Perched high atop an unfinished house on Country Club Drive, three roofers laid shingles – and tried to keep their balance – Saturday.

&uot;You can’t work up here if you’re scared,&uot; said Lou Washington. &uot;If you’re scared you’ve got to retire.&uot;

Washington, along with Luther Thomas and LeWalter Brown, were working for contractor Lewis Thomas when The Democrat’s Dart found them Saturday afternoon. While the men worked high on the roof, the dusty lot below was strewn with boards and nails and even a few toy cars.

But staying off the ground was exactly what the men planned to do.

Keeping a good grip on the rood means knowing where to step, the men said.

Stepping on the brown paper wrapping, said Brown, means &uot;you’ll take the ride of your life.&uot; But not falling off isn’t the worst part about roofing work, Thomas said.

&uot;The hardest part about roofing is bending over,&uot; he said.

And Washington doesn’t necessarily recommend the job. &uot;There ain’t no money in it,&uot; he said.

But occasionally, they do see some interesting sights from their rooftop perch – like the flock of Canada geese that passed them by a few times last week.

&uot;It’s hard to miss anything from up here,&uot; Washington said.

But for the most part, Brown said, &uot;it’s a lot of back aching and sweat.&uot;

&uot;We joke around with each other and that makes the time go by,&uot; he said. &uot;We hope nobody falls off and everything will be fine.&uot;