yesterday's dawn

I know that March is still to come, and more storms, but yesterday morning whilst still at home, it was so springlike at dawn that I was out before breakfast without a jacket snapping pictures. The rain had stopped, but the radio says that more is to expected and flood warnings have been issued. So after the storm, well between storms, spring arrived for an hour or two.

after the deluge

I went home for Friday, and it rained and rained and rained into the parlour. So I had painted this wall two years ago, then last year water poured through the far window. So the flashing was repaired last year for both windows and some shingles were replaced. I painted the wall again: one coat primer and two coats of paint. Then yesterday the water poured into the room again. This means that the shingles need to be replaced. But this is not the worse wall. The south side is a much larger wall and it needs to be replaced too. But flashing was replaced there last year. So I painted it the year before and then again last year.

This morning I finished the interior painting as much as I can now. The carpenter is coming next week so we can go over finishing the interior - but now I think the treasury will be spent on the exterior, and the interior will wait and wait and wait.

So now the decision - shingles again, or throw in the towel and have siding put up. I am thinking of throwing in that towel. I have better things to do with my time than to be constantly painting houses.

There is always sunshine after the rain.

on the road to...

At noon I was on the road to Damascus. I were having a lunch meeting, but this was my first time in this establishment. You can see me taking the picture reflected in the glass door. Notice that there is no snow. This is, of course, as it says, the original Damascus. This makes that Syrian place an upstart copy cat. I am glad that I finally got here without a terrorist in sight. And it was not far, either.

laundry etc.

Bonita's laundry periodically changes the view from my window. I do not think that I could live in a place that is so oppressive that clothes lines are banned. Aren't we all supposed to be going green. At the moment my clothes are strung out in the bathroom.

On another topic I was told today that Walmart employees are lined up before the store opens, and they put their hands on their hearts and sing the Walmart Song and that I could look it up on Youtube. I did, but I don't think that this is it: 

faded blue

Well, actually nothing could be brighter than this blue rose. I brought some faded funeral roses over to the apartment to give them an extra few days. But the blue rose! Is there anything faker than a blue rose? And why? In Alice in Wonderland they were painting the roses red, but blue?

ordinary is good

Back to the diet - the boring diet - but boring is good compared to:

1. Funchal Madeira. I was horrified at the pictures coming out of Funchal. Last year Joanne and I walked those same streets in the sunshine enjoying our first land fall after crossing the Atlantic. Now the flood waters have wrecked havoc. Check out this great MSN Video: 'Scene of absolute devastation'
2. And Kate is home after surviving the capsizing the tall ship, Concordia, and over forty hours in a life boat. Her family are very active members in my congregation:  Check out this great MSN Video: Canadian sailing ship sinks

So boring is looking good at the moment.

Portland

 

Last Sunday was a lovely warm sunny day in Portland Maine. We had a delightful brunch in a funky place and then walked through the city. Here is the ferry dock. And then in the evening we went to church - well the church had been converted to a trendy upscale restaurant. We had a wonderful Valentine dinner. The diet was blown to pieces.  Here is the website: http://restaurantgrace.com/.