Quite literally! I spent the glorious weekend not in my backyard but on a ladder cleaning out the gutters of my patio roof. I had quite the argument with myself (it's age, and I'm sticking to it) about the fun of gardening and playing in the soil, or the responsibility to my home. Getting done what needed to be done and was forgotten in the preparing for winter. I lost, responsible won!
I HATE ladders, I'm not good with heights, so it was an adventure. Have any of you cleaned a gutter...in one word YUCK!!! While I love digging in the soil, that found on my patio roof and in its gutters was not soil: moss, slime and whatever else that had been blown around and deposited on my roof, branches, decomposed leaves, bugs.
The day started with organization, (I am an accountant). Line up the tools needed, easy enough; it's all in the garden shed. The standard, buckets, a trowel, garden gloves (I had to go out and purchase those, I love my hands in the soil), rake, hoe, hose, nozzle and of course the ladder.
It was lovely out, and the dog wanted to come play on the patio while I worked. Mandy is a mini schnauzer. Any of you who have known, or have schnauzers, know how vocal they can be. Mandy is no exception. She is in a word a "Barker", adorable, well behaved otherwise, a great but mouthy companion. I hooked her up on her out door lead. I grabbed the ladder, buckets, gloves, trowel and headed to the edge of the patio. I carefully lined up everything in the order I thought I might need it in. Then placed the ladder and took the first hesitant step on to it.
Did the world just tilt, or am I sinking? Oh this is Oregon and it rains a lot...hmm back to the garden shed looking for bricks to help level out the area and a sufficiently sized board to distribute the weight so the ladder won't sink.
Now I was sure that I had everything at hand and was ready to get this done in an hour! (stop laughing) I positioned the ladder on the board, tested it on the first step and then climbed up, and up and up. Wow that cedar needs trimming, looks like a dead branch. Back to the matter at hand I reached around to pick up the rake and found I was grasping air....then looked down. It had fallen down and lay flat on the ground. I climbed back down picked it up and made my way back up the ladder.
I made some headway raking the material down towards the gutter where I could grab it and fling it into the bucket attached to the ladder. I worked at the raking for a half an hour and had accomplished a quarter of the roof. I needed a break, down the ladder I went, into the house for a Pepsi for me and a dog treat for Mandy.
Back up the ladder I picked up the trowel and discovered IT was wider than the gutter…..I needed something with a hook to scoop the gunk towards me and into the bucket. Standard sized tools were not designed for narrow gutters. That was ok, I could make what I needed. That took a bit more scrounging, and an odd assortment of things, duct tape (where would the world be without duct tape), wire coat hangers, an expandable pole, pliers to bend the coat hangers.
With my new tool in hand I climbed yet again, back up the ladder.
My neighbors were enjoying the day as well, and now they were all out talking to each other, and walking their dogs. I reached out with my newly made specialized tool and dragged the gunk back towards me .... woof, Woof, WOOOOOF,HOWLLLLLLLLLLLLL. It startled me so much I almost fell off the ladder, grabbed onto the gutter and steadied myself while Mandy greeted all standing at the base of my sidewalk watching me attempt to remain sane. Down the ladder across the patio, waving hi to my neighbors, unhooked Mandy and took her in the house, muttering to myself about nosey neighbors and noisy dogs (walking by this time on feet not meant for ladders).
The bush that was blocking my ladder for the second half of the patio roof has been trimmed. No I didn't cut it down, but it is smaller. My gutters shine (well they are clean)and now have specially cut mesh guards installed. It only took me two days (laughing at my only an hour thoughts)! One could say my weekend had it's ups and downs. I'm so glad to be back on solid ground,blogging and catching up with all of you on your blogs ;)
I HATE ladders, I'm not good with heights, so it was an adventure. Have any of you cleaned a gutter...in one word YUCK!!! While I love digging in the soil, that found on my patio roof and in its gutters was not soil: moss, slime and whatever else that had been blown around and deposited on my roof, branches, decomposed leaves, bugs.
The day started with organization, (I am an accountant). Line up the tools needed, easy enough; it's all in the garden shed. The standard, buckets, a trowel, garden gloves (I had to go out and purchase those, I love my hands in the soil), rake, hoe, hose, nozzle and of course the ladder.
It was lovely out, and the dog wanted to come play on the patio while I worked. Mandy is a mini schnauzer. Any of you who have known, or have schnauzers, know how vocal they can be. Mandy is no exception. She is in a word a "Barker", adorable, well behaved otherwise, a great but mouthy companion. I hooked her up on her out door lead. I grabbed the ladder, buckets, gloves, trowel and headed to the edge of the patio. I carefully lined up everything in the order I thought I might need it in. Then placed the ladder and took the first hesitant step on to it.
Did the world just tilt, or am I sinking? Oh this is Oregon and it rains a lot...hmm back to the garden shed looking for bricks to help level out the area and a sufficiently sized board to distribute the weight so the ladder won't sink.
Now I was sure that I had everything at hand and was ready to get this done in an hour! (stop laughing) I positioned the ladder on the board, tested it on the first step and then climbed up, and up and up. Wow that cedar needs trimming, looks like a dead branch. Back to the matter at hand I reached around to pick up the rake and found I was grasping air....then looked down. It had fallen down and lay flat on the ground. I climbed back down picked it up and made my way back up the ladder.
I made some headway raking the material down towards the gutter where I could grab it and fling it into the bucket attached to the ladder. I worked at the raking for a half an hour and had accomplished a quarter of the roof. I needed a break, down the ladder I went, into the house for a Pepsi for me and a dog treat for Mandy.
Back up the ladder I picked up the trowel and discovered IT was wider than the gutter…..I needed something with a hook to scoop the gunk towards me and into the bucket. Standard sized tools were not designed for narrow gutters. That was ok, I could make what I needed. That took a bit more scrounging, and an odd assortment of things, duct tape (where would the world be without duct tape), wire coat hangers, an expandable pole, pliers to bend the coat hangers.
With my new tool in hand I climbed yet again, back up the ladder.
My neighbors were enjoying the day as well, and now they were all out talking to each other, and walking their dogs. I reached out with my newly made specialized tool and dragged the gunk back towards me .... woof, Woof, WOOOOOF,HOWLLLLLLLLLLLLL. It startled me so much I almost fell off the ladder, grabbed onto the gutter and steadied myself while Mandy greeted all standing at the base of my sidewalk watching me attempt to remain sane. Down the ladder across the patio, waving hi to my neighbors, unhooked Mandy and took her in the house, muttering to myself about nosey neighbors and noisy dogs (walking by this time on feet not meant for ladders).
The bush that was blocking my ladder for the second half of the patio roof has been trimmed. No I didn't cut it down, but it is smaller. My gutters shine (well they are clean)and now have specially cut mesh guards installed. It only took me two days (laughing at my only an hour thoughts)! One could say my weekend had it's ups and downs. I'm so glad to be back on solid ground,blogging and catching up with all of you on your blogs ;)
3 comments:
I am glad you got all your chores done, but stay off the damn ladder. Oh, please.
You're a gutsy woman. I just don't do ladders. But now I know who to call when I need some help.. for an hour. ;)
Cedar, well not quite done....warm weather this weekend also, and now the other side of the house gutters need doing....not looking forward to it. Perhaps I'll pass on it and hire someone ;)
Hilary, Laughing yes my time estimation needs work. Just call if you need help, course I don't do planes hmmmm I think it would possibly become another Lucy and Ethel episode ;)
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