Drip, Drop
This morning, we awoke to the ominous sound of water dripping.
And if you’re wondering whether that’s even possible, if the soft drip-drip of water can truly be ominous, I assure you that it most DEFINITELY can.
Covers were thrown off and, bleary-eyed, we raced through the house to find the source of the noise - only to discover water seeping through the the trim and running down and over the inside of our big front window.
Naturally, I threw on a pair of boots thinking I’d run outside to see what I could see - only to open the front door and find the storm door absolutely frozen shut.
Changing tactics, I raced back through the house and out the back door - only to have to use every core muscle I possess to stay vertical. Water was dripping from the soffit vents there, too, and freezing as it hit the ground - so the back step was covered in a perfect layer of ice.
Drip, drip, drip.
I called my dad, house guru that he is, and his best guess was ice damming - basically that ice had frozen up along the edges of the roof (as a result of our tragically poor insulation), trapping melting water. That water had then worked its way backwards through the shingles and into the house. Bleh. Bleh, bleh.
Inside, I rigged up plastic bags and jars to catch as much drippage as possible and outside, as per my dad’s instructions, we climbed up on the roof. We shoveled off the snow to expose the ice and sprinkled a layer of salt to start the melting process. A quick run to the Home Depot (or the Home Desperate as Eric referred to it this morning) was also in order to get our hands on some heating cable to begin melting out the gutters. It’s going to be a process, but hopefully we’ll good and dry again in a day or so.
In about a month, we’ll have owned this house for two years - and it’s like she’s still revealing things to us. There was clear water damage to the floor and front window that we noticed right from the beginning, but we painted and cleaned things up and assumed it was from before the glass was replaced. Since then, we haven’t seen any signs of water so I’d put it out of mind. But we also haven’t had a big snow.
It’s just another quirk, just another facet of this place that we call home - she needs heaters in the gutters when big snow comes calling. The bright side to all of this is that, after running up and down ladders all day, the thought of climbing up on the roof no longer sets my knees quivering. The view from up there isn’t half bad either.
In happier news, I’ve officially finished smithing and (miraculously!!) have absolutely everything photographed and ready to be put into listings. I’m fairly certain this is the largest collection I’ve ever created - and each piece makes me smile when I turn it over in my hands. That’s how it’s supposed to be, right?
The most delightful pieces for me are the golden ones, though. They feel so warm and full of light - and I’ll take as much of both as I can after this weird fall. More gold work is definitely on the agenda for next year, that I know for sure!
Everything will be popping into the shop in two days - 12/1 at Noon Mountain time (or 11.30 am if you’re on the email list!). Until then, send a few dry, non-drippy thoughts my way if you have any to spare - I’d sure appreciate them!
