Fenced In

During the falling of Autumn leaves, Bob, our fence and deck man, has been working busily on our new fence and expanded deck. It's looking great, if I do say so myself, and Rubin thinks it's fantastic. He hasn't been out of the house much off-leash, but the new fence allowed him to run wild, circling the house with a big fat smile on his face.

The fence is a gift from Ann's father who died last April leaving her a nice chunk of an inheritance. Perhaps then the fence is really Ann's gift to our house, but David (her father) certainly allowed the possibility of such a massive expenditure.

Behind the fence...well, that's another story...

It's all bare and muddy...not very conducive to a puppy with an apricot coat. He's getting tired of his feet being wiped off every time he comes into the house. And still, STILL there is a dirt path down the hallway after endless sweeping and the removal of all shoes.

Nonetheless, progress is being made. The deck is now twice the size, perfect for a table and four chairs, though it will be awhile before we sit outside to dine.

Our stomach muscles hurt for a week after we spread ourselves like commandos under the deck to lay down the weed barrier. Even our 9 year old neighbor asked, "Why didn't you put it down before they built the deck?"

Duh! Why didn't we think of that?

Actually we did, but life got in the way and before we knew it, the deck was done (or almost...there's still a planter box to be built in the foreground of this picture) and we had to shimmy ourselves like slugs for 16 feet in either direction.

I am now a homeowner. It makes me laugh in some ways -- I never thought this would be my life -- but I suppose it never turns out exactly as you thought it would and if it did, that would be kind of boring, wouldn't it?

I love our home and I shall live here with Ann (and whatever dog lives with us at the time) until I can no longer make it up the stairs! Even then, it might be worth an investment in a ramp, an elevator, or maybe a big strong "maid" to carry me to and fro.

But that's in the future...for now I shall enjoy being fenced in.