Some time during the past cold dark winter days the bug got planted in my head that it was time to get a fresh coat of paint on the house.  Actually, from the looks of the south facing wall it was overdue by a year or two.  I am beginning to believe it was a severe case of longing for the warmer and sunnier days to come that festered this idea.  So on May 7, after a normal period of thinking this project out, I got the extension ladder down, gathered my meager paint prep tools together and began scraping on the south wall.  Objective was to get this sun baked wall spruced up before the heat got cranking in earnest.  May has come and gone and as of June 1 I have logged 139 hours on the project and estimate that 60% of the task is behind me.  75 of those hours have been dealing with scraping, caulking and buffing up rain  gutters and downspouts.  So why is it referred to as “painting”?

Those of you that know me probably are wondering what the rush is about.  Well, the job has to be completed by June 24 which is when Paula and I travel to Baker, Oregon to pickup Emily.  We get to have her, without parents, for a few days.

Stay tuned for additional painting details plus distractions encountered along the way such as patio doors, concrete contractors, smoke alarms and the mystery of refrigerator lights.