The Possibilities are Endless

Trevor put the posts in the newly dug holes today and set the cement to hold them. I am so excited about this new area of our house. I loved it when we moved in and really made use of our outdoor space by building a spacious deck. We had a beautiful, full ash tree that shaded almost all of the deck and it was a great place to lounge year round with the exception of high summer.....we do live in Texas, after all. Between 4th of July and mid-September you might as well spend your extra money on the cost of cooling your house instead pursuing ANY type of outdoor activity. Even swimming is hot work...but I digress.

When Rita came through last year, the ash suffered heavy damage and we lost a good bit of our shade, but at least it wasn't completely destroyed. We cleaned up what was left of the tree and waited for the spring. Well, once the leaves fell off during the winter we could see the skeleton of the tree and realized that it would have to come down. Not only was the remaining shape of the tree really ugly, but it was dangerous. All of the weight from the branches was on one side of the ash and there was a real danger of the tree splitting at some point in the future. According to my dad, this is a characteristic of ash trees, even when they are healthy. We didn't want to chance the tree falling during the next big storm, so we decided to cut it down.

So now the tree is down and although it is only March, it is BLAZING HOT on the deck. So the posts are up that will hold the new covering for the deck. Trevor will erect the structure next weekend and we will be on our way to cool, waterproof living during the summertime months. Now we will have a completely covered area complete with outdoor ceiling fans and new plants. I actually have a small budget to finish out the area and make it look nice.

I envision parties in the early evening with Chinese lanterns bobbing overhead and tiki torches lit to keep the bird sized mosquitoes at bay while our guests enjoy the cool breeze generated by the fans overhead. More importantly, I envision myself kicking the kids outside on rainy days when every one's nerves are so frayed that it would only take one more episode of Dora the Explorer or Curious George to send any rational person over the edge.

So, as I sit here and imagine how we are going to use our new living space the possibilities are endless. I love it that my husband is able to build things and fix practically anything. He keeps us comfortable and happy with all of the improvements that he makes on the house. If he can envision it, he can build it! So, the next time you are in the mood for a beverage (adult or otherwise!) and some good conversation, come on over!