milestone

one for each decade

Today is Marc's birthday, Marcmas as it's known around here. He finally caught up with me and is now a septuagenarian, marveling at the fact. No big plans, just the usual day to day activity. Curse covid. No movie or dinner out, not this year, maybe next.

For his birthday I suggested we go ahead and get the deck built out front that we talked about doing a few years ago and so we are. Rocky went off to get the materials to start today. A couple of the branches of the big yew tree on the corner of the house will have to be cut off and the deck will be built around the trunk on one side. We're having it built in the front because of our three exterior doors the front door is the best option, that part of the house being on pier and beam and you have to stand on the ground to open the storm door which swings out, it's very awkward trying to come in through the front door. The back door is in the part of the house on slab and leads out to the little backyard, the part that's fenced, which has a small patio and also the three tanks for the septic system so it's unsuitable. And the third door leads out to the garage. There's a small overhang in the front of the house leading up to the door but it's not really a porch so this will give us a place to sit outside and observe the goings on.

My daughter posted this pic of the grandgirls Jade and Autumn on FB the other day. If you are a long time reader you've watched these two young women grow up. Autumn did this last semester abroad in Ecuador, has been in the rain forest working on her 20 page essay required at the end, her topic how indigenous people approached and treated mental health issues, and now that it's done Jade, who just graduated with a degree in actuarial science (math, statistics, economics, and finance) and has a job waiting for her in June in Dallas with AIG, has joined her and the two are vacationing in the Galapagos. Autumn, who still has one more semester, her studies more varied in pre-med and social studies, wants to join the Peace Corps after she graduates. Autumn on the left, Jade on the right.

I did take some preliminary pictures yesterday of the trumpet flowers but I'm not completely happy with them so I'm getting some different light bulbs and giving it another try, might even do it after dark so I don't have to deal with the sunlight coming in from one direction. Now I have to do the hardest part, figure out what the minimum is I will take for them versus what I would like to get for them, double it for the retail price as I only get half from the gallery, and then try to find a balance, one that I can live with and one that will entice a buyer.

Today's progress on the deck.