Unexpected discovery found during a routine roof repair

The day began with the kind of ordinary responsibility that homeowners constantly postpone until a small problem grows impossible to ignore. For me, that problem was a slow leak dripping steadily into the guest bedroom ceiling for nearly a week.

Every morning, a fresh brown stain seemed to spread wider across the paint, and every night I promised myself I would finally deal with it the next day. By Saturday morning, the weather was calm, the sky was clear, and I convinced myself the repair would be quick and simple.