All hands on deck

We've been a little preoccupied around here lately. Building will do that to you, I guess. Ever since we moved in we thought it would be nice to add some sort of patio to our backyard. Because seriously, how has this house existed for twenty-plus years without making the backyard space a little more livable?

So this year we took the plunge. It started as an impulse.  We went into the backyard to talk about location, size, etc., and the next thing we knew, we were ripping up grass to move a sprinkler line. Whoops, we started building a deck. I guess we better finish. Has that ever happened to you?

We got the footings, poles, and beams into place. Nathan called it a barn. And then my dad, wonder building-man, came to the rescue. Because we really didn't know what we were doing. And my dad, who built both of the houses I grew up in, thinks decks are "simple" projects. He helped us get it square, strong, and ready to plank.

 With a little expert help and innumerable trips to Lowe's, it's nearly done. Well, nearly usable. Once the planks are finished, I think we'll celebrate with an outdoor dinner. We'll still need to add stairs, railing, and some trim around the sides. Hopefully that won't go the way of all other projects I start, lose steam, and then wait a couple of years before completing.

But if you ask Nathan, it's already just right. Just right for dancing.