Miguel and Darryl finished the handrails down the back deck steps, and the amazingly cool gate outside the back door today. The weather cooperated and stayed overcast as they worked, which I'm sure they appreciated. (Tomorrow is to hit the mid-90s...ugh, ugh, ugh. I'm still waiting for that moment when I take a good sniff of the air in the morning and smell FALL). All that's left now is for Alan and I to wash down the deck tomorrow, then apply two coats of stain. Next week. Oh, and the Ozzy Fence needs to be done, though that will most likely not happen until next week either.
Here's a close-up shot of the latch.
The handrails came out great, too. They are very sturdy and firm. It's just a shame that you step off the stairs into bark dust and a death-defying slope. I still haven't figured out what to do about this problem. I keep hoping for some kind of divine inspiration, or an "ah ha" light-bulb-over-my head idea. So far...nada.
And of course, Mr Nosy Parker had to get right in there to check things out. He can walk under the deck--which to a dog must be heaven, like a secret fort, or something.
Then he wasted no time at all sticking his head through the rails at the back door gate before giving me one of those reproachful doggy looks. I smiled and said, "That's right buddy, no escaping now..!!" I wish I'd snapped a photo before he turned away in disgust...his scorn was priceless.
Tomorrow Alan and I will sweep and hose off the deck, and in the 90+ degree heat there shouldn't be any trouble getting the wood dried before the Saturday gathering. I can't wait to just sit out there and enjoy the view again. It makes all the work seem worthwhile when you can actually take a minute (or ten hours) to relax, listen to the birds, or the silence, and revel in the beauty of it all.
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Couple more things.
One: August 30th marked one month since we moved into the house. Alan and I were sitting in the park with Oz yesterday when we realized this amazing fact. It's hard to believe it's only been a month when you consider all the stuff we've gotten done. Even more astonishing: it's been not quite three months since we left Edinburgh..!! Part of our success in settling in so quickly was due to organization, scheduling and massive effort. The other part was sheer luck. We found the right car, the right house, the right place to buy our furniture and the right contractor to do our renovations. Is that really luck..?? Or good timing: being in the right place at the right time..?? Or is it just leaping into the abyss, and not questioning yourself..?? Whatever. We've accomplished a huge amount in a very short period of time.
Two: This has nothing to do with anything, other than it's an amazing photo. These are real. Developed by the Dutch. They split the stems on actual roses, stuck them into water with different colored dyes, and voila...Rainbow Roses. Totally cool.
Photo courtesy of Presurfer
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