8am apply mozzie repellent and sunblock and meet Ian M (frequent contributor to these pages) for action - attack the high gutters of the house.
As Ian sets up the ladders and so on, I continue with the compost distribution project.
A little later Michael B turns up unexpectedly, also dressed and armed for action.
We are collectively blessed that MB has the gift of clambering around in high places without the aid of a safety net - our scenarios of expensive cherry pickers or clattery wobbles on extended ladders vanish into mist, as MB prances around carrying the leafblower, armed like a starship trooper and doing serious damage to detritus/leaves/etc.
Ian meanwhile hoses gutters blown out or yet to be cleared, and becomes an inadvertent target at times for Michael's bombardment.
At 11am-ish the war games cease as Lois brings out a wonderful chocolate beetroot cake, still steaming on its way from the oven, and Michael regales us with his weird fishing tales (sharks? sea snakes? octopuses?).
As the 2 roof clamberers continue (Michael leaves after a wee while to go and paint the outside of his own house - a change is as good as a rest, they say!), Alex, his friend Tom, and I attack the neighbouring flora - a Mexican something-or-other tree, the Moreton Bay Fig and other little bits and pieces caught in the crossfire.
By 1 the gutters etc. are done - time for lunch!
As I blog, Ian is putting gutterguard mesh into the guttering to prevent future rooftop gardens from growing...I reached my limit shortly after lunch, and retreated into the house to report, and to listen to my latest recording - Psalms 11 - 20.
Recording update for GvW = Ps 1-10 (vox, viola and gat), Roadkill (vox and gat), Te Mamae me te Aroha (viola improvs) and now Ps 11 - 20 (v,v,g).
These discs are all available from me for $10 each (not incl. postage) if you are interested.
Next project is Dark Glasses song cycle.
For some cheaper vW entertainment, I recommend visiting Sophie's blogsite (sophiwophi.blogspot.com) - her 3rd sonnet was posted today.
Thanks to Chris White for unflagging dedication to recording my music, and today to Michael for his mountain goat impressions, and for the last week to Ian for thorough, wonderful rescue work on our gutters.
Yay!
G.
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Yes, an interesting day, with Mike dealing punishment to much gutter-growing flora. Confusion highlights included the mysterious disappearing downpipe. Mike was hosing down the roof and he wondered where the nearest downpipe was. From below, I told him, but he still couldn't find it; it just looked solid from above. That was strange, because I could hear water going down it. It turned out that when I had disturbed a wasp nest earlier I had jumped back in alarm and since I had been holding the gutter, had slid it along far enough to completely cover the downpipe hole.
ReplyDeleteMike, was it a yellow-bellied sea snake (pelamis platurus)? Pity it isn't on Alexander's snake venom page - it's highly poisonous.
Gerald, is Dark Glasses song cycle David part 3?
octopi.
ReplyDeleteoctopi, octopuses - either will do in English.
ReplyDeleteIan - what did you do with the wasp nest?
Dislodging it into the gutter bugged the wasps, which is why I leapt backward. I kept my distance from it from then on and got Mike to wash it into the downpipe, all of which, incidently, explains why he was both trying to find the downpipe and having trouble finding it.
ReplyDeleteAre young octopusses called octokitties?
Octokitties - good idea!
ReplyDeletePlatykitties?