April 20, 2012

Day 4

We worked until dark-thirty last night trying to get the roof on, and I didn't get to take pictures until today after it rained.

BB came back thinking they would get the roof on by noon, but he didn't get to leave until almost five o'clock. They were not complimentary about the workmanship done on the original house. The word wonky was used often. When taking off the brick, we found another beer can crushed and mortared behind the brick. That probably explains part of the wonkiness. Hubby and BB had trouble with the rafters because the original wasn't level.

But they finally got the rafters in place, and most of the decking up so BB could go home. Hubby was on the roof and BB and I on the ground handing up the decking. It was slick and Hubby was having a hard time getting his feet planted. I was so afraid he was going to slide off, and it was a big relief when they finished that part.

After BB left, Hubby was on the old roof and had the convertible ladder set up as an extension ladder on the deck under the new roof so I could climb up and help him with the roofing felt. As soon as I handed him the felt and he climbed to the top of the roof to tuck it under the original shingles, I felt the ladder start sliding out from under me. I screamed for Hubby, and he hooked his hammer onto the ridge and stuck his foot down so I could grab the toe of his boot. The ladder kept sliding and he wanted me to let go of his toe and grab his ankle. Let me tell you I was scared to death. I just knew the ladder and I were going to crash onto the deck and it was really going to hurt. But I let go, then grabbed his ankle, and then grabbed his pants leg with my other hand and as the ladder continued its slide, I leapt sideways off the ladder and climbed his leg until I could reach his hands and he pulled me on up onto the original roof.

He left me panting, hyperventilating, and clinging to the shingles so he could pound on the roof over Brownie's computer and she came running onto the deck. Then she held the ladder so Hubby could climb down, and he held it so I could climb down. I didn't get back on the roof but after he changed the ladder to a step style, I did climb up to hand him the felt. Still, every time I was on it, it seemed like it was sliding. I need to get over this fear. It doesn't help that the same thing happened when I put an older extension ladder on the deck to put up Christmas decorations in December. But that one didn't start sliding until I was stepping back on it after being on the roof and I managed to jump back onto the roof before I had both feet on it. We both blamed the old ladder and thought the grippers on the ends were probably old and hard, but since it happened with this new ladder too, I think it's the composition deck.

So word of warning from me, if you have a Trex or any other composition deck, don't put an extension ladder on it!

And on a brighter note, we caught the other cat and he has a new home far, far away. It was kind of funny when we caught him. Brownie heard the trap close and called "kitty, kitty" to it. I didn't want our cat to see that cat and get all bent out of shape the way he does so told Brownie not to let our cat know it was there. Too late though. But instead of yowling, hissing, and growling the way he normally does when he is around that cat, our cat sat calmly near us, just watching the cat.

Later, when we put that cat into the shed for the night, our cat following along, rubbing against our legs and I swear he was pleased as punch that the other cat was in the cage.

Well, that's all for now. A short downpour has stopped all activity outside for the moment and I'm enjoying the break. But now I need to go get all the puddles out of the new room so we can continue with the sheathing.

Photobucket
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Day 1
Dining Room

8 comments:

  1. Ladders don't get along with me either. I fell off one washing windows when I was four months pregnant and thank goodness the baby wasn't harmed. But I steer clear of them as much as I can. I get all shaky, even on the little one we use for inside the house for drapery hanging etc.

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  2. Thank goodness for your guy's quick thinking. I'm not fond of ladders (maybe it has something to do with my fear of heights, naw probably not).

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  3. Good Grief!!! Glad you are okay--glad you are still young enough to have quick reactions and limber enough to move quickly. Be careful, please?

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    1. That morning I would not have said I was limber enough to do that, and I've never had good upper arm strength so it must have been adrenalin.

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  4. Wow that sounds like a scene out of a movie! So scary! I'm impressed that you went back up. I know I would have been too chicken.

    Just want to let you know that the pipeline rep said they were going to clear cut every five years from now own. So even if everything grows back they are just going to be back to cut it all down once again.

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    1. I didn't want to go back up, but I had to. I got on the step ladder today but didn't have the nerve to get on the extension ladder. Baby steps. I'll get back up there eventually.

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  5. I felt tense just reading your description of what happened with the ladder. Your heart must have got a good workout!

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