Beating the Rains

Yesterday John and I started and nearly finished our last project. His neighbor is a woman who lives alone in a house that is nearly falling down. All the walls were made of rotten wood, most likely unable to make it through this coming rainy season, and her roof was sheets of metal that weren't very well put together, causing problems during the previous rains. So, we (well, we hired a couple guys) to pull down the entire ceiling. We then used the metal sheets from the ceiling to cover 3 walls, two of which get it the worst during the rains. It doesn't necessarily look more attractive, but it will make a huge difference during the stormy weather. When we were taking down the wood walls, it was sad how easy it was to do. You shouldn't be able to tear down a wall with just your hands...

Tearing down the walls to put the old metal sheets up. Notice the taunting rain cloud...

We really had to rush during this whole project. As usual this time of year especially this year, the morning was bright and sunny without a cloud in the sky, and all of a sudden, just in time, when all protection from water is removed from someone's home... the dark storm clouds roll in. So, we then began to put the new metal sheets on the ceiling. This time lining them up perfectly to avoid any gaps. When I was invited on to the roof, I had to swallow my fear of heights. This was the EXACT and only type of "heights" that I fear, being on an unstable surface, just close enough to the ground for the impact to not put you unconscious (well you can't feel the pain of the fall if you're knocked out...) but far enough to make you regret ever going up there. I gave my fear a whole lot of thought while I was scooting around the edge of the house, looking everywhere but down to avoid becoming dizzy, holding on tight, whispering "what am I doing, what am I doing."

Anyway, we got the entire roof up completely avoiding the rain. While the men were doing the finishing work, I started smoothing out the floor inside the house so that John and I can put in a new, better soil for flooring. Unfortunately we can't do cement floors, but he says this soil will harden and be good enough. We will put on the higher quality soil on Friday.

I was really surprised with how much was finished in one day. All we have left is the new soil on the floors. Hopefully this house will last many more years.

Before and After

And today, another relaxing, African rains kind of day...