Getting Help

Well, lobstering was off to a slow start. That's all right.
It was a tough winter in ways and there were many repairs
to be made. It helped to have a little extra time
for the home projects.

In my case, half a weather-beaten poplar tree blew down.
That was inevitable but the cleanup is pressing.
As it turned out, my first guest was a retired forester
who told me " you cut it and we'll move it." That was
an offer I couldn't refuse. He promptly enlisted his wife,
his daughter and her friend. Within an hour or
so, the property was clear and the wood piled for a neighbor to take.

That same big blow removed a half dozen shingles from my barn roof.
This time, no roofer appeared to help so
I was on my own. Not being well equipped for roofing,
I had to make do. A couple of ladders got me to the ridge.
From there, all I needed to do was hang on a rope with
one hand, swing a hammer with the other hand and hold
the nails between my toes. I might have done
that fifty years ago. This year, I hesitated.

Maybe my 10 year old grandson would like to help when he comes to visit.
He's already had a little roofing
experience. He's never heard about OSHA so he won't
bother me to provide safety shoes, hard hat and a parachute.
He does know about nail guns, though. I expect him to
propose that we shoot nails and I'll have to explain
that we don't bring in the heavy artillery to replace half a dozen shingles.
He does know about money, too but I expect we can strike a deal.