the tejas plus "Kavalier and Clay"

Fernando was hard at work this morning preparing the lath for the new tejas roof. Much hammering and sawing going on in the lot next door where he had set up his workshop.

Then he began laying the tiles, one inside the other.He assures me that there will be no room for iguana condos.

The measuring of distances and patterns is all done by eye, except he does us the length of the hammer handle as a reference.

By tomorrow it should all be done.

Meanwhile, while Fernando and Regís saw and haul and measure, I am lounging around enjoying this delicious novel. It's been out for almost ten years, and I have had it on my shelf for probably eight of those ten, but never got around to opening it. My loss.

What a fine adventure. Perfect hammock book, I thought. But hammock books are those you begin to read and, hammocks being what they are, you fall asleep almost immediately and don't in the least feel guilty about it. Not this one. Awake and alert at all times lest the reader miss one twist or turn.