Friday, February 1, 2013
Super Ek-sided!
For those of you wondering why I'm not in Minnesota finishing the cabin myself, essentially it's because I'm poor. Not poor like can't eat or party like a rockstar, but poor like don't have thousands lying around to drill a well, yet. I saved a lot of money to begin the project and spent all that and then some to get as far as I did in 2010. The plan when I left was to save up a bunch of money real quick and return to finish. Well, I'm in a pay-off-the-debt-and-then-borrow-for-the-next-critical-building-step cycle. It turns out saving up to finish is more time consuming than originally projected. That's OK, I work toward progress on this house every minute I'm at my job and the dream of the cabin really keeps me motivated to carry on.
Before I left Minnesota, back in Oh-Ten, I wrapped the exterior walls in a vapor barrier similar to Tyvek, as seen above. It's basically a plastic sheeting that would (hopefully) keep moisture from damaging the wooden parts of the house. I think it did it's job, but eventually the material will break down with exposure to sunlight, so it's important to eventually cover the walls with siding. I opted for a vinyl siding material which is not my ideal choice, but is really excellent in certain ways. One, it is the cheapest option so I love it already. Two, it is colored in manufacturing so paint is never required which is a great saving of energy and cost over the years.
What does a fella do when he needs help building his house? He calls a Pemberton! Matthias sent me pictures and his work looks really excellent. Below, he is pictured getting it done, Minnesota style. Truly, I am on pins and needles awaiting my chance to see this progress in person! Matthias reports my house is very tall...
With a little luck, I'll have some pictures from my own camera to add here before the year passes...
Hello Again!
Hi friends, I hope you've been wondering about my progress! And sorry it took me so long to update you. In a sense, not much has happened because I have not been to Minnesota in over two years and have only hired out two steps of the building process since. On the other hand, I'm reeeally excited about what has been done and the progress has been very important and substantial!
Though I have a roof sitting on the rafters, I neglected to cover the spaces between the rafters which left holes through which critters could (and did) enter the cabin. Birds came and nested all over the place. Here is the mess they made. Thank you birds for providing me with an opportunity to make some really wonderful improvements on my house spending virtually no money...
Photographs are art. I call this piece, Poop By the Stairwell. I think it says a lot about the duality of humans. Just kidding, it's only a pile of feces.
Don't think about how I will one day prepare you a delicious meal on this counter. Better yet, don't remember this photo when we eat.
This perch is where I will clean myself.
In addition to birds moving in, some hornets established residence as well. You probably want to click the following picture to enlarge it so you can see the hive up under the gable eave.
To keep the house from descending further into squalor, I hired a local Becida neighbor, Don Walters, to install soffit and fascia. The soffit is the material which covers the underside of the eave and the fascia covers the boards all along the edge of the roof. I decided to go with a sheet metal material because it requires no painting or maintenance to speak of AND Uncle Ronnie gave me enough for the whole house for free!! Don did a most excellent job sealing up the holes and making it all look beautiful. He even did bee removal and weed reduction. Here are photos Don took of his work.
I wish I could have been there for this, yet I'm also really glad I didn't have to do this part. Invariably, when I hire people to help me, they remark about the height of my house. From soil to peak, the height is about 24 feet and I'm glad I didn't have to strain to do this work that far up a ladder!
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Lacquer Box Essay
The following essay describes the photos of the previous post. This is a formal analysis writing, so it is a little dry and lacks the first person perspective from which I normally write. It felt weird to me to not write in free form, but the teacher outlined specific elements to address in the paper such as shape, size, texture, lines, use of space, color, etc. I would have liked to focus more on the personal story of how this box found its way from 1850s Japan into my step-dad's house without ever being sold. But, I followed instructions, and for it my essay was awarded 100%!
A Moment Floating for 160 Years
By: Jon Wheeler
July 24, 2011
Art History 1.2 World Art Since 1500 sec. 9430
Though the artistic maker of this particular lacquer box for writing implements will forever remain a mystery, many facts can be revealed about it through it’s stunning appearance and the wonderful story it carries with it. It was probably crafted in the early to mid 1800s and certainly comes from Japan during the Edo period. It was given to a Scottish-American immigrant as a gift, or perhaps as part of an exchange, from a Japanese military sailor who came to San Francisco in the mid-1850s. The box has a wooden core, which is coated with many layers of lacquer and is finally painted on the top surface. It appears to be in very good clean condition for its age and has no restoration done on it. The sides of the top lid have broken off, but all the pieces are present. Inside the approximately ten-inch long by six-inch wide by six-inch high box, there is a small metal water pitcher, a stone ink well, and an original black ink stick molded with Japanese writing that is so old, it can’t be translated by a person who only reads modern Japanese. The painting on the top of the lid depicts two birds, painted in gold with red details, flying through bamboo branches painted in black, delineated by a gray outline. Perhaps the bamboo was originally colored and now it is faded. The bamboo motif carries onto all four sides of the box as well. The main compartment for holding the writing implements is a tray under the lid and there is a drawer in the lower half of the box that pulls out lengthwise to store additional items.
Overall, this piece is shaped as a rectangular box. One of the intriguing aspects of it though is that as a functional piece, it carries a multitude of shapes within. The birds are painted on the surface with representational rounded edges and the bamboo is painted with a slightly more realistic shape. Inside the box, the writing implements themselves each have unique shapes. The ink well stone is rectangular with rounded corners and the well portion of the stone slopes from shallow to deeper so the artist could work their ink stick partially on a dry surface, mixing down into the water as needed. The ink stick is a similar rectangle shape but is proportionally skinnier than the well. The little two-inch long pitcher is oval shaped with a tiny spout at one end so water can be meted out with fine accuracy. The tray under the lid has recessed areas crafted into its bottom so the ink well and water pitcher fit in like snug puzzle pieces, so they will not jostle in transport.
The color is wonderfully dynamic as well and warrants scrutinization. At first glance, a viewer might tend to say this work of art is black, and primarily, that is correct. However, there is a subtle color difference that outlines the bamboo images and the bright gold of the birds really jumps out. The red detail on the birds is also a stark contrast. When the lid is lifted off the box, an astute observer will notice the inner surfaces appear almost brown, as the black lacquer is speckled over the entire surface with a gold substance that looks like modern-day glitter. This is likely an application of a sprinkled design technique called maki-e, in which actual gold powder was embedded in one of the lacquer coats!
One of the pleasing aspects of the lacquer finish on this box is how it interacts with light. It is very shiny in appearance giving it a polished look of high quality; perhaps something a wealthy person could afford. Even though it is darkly colored, the box has a very bright look. Even the things within carry light and shine; the ink well is so smooth its surface seems polished and the ink stick has a glossy surface as well. Though the metal water pitcher is a bit tarnished, it probably was very shiny when it was new and could certainly be polished if the owner was interested in restoring it instead of leaving it in original condition. The inner surfaces with the golden speckles really sparkle when light shines upon them.
With the glossy finish of the box and its contents, most parts of it have a very smooth texture. The exception is the surface of the ink stick. It is embossed with very old Japanese writing in which the characters are raised from the surface around them. If one ran their fingers across the surfaces, it would seem smooth, but not in a flat way. It could be likened to a car license plate where there are no rough or jagged aspects to the surface, yet there are lumps to the smoothness. Inside the tray, the glittery appearance might suggest a grainy texture like sand, but in fact it is as smooth as the silver water pitcher.
The space and lines of this box are at once definite and changeable. The corners are sharp and from the outside it is symmetrical in both length and width. And then the lid comes off, the tray lifts out, the drawer pulls forth, the water pitcher is filled, the ink stick rubbed gently into the stone basin, and perhaps at one time, bamboo paint brushes were laid out, creating an entirely different spatial scene than one would observe when the box is functioning as a storage unit.
To understand the artistic intention of this piece, it is necessary to consider the intended audience. This piece wasn’t for viewing by twenty-first century American students of art, but belonged in a very specific context of nineteenth century Japan. Though it would have made a wonderful topic of conversation, this box was intended primarily as a tool for a calligraphy artist. The art on the exterior was perhaps an inspiration for the art that would be created using the box’s contents. The themes of birds and bamboo suggest a peacefulness and vibrancy of life to which an artist might draw a subconscious parallel with the life he gives to his own work. From the subtle background of bamboo, stationary but perhaps for an occasional breeze, the brightly colored birds appear in swift motion, wings outstretched toward each other, almost poised for embrace. Because this box indeed found its way out of Japan near the end of the Edo period, the birds really made a literal flight from their origin. Did the box-maker foresee the end of this repressive era and use these birds as an image of the freedom to emigrate? Speculation aside, the golden color of the birds and the gold-powder glitter within certainly suggest high value and wares fit for royalty. This would have been a fine set of tools for an artist to employ. The painting on the lid, which also incorporates the bamboo on the sides, appears to utilize the “floating world,” theme found in Ukiyo-e wood block prints. These birds in flight are in a specific moment, literally floating, reminding us to enjoy the beauty of each fleeting beautiful thing we encounter, as we enjoy this moment captured on top of the box.
A Moment Floating for 160 Years
By: Jon Wheeler
July 24, 2011
Art History 1.2 World Art Since 1500 sec. 9430
Though the artistic maker of this particular lacquer box for writing implements will forever remain a mystery, many facts can be revealed about it through it’s stunning appearance and the wonderful story it carries with it. It was probably crafted in the early to mid 1800s and certainly comes from Japan during the Edo period. It was given to a Scottish-American immigrant as a gift, or perhaps as part of an exchange, from a Japanese military sailor who came to San Francisco in the mid-1850s. The box has a wooden core, which is coated with many layers of lacquer and is finally painted on the top surface. It appears to be in very good clean condition for its age and has no restoration done on it. The sides of the top lid have broken off, but all the pieces are present. Inside the approximately ten-inch long by six-inch wide by six-inch high box, there is a small metal water pitcher, a stone ink well, and an original black ink stick molded with Japanese writing that is so old, it can’t be translated by a person who only reads modern Japanese. The painting on the top of the lid depicts two birds, painted in gold with red details, flying through bamboo branches painted in black, delineated by a gray outline. Perhaps the bamboo was originally colored and now it is faded. The bamboo motif carries onto all four sides of the box as well. The main compartment for holding the writing implements is a tray under the lid and there is a drawer in the lower half of the box that pulls out lengthwise to store additional items.
Overall, this piece is shaped as a rectangular box. One of the intriguing aspects of it though is that as a functional piece, it carries a multitude of shapes within. The birds are painted on the surface with representational rounded edges and the bamboo is painted with a slightly more realistic shape. Inside the box, the writing implements themselves each have unique shapes. The ink well stone is rectangular with rounded corners and the well portion of the stone slopes from shallow to deeper so the artist could work their ink stick partially on a dry surface, mixing down into the water as needed. The ink stick is a similar rectangle shape but is proportionally skinnier than the well. The little two-inch long pitcher is oval shaped with a tiny spout at one end so water can be meted out with fine accuracy. The tray under the lid has recessed areas crafted into its bottom so the ink well and water pitcher fit in like snug puzzle pieces, so they will not jostle in transport.
The color is wonderfully dynamic as well and warrants scrutinization. At first glance, a viewer might tend to say this work of art is black, and primarily, that is correct. However, there is a subtle color difference that outlines the bamboo images and the bright gold of the birds really jumps out. The red detail on the birds is also a stark contrast. When the lid is lifted off the box, an astute observer will notice the inner surfaces appear almost brown, as the black lacquer is speckled over the entire surface with a gold substance that looks like modern-day glitter. This is likely an application of a sprinkled design technique called maki-e, in which actual gold powder was embedded in one of the lacquer coats!
One of the pleasing aspects of the lacquer finish on this box is how it interacts with light. It is very shiny in appearance giving it a polished look of high quality; perhaps something a wealthy person could afford. Even though it is darkly colored, the box has a very bright look. Even the things within carry light and shine; the ink well is so smooth its surface seems polished and the ink stick has a glossy surface as well. Though the metal water pitcher is a bit tarnished, it probably was very shiny when it was new and could certainly be polished if the owner was interested in restoring it instead of leaving it in original condition. The inner surfaces with the golden speckles really sparkle when light shines upon them.
With the glossy finish of the box and its contents, most parts of it have a very smooth texture. The exception is the surface of the ink stick. It is embossed with very old Japanese writing in which the characters are raised from the surface around them. If one ran their fingers across the surfaces, it would seem smooth, but not in a flat way. It could be likened to a car license plate where there are no rough or jagged aspects to the surface, yet there are lumps to the smoothness. Inside the tray, the glittery appearance might suggest a grainy texture like sand, but in fact it is as smooth as the silver water pitcher.
The space and lines of this box are at once definite and changeable. The corners are sharp and from the outside it is symmetrical in both length and width. And then the lid comes off, the tray lifts out, the drawer pulls forth, the water pitcher is filled, the ink stick rubbed gently into the stone basin, and perhaps at one time, bamboo paint brushes were laid out, creating an entirely different spatial scene than one would observe when the box is functioning as a storage unit.
To understand the artistic intention of this piece, it is necessary to consider the intended audience. This piece wasn’t for viewing by twenty-first century American students of art, but belonged in a very specific context of nineteenth century Japan. Though it would have made a wonderful topic of conversation, this box was intended primarily as a tool for a calligraphy artist. The art on the exterior was perhaps an inspiration for the art that would be created using the box’s contents. The themes of birds and bamboo suggest a peacefulness and vibrancy of life to which an artist might draw a subconscious parallel with the life he gives to his own work. From the subtle background of bamboo, stationary but perhaps for an occasional breeze, the brightly colored birds appear in swift motion, wings outstretched toward each other, almost poised for embrace. Because this box indeed found its way out of Japan near the end of the Edo period, the birds really made a literal flight from their origin. Did the box-maker foresee the end of this repressive era and use these birds as an image of the freedom to emigrate? Speculation aside, the golden color of the birds and the gold-powder glitter within certainly suggest high value and wares fit for royalty. This would have been a fine set of tools for an artist to employ. The painting on the lid, which also incorporates the bamboo on the sides, appears to utilize the “floating world,” theme found in Ukiyo-e wood block prints. These birds in flight are in a specific moment, literally floating, reminding us to enjoy the beauty of each fleeting beautiful thing we encounter, as we enjoy this moment captured on top of the box.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Japanese Laquer Box
Hi Friends,
This post has nothing to do with my cabin. I'm doing a report for an art history class I'm taking and the assignment requires submitting a link to a website with an image of the art piece on which I am writing my paper. In case you're interested, this is a box made of wood and lacquer that was used to hold the art and calligraphy instruments of a Japanese artist in the mid 1800s. This particular one belongs to my step-dad, John and it was passed to him by his great-grandfather who received it as a gift from a Japanese sailor in the 1850s.
Enjoy!
Jon
This post has nothing to do with my cabin. I'm doing a report for an art history class I'm taking and the assignment requires submitting a link to a website with an image of the art piece on which I am writing my paper. In case you're interested, this is a box made of wood and lacquer that was used to hold the art and calligraphy instruments of a Japanese artist in the mid 1800s. This particular one belongs to my step-dad, John and it was passed to him by his great-grandfather who received it as a gift from a Japanese sailor in the 1850s.
Enjoy!
Jon
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
All Snowed In (not I, the cabin)
Paul Krueger posted this picture on facebook, so I thought what a great chance to share. The house is the same as I left it (I hope?) but looks quite different due to the changes in weather. I miss Minnesota when I look at this photo, but it's so easy to have fondness in my heart when the weather here was near 70 today, if not above. The sky is blue and sunshine abounds. It has been a lot like spring around here lately. I won't be surprised if we have deluge and floods in March, but it sure is pleasant now.
Things in California have been going well for me. I'm in school and enjoying my classes quite a bit. Right now I'm taking Environmental Science and Environmental Philosophy which is lots of fun to have together. In a week or so, I begin an American Government Class and an Art History one soon after that.
I have a job offer on the table and it looks like I'll be starting next week. I'll give details once things are finalized. Suffice to say, I'm excited!
Being home is so sweet. I'm really loving my cabin in the redwoods and I've gotten to spend a lot of time doing fun things with Lynea. This weekend, we're going to see two plays. I've begun a side career as a referee for women's roller derby and it is so much fun! Lynea came along to watch for the first time last night. I really love roller skating and the exercise has been great because I never feel like I'm working, but I'm always sweating and getting lots of cardio. I just got tipped off there is a women's roller derby team in Bemidji too, so any of you out in MN might wanna look into that! I know I'll try to skate with them next time I'm out.
I'm in the library just now, so back to the books I go :-) Did I mention I love school?
Monday, November 8, 2010
All Done!
I've finished up all that I can do on the cabin for 2010. I've arrived back home in California and I can't believe how the fall colors are just beginning to turn here. It was a wonderful summer, I feel so accomplished, and I learned so much. It did take longer than I expected, but by one measure, I finished early. Melanie says when building, everything will take twice as long and cost twice as much as expected. I thought maybe I could finish in three months, so the fact that it took me five months instead of six means I finished a whole month early!!! Wow, that's incredible! But Lynea isn't buying it. Oh well, she still seems to like me and I've agreed to not take any more trips that don't have an end date.
Since last post, I finished putting on the house wrap, installed all my windows and doors, and buttoned up all the final details.
Here are a bunch of photos I took since my last post.
Here are some interior photos
Here is a little mock-up of the kitchen cabinetry
Since last post, I finished putting on the house wrap, installed all my windows and doors, and buttoned up all the final details.
Here are a bunch of photos I took since my last post.
Here are some interior photos
Here is a little mock-up of the kitchen cabinetry
Friday, October 29, 2010
Roof Is Done!!!!
Fiiiiinally, I've got my roof finished. All the shingles are on and I'm still in one piece despite a couple minor mishaps along the way. Of all the construction steps, installation of shingles was the one for which I most grossly underestimated the time required. Everyone told me framing would go quickly. It did. Everyone told me shingling would go quickly. It did NOT! Partly because it is very difficult to stand or walk on a roof as steep as mine, and partly because there were a lot of cuts to be made because of where the dormers transition into the main roof. Also, being so steep and having dormers makes for a very large roof area. I'm very happy to have this major step completed. I've been working almost every day for a couple weeks, with only 1.5 days lost to rain in freezing temperatures and snow. The last couple days have been sunny and warm (all the way up into the lower 40s!) and I had some really great help from Matthias for getting the roof done. Also, big shout-out to the Burns brothers, Paul and Nathan, who both gave me tips this week that literally took days off the shingling job.
Next up, I'll be wrapping the house with a Tyvek type material and hanging windows and doors. Then I'll clean up, return borrowed tools, move all my junk (cabinets, stove, dishes, etc.) into my cabin and head home for the winter. I'm taking my cue from the migrating birds and planning to head south. Luckily for me though, if I do get held up, there isn't an open season on Jon Wheelers.
Here it is, as it looked at the end of the workday today.
Matthias was called out of town unexpectedly, so I hired a guy through a Craigslist ad to help me for the day. He lives in Bagley, MN but when he saw my license plate he told me he's from California too. He grew up in a place north of San Francisco called Santa Rosa. And he used to live in Occidental. Weeeiird. He did a good job, and I have another new helper lined up for tomorrow who I hope will do great too. Here is a nice close up of the roof. The color looks a bit different in photograph than real life. Here the contrasting colors stand out more than in person, but I like both and you get a pretty good idea what it all looks like.
Here is that promised picture of my chimney. It stands about two and a half feet above the ridge line. I know it just looks like a pipe sticking up, but it was a lot of work and a couple buckets full of money. I'm really glad it's done now because I think retrofitting it later would have been nightmarish.
The snow didn't stick much, but it sure made for some intolerable working weather. Fortunately, I shingled the north side first and had it done before the snow came. A little snow stayed on the north side of my roof for a full day after the sun came out.
The other day I went to get a couple boards off a pile inside my house, and I found a very large family of these little guests. They look similar to ladybugs, but are multi-colored Asian lady beetles, introduced to the southeastern U.S. by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the early 1980s as a predator against aphids which were attacking pecan trees. Research by Michigan State University claims, "According to USDA scientists, they were unsuccessful in their attempt to establish the beetle. However, in 1988 an established population was discovered in Louisiana, near New Orleans. The multi-colored Asian lady beetle was first officially reported in Michigan in 1994," and presumably Minnesota around the same period. (http://www.ipm.msu.edu/beetleFAQ.htm) Here is my evidence that the USDA experiment was "successful."
Dig the progress on the octagon cabin!!! I hope to see all my leftover shingles on here soon. I went over today to drop off the roofing nail gun for the Harpers to borrow to do their roof. Seeing their progress, I was thinking, I should have built a cabin around this size; perfect for one or two people. But really, I'm going to be so pleased with having all the extras like a kitchen and bathroom, etc. And all my work will add lots of value personally and financially even though it will be a long time before I am totally done.
Anecdote for the day in standard "good news, bad news," format. First the bad news: A few days ago, I was installing tar paper on my roof in the rain. I was working on the north side with my head about level with the peak of the roof. I had my left foot on some tar paper on the dormer roof and my right foot on the edge of a 2x4 nailed to the main roof, my body straddling the valley (where the dormer roof meets the main roof). I had sheet metal nailed in the valley with no shingles on it. The metal is designed to shed water, so it was mighty slick when my right foot slipped off the 2x4 as I strained to one side to get some staples through the tar paper. The movement of my foot one inch was in the same instant my entire body rocketed down the surface of the roof with a squeak and a thud. So, the good news is I'm here to tell the tale. But it's even better news than that; my safety harness, rope, and anchor system all worked flawlessly! I slid about 8 feet before my fall was arrested, but that's only because I hadn't cinched my safety device all the way up. I was completely uninjured and also happy to find that my natural reflexes were functioning superbly. When I came to rest on my belly, I found that my left hand was instinctively clinched tightly to the rope in front of me and my right hand had grabbed onto a board nailed to the roof while simultaneously still clamping onto the stapler. Before returning to the task at hand, I rested for a few moments as I marveled at how my heart rate had gone from moderate to very fast and thumpy in an instant. Thanks Dad for the safety rope suggestion, it's good to be alive! Now I'll turn in for the night with high hopes of getting in a window or two tomorrow.
Next up, I'll be wrapping the house with a Tyvek type material and hanging windows and doors. Then I'll clean up, return borrowed tools, move all my junk (cabinets, stove, dishes, etc.) into my cabin and head home for the winter. I'm taking my cue from the migrating birds and planning to head south. Luckily for me though, if I do get held up, there isn't an open season on Jon Wheelers.
Here it is, as it looked at the end of the workday today.
Matthias was called out of town unexpectedly, so I hired a guy through a Craigslist ad to help me for the day. He lives in Bagley, MN but when he saw my license plate he told me he's from California too. He grew up in a place north of San Francisco called Santa Rosa. And he used to live in Occidental. Weeeiird. He did a good job, and I have another new helper lined up for tomorrow who I hope will do great too. Here is a nice close up of the roof. The color looks a bit different in photograph than real life. Here the contrasting colors stand out more than in person, but I like both and you get a pretty good idea what it all looks like.
Here is that promised picture of my chimney. It stands about two and a half feet above the ridge line. I know it just looks like a pipe sticking up, but it was a lot of work and a couple buckets full of money. I'm really glad it's done now because I think retrofitting it later would have been nightmarish.
The snow didn't stick much, but it sure made for some intolerable working weather. Fortunately, I shingled the north side first and had it done before the snow came. A little snow stayed on the north side of my roof for a full day after the sun came out.
The other day I went to get a couple boards off a pile inside my house, and I found a very large family of these little guests. They look similar to ladybugs, but are multi-colored Asian lady beetles, introduced to the southeastern U.S. by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the early 1980s as a predator against aphids which were attacking pecan trees. Research by Michigan State University claims, "According to USDA scientists, they were unsuccessful in their attempt to establish the beetle. However, in 1988 an established population was discovered in Louisiana, near New Orleans. The multi-colored Asian lady beetle was first officially reported in Michigan in 1994," and presumably Minnesota around the same period. (http://www.ipm.msu.edu/beetleFAQ.htm) Here is my evidence that the USDA experiment was "successful."
Dig the progress on the octagon cabin!!! I hope to see all my leftover shingles on here soon. I went over today to drop off the roofing nail gun for the Harpers to borrow to do their roof. Seeing their progress, I was thinking, I should have built a cabin around this size; perfect for one or two people. But really, I'm going to be so pleased with having all the extras like a kitchen and bathroom, etc. And all my work will add lots of value personally and financially even though it will be a long time before I am totally done.
Anecdote for the day in standard "good news, bad news," format. First the bad news: A few days ago, I was installing tar paper on my roof in the rain. I was working on the north side with my head about level with the peak of the roof. I had my left foot on some tar paper on the dormer roof and my right foot on the edge of a 2x4 nailed to the main roof, my body straddling the valley (where the dormer roof meets the main roof). I had sheet metal nailed in the valley with no shingles on it. The metal is designed to shed water, so it was mighty slick when my right foot slipped off the 2x4 as I strained to one side to get some staples through the tar paper. The movement of my foot one inch was in the same instant my entire body rocketed down the surface of the roof with a squeak and a thud. So, the good news is I'm here to tell the tale. But it's even better news than that; my safety harness, rope, and anchor system all worked flawlessly! I slid about 8 feet before my fall was arrested, but that's only because I hadn't cinched my safety device all the way up. I was completely uninjured and also happy to find that my natural reflexes were functioning superbly. When I came to rest on my belly, I found that my left hand was instinctively clinched tightly to the rope in front of me and my right hand had grabbed onto a board nailed to the roof while simultaneously still clamping onto the stapler. Before returning to the task at hand, I rested for a few moments as I marveled at how my heart rate had gone from moderate to very fast and thumpy in an instant. Thanks Dad for the safety rope suggestion, it's good to be alive! Now I'll turn in for the night with high hopes of getting in a window or two tomorrow.
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