Up on the Roof

...during the warm before the storm. 

We had no idea Wednesday, 16 November, would be the last day of Indian Summer before the Colorado winter kicked in. Fortunately, my wife and I took advantage of that day’s fine weather to climb to the roof over the addition to Big Pink and clean the upstairs bathroom windows from the outside.

Seven thousand, six-hundred imperial feet up, and flat flat flat flat FLAT.

Given that the painters who scraped and slapped a coat on the house in October were slobs, I ended up spending the better part of a half hour sweeping paint chips from the roof. I even found the lid to a can of paint.

It was good getting this chore over with, however. It also afforded me the opportunity to take some photographs from this eastern end of the house, from right (south) to left (north). 

Facing due east now. The Sangre de Cristos are behind that cloud bank on the far horizon. Depending on the atmosphere, sometimes you see them looming large over the trees in the distance.

A Chinese elm dominates this photo. These were brought into Colorado to control erosion way back when, and like kudzu in my native Deep South, these horrors took over. You can cut down the main tree and little saplings will still grow from the main root system, which will be all over your yard and the next two. Especially by your sewage outflow pipe.

Looking northwards over the roof of the main house towards the house next door.

Zoom on, looking east by southeast over the roof of my garage, through the easy geometry of power lines and bare branches.

Panning downward, to the geometry of sloped roofs on my side of town.

On a clear day, you can see the dumpster outside of Safeway. Of course, if you’re looking for ugliness, trouble, etc., you’re sure to find it (I keep reminding myself).