Dan Antion

Stubborn Not Stupid – #1LinerWeds

The rose of sharon are blooming, but also struggling with the heat.

I’m taking advantage of the fact that the Editor has Wednesdays off. I’m not sure she would agree with the sentiment suggested by the title. We have been mired in a heat wave since mid-June, and I don’t see an opportunity to wait until things cool down to work on the projects I need to finish this year. I don’t anticipate things cooling down until it’s time to start raking leaves and putting snow stakes in the ground. On the other hand, I have no desire to keel over under a pile of vinyl siding.

My goal for Monday was to put siding on the east wall of our shed. It’s only 12′ (3.6m) and it is not on a gable end wall. That means it’s a 12’ by 8’ rectangle. Still, the wall had to be wrapped, corner boards and a starter strip had to be installed. Once all that was done, I started putting up siding. The sheets of siding are about six inches longer than the wall, so one quick snip and the strips were ready to go. My first thought was, “I’ll just run this up to the top and call it a day.”

Then I remembered my dad.

He liked to repeat a common saying when I was hell bent on continuing a project when it wasn’t going well, or when conditions would suggest stopping for the day, but when I wanted to continue.

“It’s like hitting yourself with a hammer because it feels so good when you stop.”

I got about halfway up the wall, when the sun poked around the front of the shed where my worktable was set up. It was 94°f (34°c) and it was time to quit.

This post is part of Linda G. Hill’s fun weekly series One-Liner Wednesday. If you have a one-liner, I’d encourage you to join in on the fun. You can follow this link to participate and to see the one-liners from the other participants.

I think 90% of the effort is in getting to this point. Now, it’s just adding courses of siding until I get to the top.
Except for the partial strip at the top, this wall is complete. I’ll wait until I have ladders and staging out before tackling that.
Stanley FatMax – my favorite tools.
This heavy gauge steel wool is added at the bottom of the corner boards to prevent small critters from entering. A necessary precaution given how close to the ground the siding starts.
Wrapping the base of the front wall so I can wrap the corner and install the corner board.
Ready to begin siding the second side.
End of day, Tuesday. Halfway up the second side.
In theory, if the starter-strip is level, each course of siding will be level. Still, I check each one.
One of the double rose of sharon blossoms.
We are walking very early because of the heat. It’s fun to see the sun light things up from behind.
It’s only July, but this tree is starting to lose some of its leaves.
These guys are everywhere this year.
Even with sprinklers running each morning, the fields are drying up.
Smokey is up early. Perhaps a peanut for breakfast.
The rose of sharon are blooming, but also struggling with the heat.
Maddie keeps reminding me of the recreational features of the steps.

41 comments

  1. Coffee and DIY to start the day is a good thing. :-) I like those saw horses you have there. Trying to work in that 2′ space is something, and I’m amazed you made it to when you did with the heat we’ve been dealing with. Adding steel wool to the corners is a great move, and I never doubted that each piece of siding would be level. :-) Stay cool Maddie.

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    • Thanks Judy. We used that steel wool to block the places mice were getting in. It’s very effective, and they can’t eat through it. I’m not trying to make the shed airtight, but we do sometimes store bird seed out there. Those saw horses are my favorites. I have three different kinds, ranging from light-duty to very heavy duty. The FatMax are in the middle, and they get the most use. Hopefully, I will be out of those tight spaces by the end of this week. Of course, somehow, I have to rig up staging to get to the top of the gable end I’m working on now. Maybe Friday. I’m not setting all that up, only to have it rain.

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  2. Okay, Norm, you get 500 bonus points for knowing full well when to quit…even if it was the voice of your dad and the Editor in your head. Good move. I hope you will do the same today – be happy with what is possible before the sun bakes your brain. Then rest and hydrate so you are ready for tomorrow.

    Have a great Wednesday, Dan. Wish I could send some cooler weather your way, but our heat is back too. Maybe next week…

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    • Thanks Mary. I appreciate the bonus points. Maybe I should give some to the Editor.

      We have rain in the forecast today and tomorrow, so I am staying off the wall until I get a clear day. The next step involves ladders and staging, so I want a nice day. Friday looks good, and although it sounds crazy, it will only be 85 degrees!

      I hope you have a great day – congrats again on your good news!

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  3. Love your dad’s one liner! He was a wise man. So glad you listened to him and remembered this piece of wisdom. Putting up a few more strips of vinyl just isn’t worth the risk of heat stroke….or worse! The shed is going to be a masterpiece, like all your projects. That’s some serious looking steel wool!

    The Rose of Sharon are beautiful, especially the double bloom. Smokey was sure he saw a peanut there! Bunnies abound here as well, and a very playful group this year. They don’t seem to know how hot it is.

    Maddie knows how to chill out. Way to go sweet girl. Besides, she knows dad will sit with her and relax for a few minutes!
    🐾Ginger 🐾

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    • My dad was a mixed bag, Ginger. He’d tell me not to “overdo” things, but if it was his project, we’d work until we were silly. But then, we’d shower and go for dinner. He didn’t drink, but he liked the food at a local bar, so off we would go.

      Smokey seems to have figured out the program. He’s gone from being skittish to a bit demanding. Still, he’s so darn cute; we can’t resist. I look at those bunnies, wrapped in fur, and I want to pass out.

      Maddie is aware of the heat. She makes me sit, but we don’t stay out long. She gets up and drags me inside.

      I hope we get some much needed rain and that these high temps hit the road. Until then, I’m limiting my time on the project.

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  5. Dan, your double rose of Sharon picture rocked my world. It is gorgeous and it brings to my eyes a very mystical feeling. Your composition is par excellent! As for this heat …. ditto here. It’s been HOT which makes working outside a bit difficult. I’m getting adjusted to the heat in that I can continue with my bike rides and walking. Wisdom says despite what we want, it’s best to acknowledge when it’s time to stay cool. Heat can be dangerous.

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    • Thanks for the compliment on that picture, Amy. Coming from you, that means a lot. I am walking very early with our dog (6:30 am) trying to beat the heat. I am taking today off to run some errands. It was supposed to rain, but it hasn’t. I guess I’ll wait and see what tomorrow brings.

      Take care, stay safe, cool and hydrated,

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  8. Hi Dan – your Dad was a wise man … and you were sensible to stop and call it a day. It is progressing and I guess small steps are better than none. Maddie certainly is interested this time … take care and look after yourselves – that heat is horrendous … Hilary

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  10. That saying of your dad…so funny but so true. Heat–you guys are getting hammered. It’s always hot here so no surprises–but the NE is getting hit way too hard. So glad Maddie is showing you the recreational features of the steps. That is such a cute caption. Stay cool, stay indoors, Dan.

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    • She looks at me as if to say, “sometimes I wonder about you. The deck is in the shade. That means we should sit.”

      It has been too hot for too long up here, Lois. I didn’t move to FL because I didn’t want to live with hot and humid summers.

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  11. Good gracious, this quote made me laugh and laugh. It also made me realize how many times I’ve acted it out. 😆 The Editor might disagree with the title’s sentiment but I’m quite certain she’d rather you didn’t keel over under a pile of siding. Hydrate hydrate hydrate!!

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    • I still tend to do this, Laura. The Editor says, my body knows when to stop before my brain does. Then there’s a bit of mumbling around the word ‘brain’ that I never quite understand.

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  17. Had to laugh about your shed project. My husband and son-in-law recently built a shed from the ground up in 100-degree heat. Our old one fell apart and it was either get something to replace it or spend the summer with lawn mowers, wheelbarrows and volleyball nets spread all over the back yard. They lived to tell the tale, but as the project went on I began to wonder if the heat had fried their brains a little.

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