So what's up in my world, you ask... Well, I'm up on the roof again. It just happened that the Universe (via Bill) donated a few carloads of 2x4's and deck boards and 2x6's. Since my finances went out the door when I paid back property taxes (had house refinance this summer, they always wrapped the back taxes into it, but they didn't this time; Sera handled the refinance, so I wasn't aware of this until August) and house insurance went up (August surprise, again) and I actually had a licensed carpenter (!! who, me? - older friend my sons hung out with) 'pitch off' 1/2 the main house (where the leaking redeveloped, and these folks like to use new materials) --- suffice it to say, I couldn't scare up another $500 to finish pitching the roof across the addition.
But there... growing in the yard... was a perfectly good pile of wood. It all seemed to fit together just fine to whack a 'snow support' over the addition - I empathetically refuse to consider this a deck. It happens to look like a deck just because that's the wood I had available to use, but I wouldn't have put out this energy now for a deck if this roof wasn't a continual winter hazard -- I would work hard though for a 'snow support' protecting the old roof.
No one thought this was the best plan, but it was do-able. I had enough 2x4's to double them as framing supports, under 7 feet long, so these became cross-beams between 2x6's. Three sets of them spanned a major portion of the addition, under which is my room. I had 3 main goals to accomplish with this: keep snow weight off the old roof, which is weak and a bit warped; prevent ice berms along the edge that back up water and create leaks at -20 temps (requiring chiseling and shoveling, which tears up the rolled roofing); create an air space, which is mostly missing in the 2x4 original roof design (which I didn't do!) during the worst of the cold.
Everytime I checked the winter forecast and it said, "cold and snow," I'd get jittery about what to do with this portion of the roof. I had a stack of used deck boards but not much else until Bill volunteered some of the wood stacked about his place "enough to get the job done". If the Universe is going to provide the materials, I'm going to put them where I think they'll do the most good; being on the ground doesn't accomplish much, so figured I'd put them on the roof.
Depending on what comes first, this is either a "2012 observation platform" or a temporary fix until we have a spare $500 to complete the pitch-roof Tom started, at which time I can pull this down in an afternoon and put a deck somewhere else. Odds of us having a few spare $500's around here doesn't look likely, and the other 1/2 of the main structure would benefit from continuing Tom's design - but that section isn't critical or leaking.
I'm thinking I'll cover this platform with a few tarps when the snow flies to prevent icing on 'the real roof'. I'm totally expecting this to be a huge bonus in the next few months when I'm not mucking around on the ##@! (gol-darned) roof at subzero temps. I'll post a picture when I take one, and I did meet a man who refused to let me tackle this project on my own, so I've had some back-up and experienced help (i.e. I'm not winging it totally on my own).
Whew. Getting this roof secured is a huge relief.
I do have a picture to share, but it's plants. I found something I can grow? Tobacco... Sure, my cantelope are only slightly larger than baseballs, but check this out:
Not a great picture, but the only one my son was willing to take when I interrupted his football game or such - does show how happy these plants seem to be, despite late planting and shade. I know, there are other tobacco-type products in greater demand, but I have my own lifetime habits - two in the picture, if you spotted the coffee cup. I won't get into health issues, since it seems everything Big Money touches is corrupted - chemicals in cigarettes, meats, veggies, shampoos and deodorants. And most the folks that scowl at my smoking happily toss back alcoholic beverages, so...
I won't mention the economy; I think we all know we're screwed until major changes occur (like reclaiming true US currency). I compared it to an elephant in the room, and all the professional economists are busy dealing with the crap but never realizing the elephant's there. Once the elephant is removed, the rest can be cleaned up. Shoveling it from one side of the room to the other is an exercise in futility - does make my 'snow support' seem downright logical in comparison.
If a person thinks we're in for a rough ride, then battening down the hatches is simply wise. I think they're b.s.'ing when they declared "the recession's over" - the same day Sera's work laid off another person. The good news is, folks are starting to be aware of the true problem, folks I meet on the street or at my job. Five years ago, I'd get a blank look if I mentioned some simple monetary facts, now others are aware and agreeing. This is a step in the right direction, unless you happen to be part of the elite monetary powers. I don't know anyone that qualifies, but someone's making a profit off the interest generated by the Federal Reserve - money won't be worth much, but asset ownership is going into the hands of the 'paper holders'. Ungodly suggestion off the internet, wherein the Federal Reserve (remember, private bankers) may buy up housing from banks "to help the economy" and just hold for resale... or creating serfs living on the master's property again?
Does anyone else realize how easily we could 'declare US of A bankrupt', close it down and reopen the next morning as 'the Collective States of America'? Old debts die with the old country, and nothing anyone could do about it. Clean slate, issue proper currency and take back our country. Does this make more sense than having so many foreign and international corporations 'owning' us? It seems logical to me, but then I built a 'snow support' against the advice of pretty much everybody because 'it felt right'.
For me, the next few months will prove if I'm weather-wise or not. For the country, the next few years will prove if we've got the brains to survive. In the meantime, I'll stock up on coffee and tobaccy and nettle for tea. Haven't tried growing coffee beans yet.
Howdy,
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the coffee beans up here.
You did right by the roof. Winter before last mine was is comparable straights and I did pretty much what you did with mostly success. Last fall we were able to scrape enough together to put up a steel roof, which is mostly done, except where I have to extend one eve out and haven't, what with the hip replacement, been either able to do yet or have the cash for the material.
When I was laid off for so long last year I went to rolling my own and am never going back. The paper tubes aren't those gagging 'fire proof' crap and the tobacco is chemically free. At fourteen bucks a carton and a little time rolling I'm never going back.
Think hard about replacing our current money with 'real' money. The new money won't really be worth any more or less. For an excellent analysis of this train of thought I recommend Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s Cat's Cradle in demonstrating what is really valuable.