Monday, December 9, 2013

Weather, weather, quite contrary, and still the slate goes down

This morning's sidewalk that leads to the corner where I lean back and take pictures.


Every Saturday and Sunday morning I deliver Emily to the farm before 8:30 in the morning.

As we pass the town hall, I see a young man retrieving the blue ladder and setting it up against the scaffolding.


First floor access.


Then they're up there.


Tapping down slate shingles.

Counting back by the dates on my pictures, I see it's the start of the third week since the scaffolding went up. These men have been at it seven days a week excepting Thanksgiving and one bad snow storm day.

I've come to work to see them removing huge tarps from a section of roof, and realize their strategy. They cover tomorrow's section before they go home, if snow is in the forecast. They work right through the rain as if it weren't happening.

You can see the gutter straps hanging from the edge of the roof of the picture above. I understand copper gutters and downspouts will be the finishing touch. 

I do believe these young men will be down and gone by week's end, but don't hold me to it. I am seeing only that stretch above, a like size piece on the east side and the long slope over the front remaining.

20 comments:

  1. Are you planning a surprise coffee break for them to send them off in style?

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  2. Such dedication - and it is looking good too. Thank you for keeping us posted.

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  3. Construction is an amazing job. Slowly we begin to see what is being built. Wow!

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  4. Your weather made our news the other night, they said your whole country was in a record cold snap, but still they work on the roof they really are to be admired here if it rains construction workers pack up and go home they don't work in the rain.
    Merle................

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  5. being on a steep roof is tough. on a steep roof in cold snowy wind - could not pay me enough

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  6. Hard work and dangerous, and yet I believe it is one of the lowest paying construction jobs.

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  7. What a treacherous job that must be! Quite resourceful in their thinking... tarps and all. What a professional crew!

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  8. I'm so glad I'm not a roofer. The only thing that would make it worthwhile is your almost poetic description of their labour.

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  9. You'll miss them when they've gone

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  10. These young men have given you a lot to look at as they do their work. You will miss their activity when they are done.

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  11. Such a fine hard-working group of young men. I like Delores' idea of a farewell coffee break. Like Merle, I saw your weather on the news here too, there was a blizzard in Texas that caused major roadway crashes. In one there were three semitrailers and a smaller truck involved, with airports etc being closed down and people stranded.
    The building is going to look so good once it is finished.

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  12. I am sure the workers are happy to have the work, but it sure couldn't be pleasant conditions on that roof in these winter months.

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  13. I love watching construction in process. Right now we're keeping close tabs on the scaffolding that's coming down off the Washington Monument. It's like peeling a banana, says my son. ;)

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  14. Dear Joanne, like "Johanna Garth" in the comment before this one, I like to watch construction. The techniques and the materials and the industry of the workers all speak to me and enlarge my curiosity about craftsmanship. And it would seem that these men you are observing on that roof are real craftsmen. Thank you for sharing. Peace.

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  15. Gosh, are they still at at! They are certainly doing a thorough job. Let's hope they get it finished before the really bad weather comes.

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  16. It looks like such hard work - constantly bending over and needing to be worried about footholds, weather of all kinds, the height - but what a wonderful job they're doing and how nice it will look when it's finished.

    Hope you're keeping warm, Joanne!

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  17. It's a shame they have to deal with such harsh weather!

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  18. Isn't it amazing, watching it come together?

    Slate tile. Love it.

    Pearl

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