Requiem for a Back Deck

After 30 years of existence, our back deck is no more… at least for the few days it will take to build the new one. The previous deck had given good service, but over the years it had become splintery and a bit rickety (when the contractor was pulling it up, he pointed out to Krissy the places where the house’s original owner had clearly cut some corners) and it was time to swap it out with something able to withstand the next few decades. On top of that, Krissy wants the deck covered, to make it more comfortable on hotter summer days. As noted earlier, we already needed our front porch railing redone, so why not get it all taken care of in one swoop. So here we are. It’s still mildly shocking to see the lack of a deck, and I imagine the cats, who are used to wandering around on the back deck, are going to be befuddled for a bit. Fortunately, the new deck will not take too long to put up (knock on the wood that will go into making it). In the meantime, here’s some dirt! There used to…