Deck progress - Sorry, no photos yet.

So first, I just want to give props to Dave & Roger for helping Dustin with some deck work this weekend! Thanks a ton!

The deck project is coming along. The joists are all in place, the newel posts for the railing are all up, and Dustin finished the decking on the steps yesterday. So now it's just the decking on the main part of the deck, and the railings. Then it will be pretty much usable - except that we'll have to crawl in and out from the dining room window until the new door is installed! Ha!! In order to install the door, we'll have to move a heat supply and a couple of outlets... and add an outside light and outlet. In the process, we're also hoping it won't be too much trouble to add a couple of flood lights.

In any case, the deck is almost done! We are very excited about this! One small downfall is that, at one point this weekend, we were looking out the dining room windows and I realized that once the railing is up, we will lose the view of our back yard - almost completely. Which I suppose is not a huge loss, since it's not much of a yard to look at. It is just dissappointing, since the great big yard was one of the things that sold me on the house (among many other things), and I really do look out those windows a lot. And now instead of having a nice grassy area to soften the blow of the giant freeway noise wall - well, now it's just that big, brown, ugly wall. Luckily we have a great big walnut that rises far above the deck - even though it's only a matter of time before that tree keels over (really, any day now). Obviously there is no going back now, and I'll just have to get used to it. And I have resolved to get some nice planters that can be viewed from the inside of the railing. But the thing that gets me the most is not being able to see what's going on in the yard. The dogs, especially, and any possible tiny people we may one day have running around out there. But also any regular-sized people that may decide to lurk. I suppose that's another reason for the flood lights? Well, I will miss looking at my yard. I'll have to spend some time gazing out that window before the railing goes up.

And that's about it for now. Today is Dustin's birthday - the big 3-0! When I asked him what he wanted to do to celebrate, he said "I'd like to be able to work on the deck as much as possible all weekend." Not the most festive of celebrations, but he definitely was happy all weekend!! I'll post a picture tomorrow of his gift. I'm very excited about it!!

Have a nice day!