The 10-Minute Gardner: Up on the Roof!
Sometimes you have to grab a few minutes in the garden when you can, even when the activity isn't directly related to gardening.
Although we are till early in the Fall to expect it, the weather report called for rain later this week. If we do it get, it would be the earliest rain in my memory over our 21 years in California. My calendar shows the first rains usually occurring late in October -- Halloween night, in one case. Nevertheless, if rain was coming, it was time to get all the leaves off the roof. Regular readers will know that our property, urban as it is, is surrounded by mature trees. By necessity, these drop a lot of leaves on the roof. In order to protect it from damage, someone has to go up and sweep them off, hopefully before the first rain arrives.
This year, my wife, Rosanne, elected herself to do the deed. I was thankful, as pulling myself up onto the roof was never quite one of my favorite things. Of course, my nine-year-old son thinks it would be great, but I think we need to wait a few more year before putting him to work up there -- and maybe a sturdy safety harness. (SMILE)
Working alone, while the boy was at school, we were able to clean everything up in about 30 minutes. I am so glad we got this done today, as the rest of the week is booked with computer consulting and next week I will lose several days to the Podcast and New Media Expo happening in nearby Ontario, California.
While we may all love our gardens, there are certain tasks that are required, if not enjoyed. I am sure I will be very happy, though, when I see the rain rolling off the roof unimpeded, instead of backing up and causing potential leaks.
What maintenance do you need to do before Winter arrives? Doing it now is certainly more pleasant then waiting until the snow flies. If you are like me, you will appreciate a task well done when others are struggling in the rain and cold.
Although we are till early in the Fall to expect it, the weather report called for rain later this week. If we do it get, it would be the earliest rain in my memory over our 21 years in California. My calendar shows the first rains usually occurring late in October -- Halloween night, in one case. Nevertheless, if rain was coming, it was time to get all the leaves off the roof. Regular readers will know that our property, urban as it is, is surrounded by mature trees. By necessity, these drop a lot of leaves on the roof. In order to protect it from damage, someone has to go up and sweep them off, hopefully before the first rain arrives.
This year, my wife, Rosanne, elected herself to do the deed. I was thankful, as pulling myself up onto the roof was never quite one of my favorite things. Of course, my nine-year-old son thinks it would be great, but I think we need to wait a few more year before putting him to work up there -- and maybe a sturdy safety harness. (SMILE)
Working alone, while the boy was at school, we were able to clean everything up in about 30 minutes. I am so glad we got this done today, as the rest of the week is booked with computer consulting and next week I will lose several days to the Podcast and New Media Expo happening in nearby Ontario, California.
While we may all love our gardens, there are certain tasks that are required, if not enjoyed. I am sure I will be very happy, though, when I see the rain rolling off the roof unimpeded, instead of backing up and causing potential leaks.
What maintenance do you need to do before Winter arrives? Doing it now is certainly more pleasant then waiting until the snow flies. If you are like me, you will appreciate a task well done when others are struggling in the rain and cold.
posted by Douglas at 11:12 AM
2 Comments:
I did my gutters last week after we got floods in the basement. I had some gutter guards installed on the gutters and water was just running straight over the top of them and onto the floor, then draining through the soil and through a small hole in the basement wall. The gutter guards are off, the gutters cleaned and I hope the next set of rain will flow through the gutters properly. I'll probably have to clean them a couple more times before the end of the year though.
Oh yes. I have to do the roof sweep several times a year. As we get our first rains, this causes many of the trees to go completely bare for the Winter, so there will be more to clean up. I need to do it more frequently, but like all things, time is at a premium.
Thanks for writing!
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