Roof Project 2023

Almost exactly a year after the last roof project was completed, we managed to scrimp and save enough to get the final third-floor room roof finished. Unfortunately, the intersection between money and time coincided with Mexican Independence Day celebrations, so we had to delay roof-building gratification until the Monday following said festivities.

There was the issue of a rather large swarm of bees that had taken up residence in the chimney. My husband has tried to smoke them out on more than one occasion, to no avail. To avoid angry bees during the tromping up and down while the roof was being poured, we covered the entrance with a blue blanket. It wasn’t foolproof, but it did keep most of the stinging insects contained.

Bruce, Fred, and George were tied in the back by the pool bright and early so that the coladores (roofers) could do their stuff and get the ramp set up. That took nearly no time at all, and so most were sitting around waiting for the materials to arrive. Two enterprising guys went exploring and came back with nopales (cactus) on a stick from up the hill. They requested a knife and cut the spiney bits off–CACTUS FOR DINNER BABY! One of the two also brought his slingshot in case a rabbit, squirrel, or bird presented itself. 

My son was tired even before starting. As his fear of heights prevented him from ascending the ramp to the third floor, he was the water boy as usual–bringing buckets and buckets of water to the cement mixers from the pool. 

The materials arrived a bit late; it being the Monday after all the Independence fun, several of the workers at the ferretería failed to arrive for their shift. A phone call and run into town got things moving, and the roofing activities finally commenced.

Since this is only a smallish room, half the size of the room below it, even with the late start, they were done by noon. The haze finally cleared away, and the workers sat beneath our jacaranda trees in front of the house, which Cocoa and Bear did not approve of.

Around 1, the circus moved on. All that was left was a bit of tapping to solidify the cement setting, and it was finished–the last roof. 

The wood guy, though, has been a pain this time around. He wasn’t the same guy we usually rent the framing wood from, and this guy wanted half up front. Ok. Then, the day AFTER the roofing, he came by again and wanted the other half. Umm. No. Generally, the wood rental is paid upon completion of the cement drying period — 22 days. He came twice more that week. As I hadn’t expected to need to have that money on hand, I didn’t have it right then. On his third trip to La Yacata, I was able to hand over $1000 pesos, and he seemed okay with that, the remainder to be paid once the wood is removed and picked up. 

Needless to say, there wasn’t a lot of extra cash in my pocket during September, even with a nice book royalties check. Here’s hoping October is a little easier in the financial department.

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Read more about our off-grid life in La Yacata in A to Z Reasons Why La Yacata is the Place to Be in Any Disaster: A Prepper’s Guide to Mexico, part of the La Yacata series.