For the Jimmy Buffett fans out there, there is a place in Margaritaville just for us: the Porch of Indecision. And yet, out here in the rural wilds of WNY, there is another porch of indecision. It is uniquely ours.
This spring as we get ready to replace our large back deck, we built the cats a customized prefab catio for our small floating deck. While prefab, we modified it to achieve several other goals of ours. First, we raised the height with both a base and an extended roof railing so that the catio is door height. That allowed us to snug it up against either the sliding glass door or the side door, both of which will be replete with a pet flap. Then, we added buckle clamps everywhere rather than screw it together. This makes is disassemble-able when we go to move it. (We plan to move it to the cooler side deck during the hottest summer months and to remove it altogether during winter.) Finally, we stabilized the three-sided catio so we didn’t have to screw it into the siding, which is still relatively new. The effect? Darned close to perfect. And with all of that extra work, it is highly satisfying to have a line waiting to go out into the catio each morning and to have to shag a straggler back each evening.
But here’s how it became our cats’ “porch of indecision”: the cat flap took a bit of getting used to. At first, the flap was wide open and there was not a whole lot less fuss about going in and out. Unfortunately, the bugs and cold air also didn’t hesitate. Gradually the flap got lowered until today, when the cats go largely freely in and out of the flap in its fully down position. And yet, to a furry body, they all have the same routine: they belly up to the cat door, look out and hesitate. Then, they lower their heads and push through. Whether they’re going in or out, it’s always the same routine and it’s absolutely stinking cute.
As for the humans in our house, we also have our own porch of indecision – the about-to-be-replaced back deck. In summer, it tends to get so stinking hot out there that we can’t spend a lot of time out there during the height of the day. But on the shoulders of the season including mid-March and late November, the deck is a pleasant 60-75 degrees on a sunny day, depending on the ambient air temperature. (If it’s 30 degrees, it’s likely closer to 60; if it’s 45 degrees, it’s closer to 75.) On summer nights, once the intensity of the day is over, the deck is a perfect place to relax in the evening, perhaps with a cocktail of choice and just unwind.
In the next few weeks, we will begin the replacement of the back deck, which sports a few cracked boards and some other questionable, sinking areas of the deck. The new deck? About 50% larger than before, allowing us ample room for a table and chairs, our two Adirondack chairs and some container pots. The piece de resistance? Like the catio, I’m planning on customizing a prefab outdoor fireplace to put just off the deck on one end. The effect? It will not necessarily appear “built in” because I will keep the recommended 8-inch gap between the fireplace and the deck, but it will still feel like a deliberate and cohesive part of the deck. Genuinely, I’m so excited for this. Of all of the deck plans, this is the one that feels the most transformative to me. There’s nothing we love more than an outdoor fire, but it can be tedious to constantly have to haul out and return the chairs and small end table every stinking time we want to have a fire. This way? We can just make the fire and enjoy. I imagine it will lead to more spontaneous evening fires and star gazing on nights when we planned to do nothing.
More than the ease of starting a fire, I’m excited for this new layout of the deck because it will give us the one thing we really enjoy: outdoor living. I’ve planned a sun shade for over the dining table and enough plants, including vegetables and summer flowers, to absorb some of the heat so that it will truly feel like a nice outdoor retreat. The best part of it all? It should also extend our use of the deck through the shoulders of the season. With both the fireplace and the shelter, it won’t be unheard of to enjoy a March or November outdoor campfire.
And that’s what this project is ultimately all about. Yes, we have to replace the structurally unsound (and fairly unsightly) deck. That’s just a given. But to make it something we can truly enjoy is the real goal. Just like the furry ones out there on their deck, the humans need their own place to unwind, relax and to let time pass without much commitment. Lately, our lives have been overly busy and overly complicated. The deck is a symbol of reprioritizing what matters to us. Not only will it signal the end of this intense period of renovations, it is a space that is uniquely designed as much for relaxation as it is for function. This is our spot. Our escape hatch. Our place to just be.
Give us a little time for construction, but let’s hope that by July 4th, we can celebrate our independence from renovations and the indecision of our porch.
The Yuppie Homesteader 