Oh No....Not the Deck....

I noticed a little pile of sawdust under the deck this afternoon.

"Hmmmm that is odd."

Then I looked up. This is what I saw.

Bees!!!they have drilled holes in our new deck. Carpenter Bees.

Don't they know how hard Chris has worked on this deck! How dare they drill little nests there?!? Is the neighbors deck not good enough for them? Is the taste of new pressure treated wood better than older pressure treated wood? Probably, since it is chromated copper arsenate free, it is a little better for those pesky bees. Remember old treated lumber had arsenic. Yes, arsenic. So, the new pressure treated wood is a little better for us? Maybe, I don't know what is in it?

I guess I could google and tell you, but I've got supper on the stove and gotta go soon. If you are curious I am sure you will look for yourself.

I've seen them buzzing around for a couple of weeks now, and ignored them. I just didn't know they were drilling into the deck. Chris, who called every beekeeper in the state to save honey bees in an apartment complex he was working on, actually said... "Swat them down, and kill them." OK, so Honey Bees are endangered and vanishing. Carpenter Bee's are still thriving and making homes in people's decks.

Off to find wood filler... I know it is around somewhere.

I tried to take a pic of the bees, but failed.......so here is a link.

King of the Kudzu Jungle

Puppy's new favorite spot, looking out over the back yard.

Keeping his family safe and secure from those pesky squirrels.

Chris's deck is getting closer and closer to being complete.

After a long mornings work, while his mom is looking over the taxes,

he sneaks into the living room and curls up in a ball. He thinks she doesn't know he is there.

But she does, that is why she places a sheet over the sofa.

The one that got away....and finally

Yep, lost the bid for this light fixture for the hall, after staying up to see the end of bidding.
Oh well next time.

On another note.......the second set of deck steps have finally been installed! Another rail, the details for the rails and posts then stain to go.

This Week in Pictures

The week started out warm and sunny. The blooms from a tree hidden in the vines were looking quite pretty.

I worked on the chair found in the basement. I painted it Paprika Red. An orangey red.

A war wound from the battle of trying to move this rail from the old deck in the back yard. When Chris took down the old deck months ago, it almost got him in the head. This time it did, get me in the leg. So far, the rail is winning, because it is still on the ground. I did beat it good with the sledge hammer to knock off the decorative parts.

Puppy watched from above in the sun.

Then it turned cold, high of 34. Flowers died. And we went inside.

I took this picture from out the window.

It is pretty again today. Maybe I will be able to clear coat the chair.

I think...I typed to soon...

When I mentioned finding dinosaur bones in the rubble pile.
Maybe, it is a possibility.

I found this little guy (girl?) sunbathing on the deck this afternoon, looking quite fashionable in his turtleneck.

Really…..He was little……….Not scary……

I don’t mind if he stays as long as he keeps up the good job of keeping down bug populations. I just hope he stays outdoors, and doesn’t venture inside.

We have steps.....

More deck progress pics.

Meet the know it alls...

Chris is a contractor. ( Which explains why so many projects around here go unfinished. ) I am an interior designer, who in a former life, was a senior designer and construction manager for retail stores across the country. (This explains some of the bickering that goes on about how things should be done around the house.) We both are know it alls, who look at each detail from a different perspective. I am use to telling the contractor how I want the finish product to look and if it doesn't look that way, I ask that it is re-done until it is correct. Chris, being the contractor, well, looks at everything from a contractors perspective. (Okay, I can't say much, one day he may read this blog.) He does, however, take pride in the jobs he completes and wants them to be done right, maybe not visually correct, constructed correct. Needless to say, issues have risen regarding different projects around the house.

In the beginning I created lists, drew dimensioned plans, created time-lines of completion dates and used all the tools, utilized in the past to insure a retail store was completed for the grand opening. After about two months, I learned, my time would have been spent better scraping wallpaper. (The most dreaded and unproductive task done in this house.) Chris had different priorities that he didn't create lists for, or even vocalize. Yes, many of the priorities weren't apparently known when we bought the house, and many times the priorities weren't the same. Cleaning up the bathroom, so it was livable (my priority) turned into rebuilding the complete bathroom floor, (Chris's priority)which turned into rebuilding the complete west side of the house. (I know, I know already... that's how things go when you renovate a house built in 1919. ) The planner I am,(was) just wasn't prepared for such disorder. However, I adapted. You know, sink or swim. The lists went to the curb with the house's debris, and plans were filed.

When asked about the deck, I vocally expressed some ideas, and left it at that. Later on, when it was mentioned again, I decided to draw up some options, some ideas, and post them where they could be seen (Foyer door). Just some sketches, not a Cad drawn dimensioned plan, like I have provided in the past. So........... here is the sketch of the deck plan. It was happily accepted (after a couple of arm twistings)

The designer in me cringes at this plan. No scale, No dimensions, No elevations, No sections,No straight lines even..NO Nothing,except a concept of a symmetrical steps leading down from the deck. ThirteenEleven is a symmetrical house. This plan keeps that balance and will provide a wonderful view of our garden...(today known as the kudzu jungle.)

Wow, who would have thought something this simple could have solved so many of the brick walls we have hit concerning this house? Speaking of brick walls...........that's another post.

More Progress of Deck

Making Rails.

Carefully measuring.
The "dragon's tail" for the steps.

Progress of Deck

Warm Day in December


Cold day in January



We've been working on the deck mostly at night for a couple months now. It is getting closer to being finished every day. These are some progress shots, I won't bore you with the details.

Oh......What a Beautiful Morning Oh what a Beautiful Day!!

Don't you wish you were here? This was taken a little after 5:00 pm.

getting closer to finishing.....

From the back yard.

Low Humidity, Sunny, and.......... a high of 80 degrees on December 9th ! WOW! Today was the most glorious December Day I can remember. Working inside as planned was NOT an option today.
(Actually working on the house as planned was out as well. ) After lunch at our favorite Sunday Buffet, I sat outside (on the almost completed deck) in shorts and finished reading my book. Chris brought Puppy's bed out on the deck and he joined me basking in the sun. Then I went on a long walk to the town square and back and Chris went to play basketball with friends.

Whacha diggin for?

Puppy is wondering if there are any good bones left by the P.O.'s in that dirt, and if there is he has first choice. Why isn't he helping? He can dig?

Yes, we are leveling off the area under the deck, before it is built, so hopefully it will be close to the same elevation at each side of the house. There is always something to do before you can complete the task at hand. We are using the dirt to fill the big hole in the back yard where a tree fell years ago. The night work continues, and slowly progressing.

This ladder is our back steps for now.

Deck DOWN !!!

Yesterday.........The deck came down. YEAH !!! No one was killed, and it had to be pulled down, it just didn't fall. The first pic is of how the deck was a while back, I didn't have a picture of the Leaning deck....