I know what Memorial Day is about. Despite the fact that my town was unable to have a parade again this year, I did attend Monday's service in the town square. It was COLD and it looked like it could rain again. (It didn't). It was a well done service and I'm happy that every year we take the time out to honor those who paid the ultimate price.
But I'm also realistic...Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer and let's be honest most of us were looking for some sunshine and fun. There wasn't much of that around here. As a matter of fact since Saturday, my heat has turned on every day. (And yes, the A/C had been on earlier in the week.) This cold and crappy weather is my fault. Let me tell you why.
Back in the 1940s or 50s, my grandfather put a patio in his backyard. You can see part of it in this video I took when we had a rain/sun storm last summer.
(Not the greatest of videos, but give you an idea of what was there.) For over a year I've been working on getting a new patio. It's not as easy as it sounds. It SHOULD be easy to reach out to contractors/landscapers and get someone to give you a quote. It isn't. I tried last year and it was a complete and utter fail. I tried this year and managed to get ONE person/company to provide me with a proposal that spelled out the cost and the process. (That's not to say I didn't get other proposals, but a number on a piece of paper and ghosting me when I ask some basic questions doesn't really work out for me.)
The work began on May 8th with the destruction of the back steps and the removal of the flag stones that my grandfather had laid down all those years ago. (I still feel a little guilty about tearing it all up. Grandpa, I hope you understand and approve of what we've done.)
The demolition didn't take long... Within an hour or two I had:
A dumpster came the following Wednesday and all the rubble was gone by Thursday. Of course now I had a backdoor that couldn't be used. (Unless you are my long legged son who climbed up and down with ease.)
The supplies arrived the following Tuesday (the 18th) and work started on Friday (the 21st). The work was done relatively quickly. There were a few stops/starts and minor issues. (They worked on a Sunday while we were away. I saw some bottles/cans in their garbage area and since Tuesday was recycling day, I picked them out so that they would get recycled. I found a couple of beer bottles which was not cool with me.) The job was mostly done by Wednesday and completed (with the exception of the removal of previously mentioned "tarp o' garbage" and a couple of pallets) by the Friday of Memorial Day weekend. Which explains why it was so cold and wet over the weekend. I wanted to use the new patio!
You might notice that I have no furniture outside. I had previously purchased a small "bistro" table and chairs so that I could work outside, but other than that the furniture that I had was old and plastic. I haven't been able to find what I want yet because I'm not 100% what I DO want (without spending a fortune). Plus there is the challenge of availability (thanks to Covid and shipping issues...remember this earlier in the spring: https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/31/africa/suez-canal-expansion-spc-intl/index.htmlhttps://www.cnn.com/2021/05/31/africa/suez-canal-expansion-spc-intl/index.html.) So I think I'm sticking with my old, not to great furniture for the time being. I'm using these items as markers so that I know how much space I have (or don't have). The last thing I want to do is clutter the space.
I had also hoped to do some planting. There is lots of space that will need grass seed, but I also wanted to put in some plants. My son love to do stuff like this and on Monday we did manage to get out and buy a few plants that are "deer resistant." (Let's be honest, we are so overrun with deer in my area that they are eating EVERYTHING.) The sun came out for a bit towards the end of the day: It's a start. I'm looking for experts to help me come up with some ideas that are not too costly. (Luckily I have some neighbors who really know their stuff.)
Now you know why it was so crappy (weather wise) this past weekend...and why it continues not to be so great this week. Blame it on me...and my patio.
(Note: I'm also open to patio furniture and layout suggestions. Hit me with your ideas!)
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