Lights

November 23, 2019

The good news is, I didn’t fall off the roof. The bad news is having to be on the roof in the first place. I suppose it’s my own fault; I chose to not take down last year’s Christmas lights. They’ve hung since last November through snow and rain, cold and heat. The strings on either end finally couldn’t take it any more and refused to shine. Linda has been nudging me for over a month to replace those errant strings before the weather turned cold. She has a point. When I first put them up, the snow was blasting nearly horizontal as I tried to get my numbed fingers to operate. Most of the garage is easy to access, but the end nearest the house is home to a huge rhododendron that I refuse to cut down, so I had to wedge a ladder between it and the garage to string the lights. It was not fun.

So this year, I figured the easiest course of action would be simply to climb the ladder to the roof and lean over the eaves to fasten the lights. And I was right; it was easier. Until one of the strings I had just installed blinked and went out. Having tested it before installation, I was NOT pleased! Crabbing my way along the edge on my belly, I carefully removed the lights I had just installed, and put up a second new string. It was only then that I remembered these Chinese lights have little fuses in the plugs; sure enough, a new fuse was all it needed, but I was not about to remove the ones I had just put up; No sirree! 

The string at the other end of the garage went pretty smoothly. Linda even moved the ladder for me, but couldn’t get it upright so I could use it. Really...walking back to where it originally was, was not a big deal! 

All’s well that ends well, and we again have lights. They are two different brands, and look a bit wonky together, but that’s OK. I am once more planted on good ol’ terra firma and intend to stay that way. The day had a few other kinks in my plans, but that’s life. Jesus promised his followers that they would face all kinds of trouble far more serious than recalcitrant Christmas lights. When after Thanksgiving I hook them to the timer, I will once more give thanks for health and safety, but even more for the life I’ve been given. I had planned on going hunting this morning, but fixing breakfast for three grandkids took precedence. While putting tubes in some tractor wheels, the oldest granddaughter popped in on her way home from college. The lights are up, I have no broken bones, a happy wife, and therefore, a happy wife. It doesn’t get much better than that!