As we all know, the roof to the Vardo has been Blue’s thorn. He is a patient man, gentle and creative. Just last night I watched him with one of our granddaughters, with her chubby bottom perched on his shoulders, in the setting darkness catching fire flies from the pasture. Ever so patient in their adventures. But when it came time to put the rubberized barrier on the top of the new roof he had just put on, well, let’s just say his language burned brighter than a thousand fire flies!
The roof has leaked from day one. Several years later it had caused enough damage that this winter he had to remove and rebuild the entire top portion of the Vardo. It has been a blessing and a curse. He has fought the cold and then the heat. At one point, after many cautionary warnings through the winter’s work, asking him not to set himself on fire, he did. He went up in flames and while he was smacking it down the remnants of his shirt hit the Vardo floor, sparked the sawdust and left us with another mark of adventure. Neither were hurt beyond a little singeing. It may sound odd to say, but it actually sparked his creativity and he added some decorative features that he had been working up in his mind over the years, and had new plans to stabilize the roof, thus ending the rain dance.
We had gone to the extent of writing to Peter Ingram, the world’s most noteworthy authority on restoring vardo wagons. His advice was to use oil based paint laid over with a cloth barrier, stretching and pulling with very precise instructions which finished with applying 3 layers then of lead based paint over the cloth. As you may be aware, lead based paint is frowned upon in the States and isn’t something we would be able to use. So a rubberized alternative was approved.
It was a brutally hot day and he was fighting to finish before the weather turned against him. The application had to be done all in one piece with no cuts, though he had not yet installed the replacement mollicroft, which made for a challenging contour. The rubber, at 16’x8′ was heavy and the adhesive was thick. It had the kind of stick to it that duct (duck) tape has when it folds in on itself. This is what it was like when it stuck to the rubberized sheet. He had been up and down and down and up the ladder, side to side, front to back, back to front, over and over again, working the cover AND THEN IT HAPPENED…
The rubber covering wrinkled and ridged in on itself! He was pulling with all his might, standing on the highest rung of the ladder, leaning, stretching and CURSING! This man just doesn’t curse. I’m the colorful one, but this day, he was a man in full explosive explicative engagement! I didn’t know if I wanted to leave and clear the area as self preservation flitted through my thoughts or just stay and be amazed at what I was witnessing, much like what I would imagine a sasquach siting might be like. Being of a fearless nature, I chose to watch the show, admittedly from a distance.
When all was done and SAID (oh so said) he grinned, just a little embarrassed and said he has a new story to tell. Ask him about it when you see him next!
Peter Ingram