In the winter of my discontent, it’s spent the last two days snowing. In all fairness, the snow wasn’t bad – we literally got a dusting and no more. But it was windy, overcast and bitterly cold – into the 20s, which is unusual for March. Today? We will hit 36 and sunny. Tomorrow? In the 50s to stay that way for most of the remainder of the week. So, lion-like to start but turning more lamb-like tomorrow.
This week truly marks the last week of winter for me. In fact, yesterday I did the first real task of spring: I put my alpine skis in the basement. All winter long they ride around with me. It’s just easier for Friday ski days to have my skis in the back of the car. But when I know the opportunity to ski is over? Down to the basement they go. It is both a happy and sad moment. I’m happy because it’s a true sign of spring; sad because I heartily enjoy that time with my sisters.
But now? Well, now it’s spring. In just six days, it will be Daylight Savings Time. Often, it’s a race between putting the skis away and DST to see which comes first. Honestly? I’ll take either. Soon, we head to Florida for a week of summer before we come back and can officially welcome spring. I did actually make it. I’ll be candid here: it’s going to take me at least the upcoming eight months to get over this winter. It was just… brutal.
Now that the calendar has precipitously moved forward, however, it’s time to pivot from my musings about winter. More importantly, it’s time to focus on spring projects. Honestly, when we finished the upstairs in mid-January, we were both plain tired. It had been a VERY long haul of renovations. Now? Well, we need to get back at it and the work moves outside. The garden does not plant itself… ever. Nor will the deck build itself. So, it’s time to get crack-a-lackin’. I’m ready for it.
First, the garden. Through long-negotiations, some late night strategy discussions, proposals and counterproposals, we’ve come to an agreement: a much smaller garden. Why? We have a deck to build and a life to lead. Now, while we agreed in principle, the sticking point was what constituted a “smaller garden.” In the end? We will likely be down to about 60% of our normal garden. Doesn’t sound like much of a compromise? Here’s a clue: I’m not that great of a negotiator. Still, it will be smaller and much more manageable, particularly with the irrigation system. My hubby will also be adding a second spigot to the other side of the house, making watering the parts of the garden that are not on the irrigation system much easier.
Then, it’s on to the deck. After some back and forth, that has been simplified too. Initially, we were going to connect the two decks on either side of the new deck. Was there a grand purpose for that? Not really. We thought it would look better but that was about it. Then, there were wide stairs that were going to lead from the deck down to the yard. That involved a footer and lots more holes and concrete. The compromise here? We’re not going to facetiously connect that tiny “landing-size” deck at the fireplace room. At least not now and if we hate the way it looks, we can connect it later. But truly? Because of the angles of the house – the fireplace room juts out past the long profile of the house, it likely won’t look bad not connecting them. It may even look better because we were really running the risk that the deck was going to dominate the house. As it is, the section we are putting on is 10X36 feet and connecting to a 10X16 foot deck.
And then, the stairs. We could dig a 36-inch footer, pour a ton of concrete and attach stairs to our deck. Or… we could create floating stairs that sit on some ground-level concrete block. If they’re not attached to the house, the stairs could rise and fall unencumbered during the freeze-thaw cycle and not end up a twisted mess. Is it absolutely perfect design? Nope. But we’re not building a church and sometimes good enough is, well, good enough.
Leaping ahead, I’ve come up with a fabulous deck furniture design that will maximize both our use of the space and the aesthetics. My piece de resistances? Two bourbon barrels topped with potted flower arrangements. I’m also planning a table with seating for four, a cantilevered umbrella to cover said table and my Adirondack chairs on the opposite side of the steps from the dining area. In between, I’ll also add two container pots – one for carrots and one for some trellised cucumbers. The vibe? A mix of coastal California and distillery outdoor tasting room. Ultimately, I hope to place a wood burning fireplace off the deck but with a wide hearth so it appears to connect. Said fireplace will then be able to be enjoyed from the dining space of the deck, extending the life of that space well into November and possibly even December.
All in all, I’m actually pretty excited to get started on the deck, but it will take some time. First, we need to order supplies – particularly the new concrete piers we found online that makes setting posts much easier. Then, we need to dismantle what is there now and because my husband is a reuse kind-of-guy, we can’t do the crash-and-slash demo but will employ more of the scalpel type demo. He also needs to run the new water line to the outdoor spigot. We probably should also get garden rows at least prepped so that when we start digging post holes, we are not distracted. Finally, we need to set up our catio for the furry ones because if we don’t, we may well get our eyes scratched out for breaking out the saws again.
But honestly? I’m fired up. The deck has needed to get done for a long time and I can see how once it is done, the house will not only look more finished but it will be more usable. We use the deck now but I’ve kept my outside table and chairs in storage for the past three years because they really didn’t fit on the existing deck. There was also a broken board that I was constantly working around. (We would joke that we had people sign a waiver before they were allowed onto the deck.) I can already envision meals on the deck and quiet nights by the fire with a drink in hand. It’s enough to motivate me to go out there and pull nails out of boards in 30-degree weather.
And my last thought of the day: it has been quite a slew of renovations. Talk about a full whole-house gut job! Eleven years ago, we started with geothermal and insulating/siding the house. A new roof and skylight. New doors. New water system. The first two new/replacement decks. A new kitchen, half-bath and laundry room. A remodeled living room. New fireplace. Then, a new downstairs with two walls coming down and hardwood floors. Then, new stairs. Then, a remodeled bathroom and a complete upstairs remodel including new doors, floors and trim. New landscaping in the front yard. Rebuilding the compost system. Filling in the huge ditches. The deck was down on the list based on urgency and need. Over the years, it didn’t really matter that the deck wasn’t done as there was just so much else to do. Seeing it become a priority is a strong signal that we are getting to the bottom of the barrel. We are both tired of renovations and home improvement. Just like I barely made it out of winter, I believe we will barely make it out of renovations. Our steam will finally be exhausted with the finishing of the deck and the dregs of our final projects. And that’s okay. Getting this deck done is among the last of the last. Time to finish this gig and get on to enjoying a fully – and I mean fully – renovated home.
(Well, okay, there’s still the main bath to do… and a garage. But we are NOT doing the garage, so there’s that.)
The Yuppie Homesteader 