Therapeutic DIY

I’m spending as much of this weekend as I can outdoors and away from the computer.

A dose of sunshine (however watery and cloud-filtered) and a dose of physical work are just the thing to burn away depression. Feels good to get things done, too.

On Tuesday The Wandering Monk and I got the north gable end repaired, trimmed, and almost ready to paint.

Since then I’ve been slooooowwwwwly cleaning, caulking, painting, and otherwise finishing the wall, eaves, and fascia.

Except — drat! — for one spot no more than three feet square. It’s too high to reach by ladder and too far to reach from the scaffold (which can’t be moved by one person alone).

I probably could have put the ladder up on blocks or taped a paintbrush to a stick and leaned out from the scaffolding to finish the job. But why tempt fate? When the Monk returns next week, we’ll tug the scaffolding into place and I’ll have that bit done in an hour.

In the meantime, I’ll rejoice at how far that north wall (and the whole back side of the house) has come since the restoration of Ye Olde Wreck commenced lo those many (5) years ago.

We ended up with one bad cut where the fascia boards join at the roof peak. Long story, but the glare of the sun coming over that peak (even on a cloudy day) makes it hard to see what you’re doing. Rather than further cutting good cedar boards to get the proper angles, I just told the Monk to leave it and I improvised.

The diamond-shaped block is carved in an art nouveau design. I bought a bunch of them on eBay a few years back from the guy who makes them. I’ve used them various places around the house. In some cases, they’re pure decoration. In other spots, like here, they’re decoration that covers a multitude of sins.

Tomorrow is second-coat and touch-up day. I’m glad to have an excuse to keep working outside. Summers sure have gotten short lately. I intend to soak up every moment of this summer’s healing beauty.