2nd October 2013

We woke to a cold, dank, miserable morning that just begged us to stay under the covers. After a cautious check of the loft for any leaks, given the downpour overnight, we found it was as dry as an Arab’s tent.

David put on his “sun hat” (a beanie, given the lack of actual sun), while I layered up with an extra T-shirt to fend off the chill. A drizzle had already started and showed every intention of sticking around. Nevertheless, it was time to tackle the last roof jobs still hanging over us.

After a close look at the back ridge tiles, we decided their alignment was still a bit off. So, we dutifully removed the capping tiles, ripped out the supporting beam, and re-aligned it until we were finally happy (if freezing). I cut some metal to protect the joint on the supporting wall beneath, securing it in place with cement and rendering the wall to make it look “pretty”, i.e., covering up some questionable brickwork. After that, we gathered every last tool and a bit of kit from the roof and ceremoniously took the ladders down, signalling the end of that particular phase.

Fueled by a much-needed coffee, we headed back out to move the ladders to the rear of the house to start on the guttering. It was around then that I missed a Skype call from Sue, and she’d gone offline by the time I logged on. She’d sent an email with a solicitor’s request for details regarding Nan’s house. So, I fired off a response, then Skyped Sarah to text Sue about it since she was “head down” in Uni work. By the time I returned outside, David was already up the ladder, fitting the first section of guttering. I left him to it and set about cutting metal to divert rainwater from the chimney straight into the new gutter, which I finished just as David completed the final section. Perfect timing, I’d say!

Lunch was a quick coffee and toast, accompanied by a lengthy moan about how chilly it was and how old bones just seemed to soak up the damp. Growing old did not look attractive, and not looking forward to it.

The afternoon had me back in the loft (banging my head on beams) to finish netting over the insulation and laying down a floor across it. Meanwhile, David braved the elements to put guttering on the wood store roof. In the late afternoon, he snuck off to Milen’s, likely for a bit of Raki, snacks, and a neighbourly chinwag. Earlier in the day, Milen had brought David a beer to thank him for helping haul a cooker from the empty house next door.

The drizzle never let up, so we packed it in by 4 p.m. and thawed out indoors, admiring our work and basking in the thought that even Milen had commented on how neat the roof was, probably the straightest rows of tiles this side of Sofia!

After dinner, we settled down with a film, letting the sound of steady rain on our new gutters lull us off to bed.