The back deck is near completion, although it’s still missing a step. Thanksgiving started out with my doing a little gardening, a little packing, a little moving (of outdoor items) with Shea’s help, and then I took pictures of the incremental outdoor progress on the house. Still zilch on the floors, doors, bathrooms, and kitchen, though. The brown trim painting on the exterior of the house doesn’t appear to have started either. I do love that the big back deck, which I will eventually cover again and turn into a lanai, is at a consistent height all the way out, but I don’t understand whether they intend to put handrails on either side, a step on three sides, or what. I think it’s safer to have a narrow step rather than the gradual reduction in height that existed before, which people constantly tripped on, despite the bright tape. I also noticed that the “path” between the plum tree and the porch is now narrowed, so I’ll have to remove whatever random growth is there so that there can be a walkable path without jumping onto the deck to go back and forth in the garden for humans and canines. How that will look after the lower step is added could make that a challenge. I’m also pleased that they replicated the width of the bedroom deck. Hopefully, the kitchen deck will make sense, too. I was not really consulted on any of these details, but so far I can live with the decisions that were made.

It also appears that there is less of an awning than before, so it should be easier to install the roof of the back deck and hopefully raise it, even if it has to come down at an angle a bit for privacy.