PHOTO-A-DAY CHALLENGE
The Week A Man Fell Through The Roof…
…Waking The Caped Crusader
Themes For The Week
Here are two unrelated facts that somehow themed the week.
- Roofers came to repair the roof of the house where the Caped Crusader lives.
- Although she is getting on in years, the Caped Crusader can still put on a turn of speed in emergencies.
The emergency below was my fault. Spotting a cute photo, I whipped my camera out of my pocket, allowing the fabric to rustle.
She had turned away from me, nose extended towards a budding daffodil as though sniffing the flower. I thought, cute photo if I’m quick. But she never misses the rustle of a hand in a pocket — it might mean a snack — and spun so fast she tripped on the lead.
A Roofer’s Unexpected Arrival
The Caped Crusader is no guard dog. Strangers wandering in and around her home will be frisked for snacks but otherwise left alone.
That first morning, after everyone else had left, the 6-year-old’s mother settled at her desk to work. She later declared herself “frightened half to death” by an unexpected crash, an avalanche of dust and debris, and the sudden appearance of a startled-looking man in the living room between her desk and the Caped Crusader’s bed.
No injuries were sustained, other than to the nerves and the ceiling. Although the Caped Crusader wasn’t phased at all — she woke briefly — we all deemed it best that she stay with us while there were people on her roof.
It’s no trouble looking after the Caped Crusader, but it means letting her out fairly frequently. She’s happy to mosey about our garden doing what she needs to do. She can get freely from our garden into her own, but I didn’t foresee a problem. She knows there’s no snack value in dust and debris.
I hadn’t counted on her turn of speed and that the roofers would leave their lunch on an accessible bench. I was alerted by the sight of her canine form racing across the grass, sandwich bag in her mouth, workman in hot pursuit. Sadly, that’s another photo I didn’t manage to catch.
Signs Of Spring
Letting her roam free in the garden was off the table, so we have been out for lots of walks this week. Signs of Spring are all around, including the daffodils in the previous photo and the purple things (I’ve forgotten the name) below.
On one of our walks, we came across this stand of daffodils growing up from a deep ditch.
I shall keep an eye on this set as possible contenders for 2024 tallest daffodil.
A less welcome sight was the lesser-spotted coffee cup.
I can’t think of a Subway store within 10 miles of us. Maybe the cups are migratory, but they certainly don’t belong in the grass by the road. I scooped it up and took it home for disposal in our bin.
Confined To Barracks
We use the garden when the roofers have finished for the day, but the Caped Crusader has been in full snack-hunting mode since her successes early in the week. The photo shows her hurrying out of the Dinos’ outdoor run, where she knows she is not allowed.
She was out of luck. The Dinos are sandwich-stealers too, and although the roofers took to keeping their possessions with them on the roof, the Dinos have working flight suits.
They couldn’t do ground to roof in one go, but they can do ladders and scaffolding. It was safer to confine them to barracks and feed them inside for the week.
Some Colour Amongst The Rubble
The week hasn’t all been roofs and rubble. The 6-year-old decided to plant a garden in a bucket. Here it is, a nice splash of colour amongst the chaos.
Photos I Wish I’d Caught
Other than the Caped Crusader sniffing a daffodil and being pursued by the owner of the stolen sandwich, there was one other shot I regret not catching: A workman on the flat roof walking on his hands. I don’t know if it’s a new technique in roofing, or if he was showing off to his mates, but I wish I’d had my camera to record it for posterity.
The week in photos articles were started by Dennett and taken up by many. They provide some fascinating insights into people’s lives. As well as Dennett, here are more writers whose stories are worth following: Susan Alison, Anne Bonfert, Kim Zuch, Ellie Jacobson, pockett dessert, Erika Burkhalter, Barb Dalton 🇺🇦, Pene Hodge, K. Barrett, Mia Verita, Louise Peacock.
