Almost all of my plants are flourishing in my backyard of the house under renovation after the recent rains.

It warms my heart with a bit of nostalgia to see the dogs on the mostly complete back deck while I look at them from inside the slider, but it still feels like there is so much still to be done.

This is probably the most extensive internal tour I’ve filmed in months. I’m still shocked at there being no new flooring, no doors, no bathroom construction, or even the beginning of the kitchen build. On the bright side, almost all of the light switches and electrical plugs appear to be wired, including the laundry hookup and bathroom vents. I don’t think I’ll be living there even at the two-year mark in January, which makes me sick to my stomach. I feel like I’ve been played like a pawn, forced to live in a rental for so many more months than necessary. Houses were built from scratch much faster, but when you’re constantly waiting for red tape from the insurance company that slow-walks the paper checks, it’s no wonder everything takes longer than necessary while I suffer.

My Koi Pond Green house is coming along. The external base coat is done, and the back deck is mostly done. The tan trim is yet to be done, but they even painted the siding that survived the fire, which is encouraging. I do love the brown color of the deck, and it’s composite, so much more waterproof than the wood deck I previously had, which was always deteriorating. Under the composite, Shea said there is copper-treated wood which will also last a lot longer.