Introduction
To answer the question asked in the title of this article, it was new roof day for this Appalachian-Irishman and his “long-suffering” wife! Welcome, dear reader, to the 109th entry in the life (such as it is) topic section.
Coincidentally, President Trump self-declared our new roof day as “liberation day.” Liberation from what? Tariffs, of course. The first section below presents the president's “liberation day” fanfare and my concise response.
The second and main section focuses on our new roof, which was liberating for us. Three photographs are included. Further, I embedded my brief audiovisual presentation. Will you be able to guess where I was sitting at the time?
Liberation Day?
Did you, dear reader, feel liberated on Wednesday, April 2? President Trump self-proclaimed the day as “liberation day.”
The official audiovisual propaganda is found at "My fellow Americans, this is Liberation Day. April 2, 2025..."—President Donald J. Trump, The White House (YouTube). In just under two minutes, the pompous address hopes to make “we, the people,” feel enthused and liberated. The cheering audience in the video seems to feel that way. I wonder if they were paid.
What is my response? Well, prices are not increasing—yet. The Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) that my wife and I have, however, are taking a beating, due to recent and significant declines in the stock market. Over time, the market should stabilize and regain losses. In short, I do not feel liberated. Instead, I am concerned. Trade imbalances should be corrected, but will falling international economic dominoes lead to global recession?
New Roof Day!
Wednesday, April 2, liberated our twenty-two-year-old house with a new roof! It was new roof day!
Last year's articles from 12/11/2024 and 12/23/2024 mention the new roof at the homeplace. The same contractor, who installed the new roof there, replaced the roof at our house.
Three Photographs
A week ago today, Arlie and his crew arrived at about 7:15 AM and quickly began to work. I took the first photograph below at 7:35 AM, as dawn was breaking. The temperature was in the 40s Fahrenheit. The view looks southeast.
The five-man crew, three visible in the image, had started to remove the original shingles. On Saturday, 11/23/2024, Arlie inspected the roof, determined that it would endure the winter, and suggested a new roof in the spring. The original shingles were worn, and a few had buckled up slightly.
Where was our 2012 Sentra? I had backed it out of the garage and parked it at the curb. My wife and her sister needed to take their father to a medical appointment that afternoon. By the way, my Appalachian Irishman yard flag is near the left corner of the porch.
The next photograph, taken at 12:51 PM, shows the status of the roof from the back of the house.
The old shingles were still on. The packages on the roof ridge contain new shingles. Removing old shingles is the hardest part of the job. Yes, the yard needed to be mowed. The first mowing of the season was two days later on Friday.
Where's our “old puppy,” Molly? Initially, she was excited by the activity and noise. By this time, however, she had taken shelter near the six cedar trees, unseen in the image, that are behind and to the right of where I stood to take the shot. I checked on her at times, giving her snacks and water. Molly was observing from a safe distance.
Later, at about 1:30 PM, the electricity went out in our area for about 30 minutes. Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) surprised me with a KUB reboot, as I call it. The roofers didn't know. Their loud gasoline-powered generator was not affected.
The final photograph below, taken at 3:52 PM, shows the nearly completed front side of the roof. The temperature was in the lower 80s.
Strong wind gusts blew plastic, old shingles, and other debris off the roof and around in our yard and a neighbor's yard. I helped the crew catch what was blowing around. It was “fun.”
At about 4:45 PM, Arlie and I walked to the separate garage of our next-door neighbors, a husband and wife. The man, whom Arlie knew, was restoring an antique truck. They caught up on recent life events and discussed antique restoration projects.
At about 5 PM, standing inside the neighbors' garage, the area “enjoyed” another KUB reboot, which lasted only a couple of minutes. I had to reset eight timepieces twice, due to two KUB reboots. Thanks, KUB. Of course, we are thankful to have electricity.
Mrs. Appalachian Irishman returned home just after the second KUB reboot, parking our car near the curb.
Audiovisual Clip
Photographs do not capture the noise from the work being done. The generator, up to five pneumatic hammers, and a leaf blower made a cacophony of sound. I should have stuffed cotton in my ears. Molly, with her sensitive canine hearing, stayed safely away.
At 5:22 PM, I decided to record the following concise audiovisual clip on Appalachian Irishman - Podcasts (YouTube): Wednesday, 4-2-2025: New Roof Day! (published 4-9-2025; episode 36). Misspeaking, I said April 4th, instead of April 2nd correctly. On the roof, a man was using a loud leaf blower to blow out the gutter. At least the cacophony from the generator and pneumatic hammers was silent.
Conclusion
Our new roof should last 30 years, when, if I am alive, and we're in the same house, I will be 94. What will happen between now and then? God knows, but I don't. I am liberated from sin by His grace. I trust in Him.
This article is dedicated to two people. It is dedicated to my brother, three years my junior, whose birthday is today. I plan to call him after publishing this article. He may enjoy watching the previously embedded video clip.
It is also dedicated to the ninety-one-year-old father of my friend, whom I can't remember not knowing. His mother and my mother were friends, so we grew up together as friends. Recently, my friend's father endured a brief hospitalization. Thankfully, he is recovering well at home now. After the passing of his first wife, he remarried. His second wife, my friend's stepmother, is not doing as well. Please say a prayer for her recovery.
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