On Jul 2, 6:25 am, Sheldon > wrote:
> On Jul 2, 12:37?am, "modom (palindrome guy)" <moc.etoyok@modom> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Boy howdy, but it's been a wet spring and summer here in Cow Hill.
> > Last week, I walked into my studio to find that the sheetrock on the
> > ceiling in one of the rooms had collapsed. A sodden piece of the
> > stuff about the size of a door was lying on the floor. Leaky roof.
> > Last year this time we were in a terrible drought. You don't notice
> > that your roof leaks in a drought. I got a local handyman to fix it
> > this weekend. We shall see. He's a good man, but he had some issues
> > with figuring the number of square feet of the roof. We shall see.
>
> > I cut the sheetrock into manageable chunks and hauled it out to the
> > porch. It's hiding behind a bush out there right now. The handyman
> > and his minions had to chop back some of one of my fig trees because
> > it was messing with the studio roof. I just passed a fig branch on
> > the walk to the studio. It had green figs on it. Made me a little
> > sad.
>
> > Tonight some coworkers (Cow-Orkers? Sorry, Dave Barry) came over for
> > dinner. I spent much of the afternoon cooking. We got some free
> > range hens from a local supplier last week. I brined two last night
> > and smoked them today. Boy howdy, were the pecan twigs wet when I
> > tried to start a fire with them today. Typically I use the branches
> > that pecan trees drop with regularity to start the fire in the smoker
> > pit and to get a roaring blaze that sears the inside of the pit and
> > puts an end to all carbon-based life forms that might have found a
> > domicile there since the last time it was hot. It took a while this
> > time, but in an hour or so I got the pit up to over 400F, effectively
> > snuffing the bugs in there once more. I let the rig cool down to
> > about 275-300F. The chickens went in about one this afternoon and
> > stayed there till about 4:30.
>
> > There are a few jalapenos in my too-wet garden. One plant just fell
> > over because of all the water -- not a wilt, just a topple. But I
> > picked a couple of them and set them in the smoker with the chickens.
> > I made a relish of home smoked jalapenos, cilantro, lime juice and
> > salt for the chickens. Some of it I left as it was. Some of it I cut
> > with yogurt to mollify the heat. Two sauces, one foundation.
>
> > For a first course, I made another batch of stuffed tomatoes. Back on
> > the 19th of June I posted this photo of a similar dish:http://i14.tinypic.com/54b0ar7.jpgI didn't take any pictures
> > tonight.
>
> > Each guest got one tomato, which I'd hollowed out, filled with a drier
> > than usual version of crawfish etouffee, topped with Ak-Mak crumbs,
> > and baked. (Making the etouffee this afternoon, I had a lovely
> > olfactory memory. One begins an etouffee with the Cajun "Holy
> > Trinity" of bell pepper, onion, and celery. Sauteing the trinity in
> > the pan, I smelled an aroma that connected me directly with my
> > grandmother and my childhood. I smelled south Louisiana. I smelled
> > 1959. It smelled good.)
>
> > The sauce in the picture is on the tomatoes, but tonight it was beside
> > and below them. The sauce in the picture is a yogurt and garlic
> > concoction, but tonight I slogged through the wet grass to the garden
> > and picked some basil leaves which I chopped and buzzed up with yogurt
> > and salt. It was well received.
>
> > The main meal was sliced chicken with the two jalapeno-based
> > condiments mentioned above; a rice and parsley salad with minced
> > onion, lemon juice, mint and olive oil; and slices of red onion and
> > cucumber marinated in olive oil and some really good unseasoned brown
> > rice vinegar D picked up at a health food store. Brown rice vinegar
> > is really good. Who knew?
>
> > After I'd mostly finished eating the handyman rang the doorbell. He
> > wanted to let me know that he'd finished and that during the rainstorm
> > that swept through Cow Hill while we were eating nary a drip had
> > penetrated his roofing work. He'd been inside the studio and had
> > looked hard to verify his claim. I told him to check back tomorrow,
> > that I had sheetrock issues to discuss, that I'd have time to discuss
> > his work then, that I had numerous visitors. We agreed to meet in the
> > morning. I felt kind of bad -- I probably owe him money, and he
> > certainly needs money. But I need to verify his work before paying.
>
> > Dessert was provided by my friend M who made a pecan pie. He won a
> > blue ribbon for this pie recipe when he was a kid in 4-H. Everyone
> > agreed: that's one fine pecan pie. I'll take the leftovers to the
> > office tomorrow. D says pie calls to her in unseemly ways, and it
> > must leave the house tomorrow.
>
> > It just started raining again. Luckily, D got the dogs out to pee
> > before the shower. Dogs hate rain. I'm not so fond of it myself
> > tonight.
>
> Patching roofs never last long. Once there is a leak it's time for a
> whole new roofing job (but you knew the roof was shot before the
> keak). If another leak develops (even if in the same spot) you can't
> blame the handyman, no one can guarantee a roof patch. If you're
> very, very lucky the patch will hold long enough for you to have the
> entire roof replaced, do not procrastinate. Having the roof replaced
> now will be a lot less money and misery than waiting to see what
> happens... believe me, it will happen and it won't be pretty.
>
> Sheldon

Posted via Google because Teranews isn't letting me post.

I had the whole roof replaced.
--

modom