The Joys of Summer: Home Improvements

A few weeks back, the Mister got out his gas-powered high-pressure washer and got movin'.


It was a hot day, perfect for this sort of work.


I thought he'd never turn that thing off.  He wouldn't stop!  (I think it's addicting!)


In fact, I went in the house eventually, because I thought he'd come after me.  And I really don't need any more lines on my legs...


Last summer we had to fire our electric power washer, because it didn't show up for work on the only day we needed it to work--the ONLY DAY.  (Edited to add: This is an MTD gas-powered washer.)


Well, there are better employees out there, and we found one that uses gas and it's the best thing ever.

The old silver maple tree puts out its share of filth and deposits it on the side of the house, and in every nook and cranny.


And ya just gotta blast it out.


And the fact that the trigger resembles a gun is even more fun to men, I do believe.


So, blast away he did!


And I sat in a lawn chair just to be there in case he fell off the roof.  And I took photographs.  You know, in case his severe injury would need to be documented.  Hahaha!

He stayed and stayed and stayed up there!


Blasting away. 


I watched the black grime fall in rivers.

And I said...

"Won't you please come down?"

"Please?"

So he did and he washed the chairs off, too.


(What did men do before there were power tools?!)


And then he just kept on going, all the way around that house, he went!


She felt much better after her bath.  


I think I saw her smile.  


We've been here twenty years now.  We are beginning to do things over that we did when we first came.  We barely had completed the farmhouse restoration when this do-over began!  


Each summer we now try to take care of one major item...


Last summer she got new hardwood in the main living areas.


The summer before that, she got a new kitchen.


This year, the roof HAD to be done.  The wind out here is rough and seems to always be blowing--winters are especially wicked...  


It sure isn't helpful when the previous roofer decided to leave off the tar/felt paper before he put the shingles on.  The shingles, amazingly, for the most part hung on.  Unbelievable.


The roof got done a few weeks ago.



And now our fifteen-year-old, Luke is applying new paint on the front porch railing, posts, and trim.  She's gettin' a nearly complete makeover!

On the hottest week of the year, the crew showed up to strip her down and give her a new do.




I debated on the color of the new roof.  It was mostly up to me.

Slate?


Brown?


Green?

And I decided...

That ...

we...

should probably...

just go...

with...

BLUE

Again.


After all...


It makes those beautiful flags look even better.


(Edited to add:Landmark by Certainteed, color is Atlantic Blue.)

And besides...who would want to paint all those shutters again?  There's twenty sets of them.  They just got done summer before last.

And anyway, I'd have to go a whole other route with my decorations, and that just wouldn't work.


I like the red, white and blue!