DOT approved finial

We're done slating the tower, and have moved on to the last remaining bit of the main roof. The ladder in the picture allows us access from a 3rd floor window to the top of the main roof, without walking on the slate. It is much easier to cut the slates inside the house and carry them to the roof than it is to cut the slates on the roof.

Due to head on collisions with endangered birds and hazards to light aircraft, decorative finials have been banned by a local ordinance in this region of KY. Instead I am required to use a day-glow orange road cone with at least a 30% retro-reflective silver tape surface.

Ha - just kidding! This is all we had available at the time to leak-proof the tip top of the tower. I plan to buy or fabricate an appropriate finial, weather-vane, or lightning rod at some point. The white patch of coorogated metal roofing you see toward the back of the house (near the skylight) is also temporary. Hopefully, some day, a stone chimney will grow out of that part of the roof.