A Fireman Helped Lady Artisan Down A Ladder.

I am busy painting my Lady Artisan shop. I will post pics of the painting project tomorrow.

The Lady Artisan shop is two stories high, and I have recently developed a fear of heights! Today I decided to conquer that fear and paint the second story side of the shop that has a decorative but false balcony. I say false because there is not a door from inside Lady Artisan's shop to the balcony. I would have to climb a very high ladder to the balcony and climb over the railing. Yes, step off of the ladder, suspend myself on the railing, then scoot over the side onto the balcony. Then I could paint the upper areas of the Lady Artisan shop from there.

The balcony is sturdy, but narrow. Think of a high cliff with a path on the cliff's side that happens to have a railing. I am so thankful for the railing.

I climbed the ladder. Almost high enough to climb over the railing and into Lady Artisan's balcony and I was hit by vertigo. Honestly vertigo is annoying. So I waited for it to pass. I even tried to dislodge the ladder to assure myself that as I stepped off of it to the side that it would not suddenly fall in the other direction. Once the vertigo ended and I felt brave and ready, I took the last step up and climbed onto the balcony. Quickly enough so that I did not have time to become overwhelmed by fear again.

There were bees up there. The yellow jacket or wasp kind that sting in groups and keep on stinging. The bees have taken up residence in the roof of the Lady Artisan shop. I know that we at Lady Artisan are all very hospitable, but these unwelcome guests would peek out of their hole in the roof and watch me. Watch to see if I brought the paint or stain close to them and therefore they should defend their squatters rights. It took me a long time to get up the ladder and onto the balcony. Fear of falling made a 30 second climb into one that took about 30 minutes. I was not going to get down for bee spray and then have to climb back up again. That was too scary. Climbing over the balcony onto the ladder to go down, and then to come back up the same route was more scary than the prospect of a 100 bees stinging in unison. So when they buzzed or watched me I moved slow, and waited until they decided I was not going to cover their precious home with Lady Artisan paint. We kept up our truce.

I started to paint trim. The red paint was a bright horrid pink! My only thought was this better dry red because I do not want to make this journey to the balcony again! The paint dried red. Whew! And I finished the job.

Then I had to get down. I had to climb and slide over the balcony railing onto the ladder, remove the paint supplies, and get safely to the ground. I stood there thinking about the best way to do this. And then I saw them. I saw a group of men, men with firemen shirts on. Men with firemen boots and clothing on. I smiled at them and asked, from my balcony, if they were firemen. They asked if I needed help. Sheepishly I said, well yes, Once I get down I need help getting the ladder down. The ladder was too heavy for me to take down by myself. Then I admitted that I was quite fearful of going over the balcony railing and down that ladder. So up the ladder sprang one of the firemen. He offered to help me paint! LOL. The painting was done, I just appreciated the help getting down. No vertigo this time. No fear. I had a trained man right there to help!

I have now had the privilege of being helped down a ladder by a fireman. And I did not need a fire for it to happen! Just a lot of fear!!!!!!!!!! And a smile.