Falcon..smart idea--tar paper is cheap..i wonder what other "work-arounds" we think we should have are like the blue tarps and could be replaced with a more "solid" idea??

Thanks to Blast for posing the question in the first place because I've often wondered the same thing. Also thanks for all the great replies!

Think that you could also use roll roofing. Tar paper on the bottom and the same kind of grit on the top that shingles have. Smear some fibered roof cement (the thick black stuff) around the edges, lay the roll roofing down, and nail the edges. A patch that should last a few years.