At the Ready with Sign and Shingles

I wonder if the roofers will finish their work on the church before the beginning of the Music Vespers season on the 18^th.  My best guess would be no, but they’ve been working from morn ‘til night, as they say.  Even last Sunday they were hard at it for most of the day.  Which makes me wonder if anyone has spoken to them about the upcoming Vesper service.  Perhaps not.

For a variety of reasons, we’ve been waiting over a year for them to get started on this very daunting project.  (When I say “we,” I’m referring to the Oysterville Restoration Foundation, the organization to which all property owners in the National Historic District of Oysterville belong, and, more importantly in this case, the organization that owns and manages the historic church.)  Probably no one has wanted to risk slowing progress by mentioning the necessity of a work slow-down next Sunday.

Oysterville Church

Hopefully, they’ve noticed the sign recently placed in front of the church.  “Music Vespers – Sundays – 3 p.m.”  That should give them a clue.  Worst case scenario – an unplanned Sunday afternoon work break.  Perhaps they would enjoy the vesper service.  After all, it’s ‘come as you are’ and ‘open to the public’ and ‘free of charge.’  And I can’t think of anyone with more need or justifiable reason right now for sending up a prayer or two from inside (as well as on top of!) the venerable old church.

Oysterville Summer Vespers in its 37th Year

My reference here, is to the height and pitch of the church roof.  It’s not every roofing company in the area that is even willing to give a bid for repair or, in this case, replacement of those cedar shingles.  I’ve been trying to remember the last time the roof was completely replaced.  Surely, it’s been done since the initial restoration of the building in 1980.  Although… the roof that Ossie Steiner and the Mack boys put on my little house on the bay in 1979 is still good.  Of course, it was done with shakes, not shingles, which probably makes a difference.

In any case, we are watching the roofers’ progress and hoping all goes smoothly.  I wonder how they feel about being the subjects of photograph after photograph – by every tourist who comes to town as well as by those of us who live here.  I know that being on high is more-or-less old hat to them, but I hope they take some pride in working on the Oysterville Church.  We are certainly clapping and cheering for them!