The A-frame A-list: On offer - Canada's sexiest baseboard heater

new electrical service - check

In a recent post I mentioned Lesley Kenny's fine Descant blog. Although I did not meet Lesley at the Purdy Picnic last summer, I distinctly remember seeing her - in the famous outhouse, intently scanning the once-autographed walls with a flashlight. "There's a true investigative journalist," I thought. And I was right.

wet basement sorted out - check

new chimney - check

In the January 22 Descant post Lesley shared her interview with WIR Katherine Leyton* and spoke about a fund-raising idea that had sprung out of something the A-frame restoration architect Duncan Patterson had said at the Monarch Tavern event on January 20, and expanded upon in a CBC interview with Carol Off the following day (Part 2, two-thirds of the way through the segment).

new power pole, new driveway - check

The challenge. In exchange for a donation hefty enough to fund one of the needed upgrades for the A-frame (think spray-foam insulation, think septic tank) the lucky donor would receive recognition: his/her name inscribed on the bankrolled item. The idea of the Michael Enright septic pump was floated. And took off.

Descant introduced the idea, and commenter R.W. hit on a poetic crowd-sourcing inspiration - posting a list of needed items and their costs. A flurry of emails between Jean and Duncan, dips into Al's poems for the proper literary authority, vetting by the academics and the "A-frame A-list" was born. On the list: a writing cabin ceiling, a firewood shelter, a well pump, or a tree....

barnboard and windows replaced - check

Response has been encouraging. To date Purdy fans have purchased two ceiling fans an exhaust fan, a bench and a sump pump.

Interested? For the full list, go to Lesley Kenny's January 24 post on the Descant blog.

Much more fun than clicking that green donation button at purdy.ca.


But either way, do consider a donation.

As Duncan says "every dollar helps."

Now we need a deck for our red lounges

* Another engaging interview with Katherine can be found on the CWILA website,