If I had known it was going to be so cool, I would have taken pictures ... of the delivery truck with a hydraulic crane that lifted the pallet of roofing materials from the truck bed up, up, and over our heads to the top of the house.

Me and the able-bodied boys watched from the vacated nursery. The succession of thuds above us as the operator set down bundles, presumably in scattered work areas, caused me to fear a collapse. The young ones didn't like the noise either ... or were bored ... and quit the empty bedroom suddenly.

Roofing materials are heavy, no doubt about it. In the old days, folks like my father lugged stuff up by hand. Frankly I can't remember how he did it. His ladder had a rope and pulley but that was for full extension, not hoisting supplies. I just know that he did, by himself.

He only allowed me on the porch roofs, never higher. I think he fell off the ladder once. My mother would sometimes hold the ladder. (No, I don't think that's why he fell). I don't remember him breaking any bones in his fall. Shoot, I break bones every time I fall down the stairs. (I do think that my heel was somehow broken in my most recent fall from January but I never got around to getting an x-ray to confirm).

I hope to heaven none of these guys fall.