I'm NOT afraid of heights!

I went north this weekend.  Peter lured me up there with promises of fun.  He said it was going to rain.  Torrential downpour he said.  The rain would keep us from outside work he said.  Instead of working on Saturday we would go visit friends in Vancouver.  Janet Jackson for one (really that's her name.. only she's not Michael's sister.  This Janet Jackson is 101 years old and a family friend).  He told me it wouldn't hurt to bring my overalls.. but we'll probably just be sociallizing and having fun..

Saturday morning brings ... overcast skies and.. no rain.  None.   Work it is then.   Oh well - I thought it didn't REALLY matter because at least I was spending it with him.  I don my trusty overalls and out we go.  First, we move a pallet full of roofing.  Then came the task of cleaning the roof of the "schoolhouse" and clearing the gutters.  Peter deftly scampered up the 12 foot ladder and onto the roof to begin clearing moss.  I was invited up.  Uh.. no.  No.. I think I need to go take my new birthday bike for a spin. Which I did.  I barely got to the far edge of the property before guilt set in though.  So I came back.  I stared up at him.  I climbed up the ladder.  I surveyed the roof.  I climbed back down.  I wasn't going to get up there!  So I started clearing the gutters from the ladder.  The process went like this.. Climb up, scoop goop out, climb down, move the ladder, climb up, scoop goop, climb down, move the ladder..   The entire west side of the building. 

Then I went to the east side.  The ladder wouldn't fit. I tried this way, that way and every way.. There were just too many trees, flowerbeds and hostas in the way.  The only way to get those gutter cleared was from the roof.  It just couldn't be done any other way.  So I carried this 1,000 pound ladder (that's what it felt like by then) back around to the other side and I climbed up it. 

There was the roof.  There I was high on the ladder.  There was the ground, 12 feet below me.  I paused for far too long contemplating the transfer of my weight from ladder to roof.  It just made it worse.  But finally I took a deep breath and went for it.  There I was.  On the roof.  Standing up, however, was another thing entirely!  I crawled to the peak on my knees and ever-so-slowly stood up. I'm not sure why I thought standing up at the peak would be better than standing up lower.  Then I walked down to the east edge, sat down and started cleaning the gutter, and scooted the whole length of the building on my back side.  Here are my overalls to prove it:

The rain finally hit hours later.  Stupid weather.  But at least I know the gutters are working well!