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demolition
May 23, 2010
Yesterday we tore the back porch off our house. The plan was to dismantle it back to just the support framework, then carefully remove the 4x4s that hold up the roof while one of the kids stood just out of getting-crushed range with the cellphone to call 911 in case the supports Peter built last week didn’t hold and the whole thing came crashing down off the house onto our heads. But then at some point while we were recklessly pulling the last few boards off, we realized that in fact the porch was so rotten out that Peter’s supports were already the only things holding the roof up. And they held, and it didn’t fall on our heads! So that was exciting.
Halfway.
No porch!
I thought about putting a DO NOT EXIT sign on the inside of the door, because I’m that paranoid (and this is the door we leave the house from most often). Turns out nobody in the house but me is forgetful enough to accidentally almost walk out that door anyway. Even the cat has figured it out already, and stood at the side door waiting to be let out this morning, instead of the back. As for me, I’m probably going to wind up on my arse out there at some point, because I am a creature of habit.
The porch had a clumsily constructed planter box built into it next to the steps which, as it turns out, was full of good soil all the way down to the ground. And all this time I’d been growing nothing but weeds there! Here’s the little ant farm I found when I pulled the side of the box off:
I filled three buckets and a Rubbermaid tote with good potting soil out of that thing, and there’s still a great heap of excellent topsoil from the very bottom that I left for another day. It’ll be quite useful once I’ve sifted all of our house’s former owner’s cigarette and chocolate bar wrappers out of it. Argh.
The view out the back door this morning, with our old porch piled up against the back fence. Which clearly also needs to come down.
And looking a little to the left of there: notice how different our yard looks from our neighbour’s. I keep telling myself that as long as we’re seen making improvements every year then it’s clearly a work in progress, all of our neighbours will recognize it as such, and we won’t be THOSE SLOBS. Someday we are going to be those slobs with the beautiful property. For real.
Posted by jodi on May 23, 2010 at 9.39am
Categories: things are happening, this old house of ours is built on dreams
Comments on "demolition"
I like your yard much better anyway! Look, flowers, interest, texture. Go you on the porch thing though, that would scare the crap out of me too!
Posted by Jamie on May 23, 2010 at 9.53am :: link
Yeah, your backyard is a lot more interesting. Good luck with the porch rebuilding. We had to do that a while ago (rotting porches x 2 floors!). Our yard is still a mess though.
Posted by Kathode Ray Tube on May 23, 2010 at 6.25pm :: link
I think that your yard is absolutely beautiful Jodi! Someone who loved Mother Earth planted and tended all of those lovely plants and flowers. It is your neighbours that are lost. Have anhilated nature and beauty from their property. Maybe they can see a lesson there to improve a bit.
Posted by Faith on May 25, 2010 at 6.10am :: link