Finishing the Deck

The deck surface is done but we have planned for a fence just to give us that sense of privacy - not that we do anything that is private but we don't want passersby to be busy watching
us and veer off the road and crash! So, that is our next task in finishing the deck.

We planned our layout so we don't have to cut the boards much and once the fence frame is up, the boards can be nailed up quickly. Some cutting was required so I manned the saw while Barb 'manned'

the nail gun! What a team! But, we (me) calculated in error and we had to run into Niagara Falls for a single 2x4 to finish the job so that put us back another day. Now that we are all done, we moved the outdoor rug up to the deck and then the dining table.



We are also replacing the patio

stone walkway with a wooden one that better matches the deck materials. I built the separate units in the garage and then we put them in place, level and squared them up to the deck except

they are a step down from the deck. The overall look is great. During the laying of this wooden walkway, we uncovered an old cement sidewalk that had been buried under the patio stones. We had hoped that we could leave
it to act as a solid footing for the wood units but after we leveled the second one, we realized the old sidewalk was badly broken

up and slowly rising toward the driveway and we would not be able to level the remainder of the walkway with the first units we laid. So, it had to come out! With sledge in hand and the sweat pouring out, we managed to get it all broken up and loaded into the truck so we could dispose of it at the dump.

On the way back from the dump, we stopped off at our local nursery to get a 1/2 yard of gravel for the base of the remainder of the walkway. It doesn't take us too long to get the truck unloaded and the gravel leveled off. Once we got the 4th walkway piece in place, we decided now was the best time to dig a trench from across the front of the garage to the weeping tile that runs the perimeter of the house. Usually after a heavy rain, we have water on the floor in the garage so this should help fix that problem.

We had a break on Father's Day. Terri & Mark invited us in for dinner, along with Corrie & Dean and family. It was perfect timing for us after all the slogging and digging and deck building. We sat in the covered area catching up on everyone's doin's and enjoying being together. Dinner and cocktails capped off a perfect day.





Back to the project on Monday but it was a shopping day

for a new dining table for the deck.  Yes, Larry Finn, we bought it at IKEA. Tuesday, we were back at it and, once again, we proved that nothing is simple! After lifting the asphalt where we wanted to trench, we find more concrete that is cracked and uneven so it has to be uncovered, broken up and removed so we can trench and lay the weeping tile to take away the water. Whew. That sledge hammer got heavier as the day wore on!

We take another break to attend our gand-daughter Ali's high school graduation in Toronto. Congratulations to our two grandchildren who successfully graduated this year from high school, Mack & Ali.

After the ceremony, we were back to Terri & Mark's for dinner. The ceremony was late so by the time
we got back home, it was the early the next day so we dragged a little on Friday. But with hard work by the two of us, we managed to break up the concrete in front of the garage and got the trench dug and ready for gravel and the perforated drain tile

but enough for now. we are off to London later to attend John & Di's daughter's Stag & Doe bash for their upcoming nuptials. More about that and our adventures next time..... hoping all is good wherever you are....