The Piddler on the Roof

My work puts me in front of a computer a lot of the time, so once I get to a stopping point during the day, I like to get outside and get some sunshine and piddle around.  Today, I knew exactly what I needed to do.  The live oak trees are continually growing, their heavy branches sinking lower each day.  The branches form a canopy over the roof.  This can be a good thing as it provides an abundance of shade, hopefully helping out with our electricity bill.  The bad thing is when they start touching the roof.  Storms and winds like we're accustomed to can push the limbs into the shingles and damage the roof, and we don't want that.

Today's task between computer work was to lean an extension ladder on the roof, climb up just as high as I could and trim the low-hanging branches with a pole saw.  I bought this little electric extendable pole saw years ago for only $69.  It has paid for itself over and over and over.  I get so much use out of it, with little to no maintenance other than buying a new blade or two for it each year.

One can get himself into trouble on the roof.  I think of King David who, up on the roof of his palace, spotted the lovely Bathsheba.  One thing led to another and I bet he wishes he could have stayed off the roof that day.  He certainly paid a high cost for what he did.  Seeing her from his vantage point on the roof put things in to motion that he would live to regret.  King David got into trouble on that roof.  I got myself into trouble on the roof today.  Nope, I want to assure you that I was not on top of the roof lusting.  I was working.  

My mistake was that I was working without notifying Miss Tricia.  She gets all worried when I do things like this.  I was trying to be quiet, cutting away and had branches falling.  All was going well and I was getting a lot accomplished until one particularly large limb hit the roof with a thud.  Uh oh, I thought.  Moments later, Tricia came around the corner with a look of concern on her face.  "Kyle, you're supposed to tell me when you do this.  You could fall.  I can't believe.  You need someone holding the ladder..."  She's right.  I was far from OSHA compliant and there are risks to be up on a ladder on top of a roof.  I apologized and had her hold the ladder while I lopped one final branch.  Then I put up the ladder and saw, rolled up the extension cord and finished my piddling for the day.

But I wasn't done.  If I would've stopped there, I would have disappointed some animals out back.  I hauled the branches out to the cows and goats for an afternoon snack.  You can see Elsie in the foreground and Rosie in the background, enjoying eating the leaves off the limbs.  The bull and all the goats were eating on branches that I had already thrown in the back.

With that job out of the way, I'll stay off the roof for a while and go back in and sit in front of the computer and get some work done.