I’m Not An Engineer, But I Play One …

During the high winds the other day, the roof on our patio was seriously damaged.  The snow the following day made sure the injuries were fatal.

Oh well, you might say: It is winter, who the heck uses their patio in winter?  We do.

Our apartment is quite small, and the patio (which, being on the ground floor and facing the garden, is much larger than you might think) adds a significant amount of living space. It is furnished with table and chairs, flowers, lights, heater, plant preparation tables, barbecue, and tool storage.  Around the end of October we fully enclose it with transparent heavy-duty vapour-barrier plastic and its stays cosy and warm until we open up again in spring. The loss of the roof, therefore, was something of a disaster.

Since I built the frame for about thirteen years ago, I have replaced the roof about half a dozen times and have become something of an expert in getting it done quite quickly and efficiently.  However, it involves using ladders and such both inside and outside the patio, and the snow and ice remained crisp and deep in the garden this morning.  I had decided to wait until it had thawed (I am more of a prevaricator than a handyman), but the patio felt like a freezer box and so I changed my mind and got on with it.

Now, a few hours later, it is done and I feel good about having done it. The ever-loving is also pleased, which is great, and the patio is starting to warm up again.  Phew.

It’s Winter!

It is 11 minutes past 9am and we have slipped into winter.  Yesterday’s snow is like a guest who arrived for the party while you were still laying out the table, and is staying around long after everyone else has gone home.

But we can be positive now because every day gets longer from here on in, and every day brings us that much closer to spring.

Charleston, WV