27 May 2012

Today was Give Your Buns A Break Day, i.e., no bike ride, so, of course, I woke up at a decent hour. Opened the curtain at the head of the bed and discovered that Hopea Kanootti had taken a midnight stroll, as she was no longer locked to Alverta’s kayak out by the woodshed. Once my heart started beating again, surmised that my neighbors to the south had taken up on my offer to use the canoe. Sure enough, she was moored to the dock down in the lake. Would you like to guess where all the surviving mosquitoes in Leicester have taken refuge? Got two more courses of shingles on the east wall by noon, but my makeshift scaffolding, especially the end held up by my 6′ stepladder, was making even me uneasy as I worked my way ever higher.  Decided to build some cribbing to achieve at least a semblance of stability with the stepladder.  Instead of walking the 20′ to get one of my innumerable clamps, was holding two pieces of wood together while I drove in a screw.  Drill driver slipped and the star drive bit did a number on my left index finger.  (I think it was a #4, but will have to check my list to be sure.) Swearing profusely manfully gritting my teeth, I repaired poste haste to the first aid station (Delores’ bathroom), where thankfully I had put out a red towel.  Blood staunched, got another two courses of shingles put up.  The rest of the east wall (five more courses) will have to be done from staging, as I’ve reached (some would say: far exceeded) the limits of the ladders I have on hand.