Keeping up the house (or with it!)

I can't help but think of the Cosby, Stills and Nash song "Our House" today...

"Our house is a very very fine house,
with two cats in the yard.
Life used to be so hard.
Now everything is easy
'Cause of you."

Our House lyrics © Nash Notes

I loved that song, lo these many years, and now it would seem I'm living in it!  (True, the two cats are a little crazier than, say perhaps, the lyricist would have assumed at the time...)

For sure, I know I'm going to have to start calling T, "Mr Amazing" for all the things he's taken on since moving to Corfu!   Thirty years of working in a corporate environment wouldn't seem to have prepared him, at all, for this current lifestyle, and yet he has excelled at every turn. 

I'm actually, often amazed at how completely he's just thrown himself into this whole problem solving adventure, this living in Corfu has turned out to be for both of us.  I have but to speculate on changes and poof, it's become a building project. 

The best thing in the world though I will confess, is that he FINISHES each task he starts! (Yes.  He is a gem.)

before

His latest challenges have included among other things tearing creeping vines off walls that are perfect toeholds to nurture a jungle,  painting said walls after removing creepers and chunks of wall, and  continuing maintenance of what I kindly refer to as our "clay pot" tile roof.  

after

After all these years the clay tiles have begun to absorb rain water in much the same way as a clay pot will absorb water to nurture the flowers inside of it. 

Sadly, our house does not grow with additional water, but rather, leaks horribly when things above become saturated.  Ergo the need to "seal" the roof- which is a lot like painting it.

the thing in the middle...

All this must be done in the hottest period of the year, (and the hottest part of the day) when there is a certainty that there will be no rain--- or dew! -- absorbed by said clay pots tiles.

For the last few days with temperatures in excess of  35C (95 F) in the shade  Mr Amazing has been on the roof painting the tiles with the sealant. 

Of course it's not an exact science and though he is "certain" it will keep us dry for the winter, there could be mitigating factors-- of which we will discover sometime in the future, should the roof leak again!

As for the paint "touch up": When we bought the house we had it painted the color I chose as "Venetian Red" to closely resemble the color much of Corfu was probably painted when it was part of the Venetian empire over 600 years ago.  I wanted something that would fade into a nice warm color.  Which it has.  

It does however, make it difficult to match every year, as the color changes slightly depending on the side of the house and the amount of sunlight!  Still, Mr Amazing pulled it off and the house looks wonderful.

Whenever I am hard pressed to think up a subject to write about, I think I should look at the house and find all the things that T has turned his hand to: ie. building a new kitchen, remodeling three bathrooms, building bookcases... ah the list goes on. 

I need a nap!!