What rot.

During the flooding fall rains, I watched the paint along the facia board nearest my sunroom inflate. It grew and grew, like an overblown child's balloon. I thought it would pop, but it didn't. Finally I went outside and poked at it; whoosh! went a ton of water that had collected within the facia board.

We had wood rot.

Over the next few weeks, several areas showed signs of rot. Oh, dear.

Now, you'd think we'd deal with the rot right away. Nope. I kept putting it off as if denial would make it go away. Since that didn't happen, I finally made the call.

Thurman the Rot-Doc came to our house this week and repaired FOUR rotting areas around the house - two facias under the roof line, one bit of siding next to a screen door, and the threshold to our front door.  He's a great guy, comes and finishes when he says he will, does a very professional job, and always hits his estimate.

I kept checking on his progress from time to time, both because I was fascinated by his dexterity and methodical approach to the repairs, and because I was hoping, praying, keeping my fingers crossed that there were no termites. I live in fear of termites (and those stupid commercials with the termite family laughing as they eat away inside the walls do not help).

Whew. No termites.

However . . . the front threshold was infested with ants. A jillion ants. With a kazillion eggs. Yuck.  Thurmon calmly grabbed his bug killer (which he has with him) because "I see this all the time" Evidently he also sees bees, wasps, carpenter bees, hornets, and other insects because he's prepared for those, too. Wet, rotting wood is filet mignon to those things.

Good-by ants. (Just to be safe, I'm spreading Seven dust around the front entry this afternoon.)

Now we have pristine facias and my threshold doesn't look like it'll splinter the next time someone enters the house.

Thanks, Thurman!