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Summer Maintenance

A section of the on-going roofing projects.

I've got ONE word for you ... "Metal Roofing". ;?)

In my youth, I bought into the framing, plywood, asphalt roofing lifestyle. Now - in my advanced state of maturity ... I've learned that asphalt roofing products are designed for one purpose only ... to perpetuate the roofing industry of framing, plywood, asphalt materials, and labor. They crack, they shrink, they leak, they rot. No matter how they are applied or maintained. This is my 26th year in this shop. I built most of it - have replaced much of it - some twice. I now replace with metal roofing ... One time - done. Learn from it. ;?)

Now ...

In my on-going quest to be THE airgunsmith with THE most extensive Topiary Gardens in the free world ... I present ...

Yes ... I did it myself. And I'm quite prou.... what..... ? What do you mean ... ? What IS it? .... Well, anyone can see that it's a duck! Here ...

Can you see it now? I feel I captured the essenti...

What...? Still ... can't .....

Maybe now?

Oh wait ... maybe that's the Panda Bear ...

Anyway ....

this stuff takes time to develop ... can't just hack at it ya know!

Ahem ...

The guy that's coming to haul away the truckloads of shop maintenance cut-offs and such, will be hauling off tons of this stuff too. The shrubs are approx. 111 years old. I've trimmed, thinned, cut back, pruned the things for 26 years ... but they've gotten absurd. Most were 12' balls of dense foliage. No more. Cut back. They live of die - we've been their captive long enough. ;?)

No - it's not a hedge. That's a wind row of trimmings about 3-4 feet high and 60-70 feet long. Goes out to the railing and then heads down the hill.

I guess some of this maintenance cycle will have to be written off as vacation time (since I've enjoyed it sooooo much ;?) I try to work it out efficiently - utilize the labor and tools to best advantage. Hey - aren't you glad I'm not chipping all of this stuff myself?

OK... let's wrap this up and fire up the bluing tanks in a few days. Bob's Hauling comes next Wed. Let's toss the roofing stuff into the framing material pile. The bluing shed is weather tight and the lights are on. I can hook up the tanks at night if needed...

More later ...