Problem-Solving

     The view from our upstairs balcony is spectacular.  In the years that we hosted our Annual Oysterville Champagne and Croquet Galas, it was a favorite perch from which to photograph the activities down below.  Aerial photographs the easy way.
     But, like every other part of our house that is exposed to the elements, the balcony periodically needs some TLC.  That’s when we call Bob-The-Guru-of-Old-House-Woes and he comes to the rescue. This time, it was a water problem on the wall beneath the balcony and we can only hope that whatever magic Bob did up there has solved it.  You never know with water.
     In this case the water was getting between all the old layers of paint and the redwood siding on the first-story porch below the balcony.  (Yes, redwood.  It came up as ballast on the oyster schooners from California in the 1860s.)  There were big, fat blisters all up and down the wall.  If you pricked them, they oozed water.  When Nyel scraped off the paint, they gushed water.  We trust that the problem is all fixed now.
     While the weather holds, there will be more paint-scraping and perhaps even some sanding.  Then, several coats of fresh paint will need to be applied.  Then we wait.  And hope for the best.  With old houses there is a lot of hoping for the best, especially when you’ve already expended your disposable income on a more insistent crisis.  It’s all a matter of priorities.
     The other day I had a discussion with a friend about the cost of home maintenance here versus other parts of the United States.  She’s lived in many areas of our country – in the mountains, in the desert, on the east coast, and in Alaska.  “No question,” she said.  “Dealing with the havoc caused by the elements here is more expensive than anywhere else.”
     I’m not arguing, even though I don’t have anything but northern California for comparison.  I think it’s like budgeting for a kid who’s perpetually at college but without graduation in sight.  But, it’s Oysterville!  And I wouldn’t be anywhere else no matter what the scene from the balcony… or the price of the seats!