purchased the cheapest three tab shingles money could buy. Now were twenty seven years on a twenty year roof and the time has come to replace it. A couple of years ago Clyde and replaced the barn roof when we built the carport and wood shop, so the house has the only roof that needs attention. Becky and I have been talking about possible roof choices for some time now. Weve looked at all kinds of options, including steel shingles, or even standing seam. The simplest and most practical choice is thirty year dimensional shingles. When I do the math, I smile with the knowledge this will be the last time I have to fool with this roof. The thing is, up to this point Ive personally built, or rebuilt everything here at the ranch. When I was working in construction, I did many rip offs and re-roofs, never my favorite work, but usually part of the package. Now that Im getting longer in the tooth, it seems the most practical way to approach this project is to hire an old friend of mine and get his crew over here to do the bulk of the hard work, and finesse the tricky parts with my assistance. I have mixed feelings about this, if I made this my summer project I could theoretically be finished by fall. If I hire my friend and his crew, we might be done in a week. As I described to my friend, we have a special needs roof. The conical porch roof isnt something you would let just any one do, and the skylight filled sun room roof requires an advanced degree. Im at peace with the notion that you cant do everything, and I recognize the transition and see the practicality of seeking assistance. So there you have it, if I cherry pick my projects I will always have plenty to do. I can focus on the things that require my expertise, and leave the grunt work to the younger and hardier. Last night my son Ben and I reminisced on the day we got the news about Lodie seven years ago, life has gone on, and we both see that. But, there will always be that missing person at the table, and silence that was once filled with her laughter. We miss you Lodie, it was sure good to know you. Thank you now and forever for being my daughter.
Posted on: Sat, 24 May 2014 13:04:48 +0000
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