Heart Stopper

For Father's Day Mike got two things. A new electric razor for work since he now has to shave everyday. All the regular razors he has tried just ate up his face. Anyway, he also got a power washer. Some of you may not understand why someone would really want to own their own power washer. But then you have never lived in the forest. We really live in the forest. You can't see our house from a satellite view. We have squirrels, raccoon, moles, mice, rats, coyote, and deer wander our streets. Sleeping Beauty could have grown up here. There was a bobcat sighting at the elementary school. Seriously--they were on lock down over it. Anyway, when you live in the forest, there is a lot of green stuff that grows on your house. And a lot of needles clog your rain gutters. And it rains here a lot. Anyway, Mike finally got his power washer and he spent the whole Saturday before Father's Day power washing everything. 7 hours. His arms were really tired. He still says there's more to wash. I'm not sure we will still have paint on our house when he is done.

Anyway, this brings me to the photo. I was making lunch and talking to my friend on the phone. I heard a knock at the window. I looked at the backdoor, sure it was Luke or Aaron trying to get my attention. No one was around. It knocked again. I saw movement above, oh must be Mike on the roof, so I look up at the skylights. And there's Luke on the roof smiling down at me. I said, "Diane, I've got to go. I'm looking out my skylights at Luke on the roof." Fortunately, Mike was up there with him, supervising this. Apparently they had already had a roof safety talk. I still think it was a little early for this coming of age milestone. After I gave Mike quite a look, I went back in the house. I later remembered my brother Ryan playing on the roof at a very young age. He dragged all his toys and trucks up there by climbing a tree. He loved it. I think my dad cut down branches to try and "ground" him. I also remembered Ryan using a ladder to connect the house roof to the garage roof, expanding his fortress. It scared me then, I used to put pillows under the ladder. Luke scares me now. I suppose this is the fate of a mother of three boys. I'm sure my heart sill stop and start again many times over.