icing on the cake

There were a few things left to finish and perfect on the barn, and while the builder was here on Wednesday, they did me a huge favor and put our weathervane up (where is my camera when I need it, it was a challenge getting this up). The weathervane is a gift from my dad and his wife, I love it. Thank you Dad and Marie! It's currently shiny brass and I look forward to seeing how it weathers and gets coppery green with time. It's a Patchen Horse. I'll be taking many pics of it, and maybe a little video when we have a breeze to move it around. This photo is from this morning.

To me, it's icing on the cake.


You know what? I changed my mind: I'm going to tell you a little about how this weathevane got up here:
Builder came to fix barn doors and one window. The fixes are good, and well... good enough. I'm not going to obsess that they are not perfect. Java is perfect, that's good enough for me. Yes, I think Java is Da Bomb.

SO, the weathervane: builder (super nice guy, and good at his job) takes a look at the weathervane and asks if it came with instructions. Well, yes, but I cannot find them, so it went like this:
- printer for the first time ever won't print as I try to print the weathervane installation instructions. Finally, I get it printed.
- Then Mr. Java's Mom scoots home from work to see what trouble we are causing and he decided I should go to the hardware store for a few things needed to get weathervane up.
- Guy at hardware store tries to tell me the weathervane is messed up. I get all DON'T TELL ME IT'S MESSED UP, IT'S BRAND NEW, DEAL WITH YOUR ISSUES ON YOUR TIME. I get the parts I need, sweetly thank everyone for their help and hop out.
- I'm driving out of the hardware store parking lot (YES the dogs are in the car with me) and the store owner shouts as I'm on the road now, "hey, we just put one of those up on our new building, you should drive by" I for some reason say "hey, that's great, I'll drive by and take a look!". Like the builder is not waiting for me at the house for the parts I've got.
- I drive by the building the store owner referenced and up on this enormous building is a tiny cupola and a pre-weathered rooster weathervane. Looks dumb. I like that I drove by, I knew our weathervane would rock.
- Builder goes into cupola, with bees, and does not get stung.
- Drill bit will not go through what he is trying to drill.
- Builder drops drill, on my toe. I swear to god, I now have two identically bruised big toes. that I find to be some odd badge of farmer-ship and cracks me up.
- Then builder gets up on roof, ladders everywhere, and tries to drill from top. It's sunny, hot, poor guy is trying to now burn up and/or fall up there.
- Java meanwhile has noticed that a gremlin is on the roof of her house, and is completely distraught and getting all huffy in the paddock.
- Builder looks for super sharp drill bit in back of his truck, and finds it!
- Builder gets back up there, drills for a little, barely gets through what he's trying to drill, pulls the drill out and the bit falls out of the drill and falls to the ground.
- We are astonished at the chances of these blunders, but I'm just glad he has not fallen off the roof.
- Builder gets weathervane up on roof, goes to put it into the hole (flashing is in place, caulk gun ready, etc) and it goes in all of 1 inch. It's a 16 inch post. The poor guy spends what seems like days up on the hot roof twirling this thing around until it gets all the way in, or as far as it will go.
We agree, "good enough" and that's my icing on the cake!

Love it.