Up on the roof
sunset on the roof
I’m hooked on my roof. For one thing it is cooler up there at night, the breeze is wonderful and if I open the door to the roof it cools the bedroom quickly. For another, I’m enjoying the vantage it gives me over the city.
It’s not the upper, upper roof, I’ve not quite gotten the nerve to go up there yet.
To get up there, first you put a small ladder on the lower roof so you can get on top of the housing for the water filter. Then you haul a really high ladder up onto that narrow housing and lean it against the wall. Then you crawl up that to the top roof.
I want to go up there one of these days, it just hasn’t been the right day yet. Maybe when it is cooler, I’m sure not going up there at night!
Tinkerbell *aka the Angel Moroni atop the Mormon Temple
We had a huge storm the other night, invest something or other or perhaps it was the dregs of tropical storm Andres. When it started I put my highly accurate and scientific rain gauge in the yard (it’s also a green plastic bucket for mopping) and after about 2 ½ hours there was almost 4″ of water in it.
OK, I wasn’t really on the roof during that downpour. I was standing on the terrace and cowering in the living room with all the dogs. The thunder was deafening and instantaneous with the lightning. After most of it passed over us though, I ran up to see the sunset and the lightning flashing over the rest of the city. I even spent a long time futility trying to take a picture of the lightning.
Here’s how that goes: see beginnings of flash, eyes tell brain QUICK PUSH BUTTON!!, brain tells finger ‘ummmm, push button’, finger pushes, picture is of total blackness. Second option: stare through viewfinder at blackness, think that it’s been a long time and maybe now is a good time to push the button, push button, miss huge lightning flash because viewfinder is showing you the wonderful picture you just took of total blackness… do not respond to everyone around you that is yelling “did you see that??”
Flooded street corner
I did get some great pictures of an incredible sunset, as well as Tinkerbell* standing in her golden glory against the clouds. Then I looked down at the flooded street in front of the house and took some pics of cars careening through the water. It was a great night on the roof.
In other news, work has started on the inside pond. The offending wall in it that was precisely placed to catch the waterfall and disperse it onto the hall floor - is gone. The confusing array of pvc pipes and valves and unnecessary plumbing that stuck out into the middle of the pond - is gone. Two simple valves have been set into the wall and are invisible, there is a plug designed to be used around water installed, a space for the skimmer is forming and I’m very optimistic.
On Monday work begins on the drains in the guest bathroom and the laundry. They are below the roof drain and you know how water is, it just insists on going down. Our dry well for the front of the house is a flake, too much rock not enough cracks so the water from the roof backs up into those lower drains. A new path is in the works.
Hola Jonna, If there is a way you can set your camera for a very long exposure you might be able to get that elusive lightening. It takes some guessing and predicting but try to point the camera in the direction of the most lightening and press the shutter. You will need a tripod or even a bean bag that will hold the camera perfectly still. The longer the shutter stays open the better as any lightening that flashes while the shutter is open will be captured. A couple of minutes exposure works best but if yours can’t do that then use the longest you can. Experiment and you will get some good shots. Have fun and maybe we will see you this winter.
I tried some dusk shots tonigh. I had no better luck. I think we ned tripods. But that is too techy for me.
The best thing about digital is that “delete” button!
Those are very nice shots that you did manage to capture. Lightning is always exciting to photograph - but your photos are unique to your area and very nice.
Great photos, Jonna. Everything does look better from up high doesn’t it? I can’t wait until you venture up to the next higher level. Don’t worry. The angel will be watching over you.
Great shots!
I think you are right that I’d need to use a tripod to catch lightning and set the camera to a long exposure. I do have one of those small articulated tripods, they are called Gorillas I think, they kind of look like robots. I forget about it though and it doesn’t help at all sitting on a shelf in the office. I also agree that the delete key has changed photography for me. I tossed 5 for every shot I kept. I wouldn’t have bothered to have them all developed.
It’s so hot now Paul that I’m not going to get on the upper roof in the sun. During the day the roof is like a solar oven, it’s white and reflects the heat back up. Clothes dry in 5 minutes up there. We thought about putting a circular staircase up to it but decided it would just make it easier for a burglar and wasn’t really necessary. Yes, the Angel watches everything here, creepy bastard he is. That’s why I prefer thinking of him as Tinkerbell.
I love our upstairs patio in the evening, too. It will catch a breeze if there is one anywhere. We have a spiral staircase going to our real roof, I have gone up there to take video when there is lightning, and it is really cool. But video is the only way I have ever caught lightning, I will have to check and see if I can change the exposure on my camera. But I doubt it!
I love the picture of your street in the rain, I always take pictures in the rain and when I look at them later they don’t look like anything. I think I need to go on the roof like you did.
It’s raining here, too right now…this morning was wild but it’s chipi chipi now.
Great photos!! I especially love the one of the Angel!
“Tinkerbell!” I love it! I won’t be able to pass a Mormon church now and not look up to see Tinkerbell! I always thought he was creepy too. I love your photos, Jonna.
The route to the top of your house sounds scary, a good steady ladder that goes all the way up without using your water storage unit as a halfway point might save you a bad fall in the future.
For whatever reason, ladders are one of the things that are more expensive here in Mexico. The ladder we would need to go all the way in one step would be more than we want to spend now for an occasional view. The other problem is storing it away from the roof (why supply a ladder to potential thieves) and then carrying it up there when needed. It’s actually cheaper and easier to call for the workers to come over with their ladder when we need it.
We may be overly cautious about the thief bit, we have no knowledge of anyone being burglarized and it could be it would never happen. However, the easiest way into the center of the house is through the roof so we are careful about it.
You are a true Yucatecan! You know how I can tell? The way you said you hadn’t gone up to the “upper upper” roof. This is so Yucatecan! If something is really red, it’s ROJO ROJO ROJO. And if it’s slow, it’s LENTO LENTO. Good on ya!