I Love my Deck! Now if it Would only STOP raining!

I'm a little naive when it comes to building projects - I had no idea cement would be involved in the making of my new deck. 

I also didn't realize that my old cement steps in front of my patio doors would get

broken into a bunch of pieces and tossed away. But I am just fine with that. Over

the years many animal families (skunks, chipmunks, raccoons!) have lived in the hollow

area behind the cement steps. I'm not  going to miss them!

 Wasn't he a tidy worker? After each step of construction he would clear up the

area he'd been working in. Of course it was not a very big area so I suppose

he had to clear up to make room.

He thought my plan of maximizing the space made sense so he worked around the A/C but every other square inch went to the deck.  The floor was raised by 8" so that the deck would meet the bottom of the fence. And a lot of old materials - flagstones, smaller bits of broken up concrete, stones and rocks were buried beneath the deck.

Et voila! It's wonderful! 

 I need to take more photos as I've bought a couple other chairs, a new lantern, new table cloth

etc. As it's currently sprinkling that won't be today...but soon.

Some of you may recognize my hanging chair - I had it at my trailer hanging from a tree and also

in PEI on a tree. I hung onto it in the hopes of using it again someday - and found out a month

or two ago that there are stands you can buy to hang the chair from! 

So happy!

It's now my favourite reading spot :) 

Doesn't it look great?

We've had a LOT of WEATHER lately, if you know what I mean...pretty much everything

you can think of except for snow...and that wouldn't surprise me much. Even tornado warnings.

It's been very unsettled with lots of events being cancelled unfortunately. 

I haven't been hiking around Fanshawe Lake as much - just once this week - instead I've switched to my bike as I can't escape the bugs when I'm hiking but I'm a blur on my bike! ZOOM!

No flies on me! (or mosquitos)!!

Have you noticed the infestations of bugs lately in the news? 

Las Vegas is full of grasshoppers, Orillia and North Bay (in Ontario) had literally billions

of shad flies descend upon them!

UGH! 

The major news story at the moment in Canada is about the two teenage boys who are wanted in connection with three murders in British Columbia. They are on the run and were last seen in Northern Manitoba. This sort of thing doesn't happen too often here so the whole country is 

caught up in this awful event. Hope they are found soon!

Keep cool everyone!

It's my favourite day of the year - The PRIDE Parade!!

The Deck has Begun!

This is the way the deck used to look - pretty grim.

Nothing but clover and weeds would grow between the flagstones. 

Nothing like sitting outside, reading a good book, surrounded by dirt.

Oh, and a small patch of myrtle which Lily

used to bury herself in.

Sorry Lily. You'll have to make do with potted plants!

The deck guy spent yesterday measuring and making 

giant post holes. Not sure what he is working on at present though I can hear a 

lot of whacking! I'm afraid to look! A big pile of wood was just delivered. 

Hurrah! Progress!

Oh thank goodness....COLOUR! Saw these gorgeous fuchsia coloured

flowers on my most recent trek around Fanshawe Lake.

Wild Sweet William? 

A feast for the eyes!

 I am in love with this trail. New growth trees, old growth trees, turtles,

snakes, deer...21kms of great trails.

Isn't it lovely?

I could build me a wee cottage! Well, not me...but 

somebody could build me a wee cottage. 

Hope you're enjoying summer now that it is finally here. Around here we had a cold wet spring - it wasn't nice AT ALL and then it instantly became summer complete with blisteringly hot days and hot sticky nights. But I'm not complaining! I look forward to sitting on my deck soon (hope he's a fast worker) shaded by my huge maple trees...cool drink to hand....mystery novel to hand (because I have two hands!) and hopefully a nice breeze.

Things are Moving Along

Well it's a busy time of year in the land of birds and plants! And for us humans too as the warm weather means all the crap that was under the snow is now plain to see. I've raked and swept several times as the trees are loaded with buds that fall off the trees a bit at a time. Although I live in a condo complex the area is well treed with locusts, maples, cedars, spruce etc etc. When I first bought the place in 1994 the maples were little saplings - now at 80' tall they loom over the house providing lots of shade. I don't mind shade in the summer as I rarely have to use my A/C but all the sun-loving perennials I planted years ago of course didn't survive. Ah well, life changes frequently doesn't it?

I've been busy over at Kilally Meadows (I sometimes think I should change the name of my blog to Kilally Meadows as I practically live there!) I spotted a merlin on Sunday - that's a new raptor for me though while I can stand seeing ospreys with fish in their claws I do NOT want to watch the merlins ripping small birds apart! Ugh!

Mr. and Mrs. Osprey in their man-made nest! I
notice they've added a few more sticks to give it
the personal touch :)

Speaking of birds I had a fun encounter with a starling the other day - as my guidebook says they are very gregarious and while this one hopped around a bit it came quite close and I snapped a few good photos that are actually in focus for a change! Her beak was yellow which means she is breeding and boy she was sure happy about it!

I've never seen a bird smile before!

The meadows were flooded here and there after all the rain we had and I had to turn around at one point due to the trail being underwater. Not nearly so bad as last year though. I took my chances when out on my bike Monday cycling through a few flooded areas. I figured I'd be reckless as an elderly Japanese man told me it would only be up to my ankles - he was right though my socks got wet and that felt rather unpleasant! :( 

Due to the flooding the marsh marigolds were blooming in places where they've never been seen (by me) before - I guess that is how plants spread and take over new environments.

Marsh Marigold

I've  contacted a company to see how much it would cost to put a deck platform on my patio. I've tried several times to grow grass with no luck.  So much stuff falls from the trees that I've swept out all the tiny gravel (pea gravel?) between the flagstones and there's just no dirt for the grass to hold onto. My patio water source is at my next door neighbour's house (my hose it at the front of my house) and her tap leaks so I've given up asking her to use her hose. Anyways...I think a deck will be really useful - you should see me try to find a reasonably flat spot to park my chairs and other outdoor furniture - due to the flagstones everything wibble wobbles!

After that gets done I'm thinking about getting Bathfitters in - they put in a new shower surround and new bathtub and give a lifetime guarantee. Should have done it years ago haha! I'm also working on spring cleaning though I noticed the dining room window is speckled again due to recent heavy rains. Drat. Spring cleaning is going to turn into summer cleaning and then fall cleaning...

I hope you're all doing well and in fine fettle with spring in the air finally. I open my doors and windows every chance I get to bring the fresh air inside. Sure perks a person up. Volleyball ends this Friday with an all-day tournament and then my routine will change a bit as I'll have more time for myself and will hike and cycle ending up at DQ afterwards :) (I did that on Monday already!!!)

Ok, time to think about supper. There...I've thought about it HAH!

Over and out.