What if...?

My original idea with the porch was something like this, but as I was pricing out materials I had a brainstorm.  I thought perhaps I could do something that would echo the interior trim of my house.

That's a bit dark, so here's a close up of one side of this window.

After thinking about this for a while and pricing out materials, I decided to do a plain panel and then do trim with a combination of 4" board and 2" board.  Since I didn't install the top board with the thought of 1" board being installed under it, I'm going to try to find 1/2" board to use instead, but I don't know if I can find that in 8' sections, which is what I need to do the top and bottom trim, but I will have to see.

In the meantime, I bought the panels for the front and back of the first railing I had framed out.  After fighting with the drill and the wood screws, I was able to attach both panels and I'm pretty pleased.

From the outside - you can see I still have to scrape
and paint the base of the porch.

From the inside.  I like it!  It's going to give us some
privacy, which will be nice.

The next thing I probably should do is go ahead and put a couple coats of paint on at least the outside board to protect it from the elements.  Rain is called for tomorrow and I don't want this to get warped or the fibers to get raised.

I think I'm going to work on the front railing next, even before I get the trim pieces up.  That way, I can get a real feel for what the finished porch is going to feel like.

Once I get that done, I'll do the trim, finish painting and then I will turn my attention to putting in indoor/outdoor carpeting.


 I've picked out a nice neutral carpeting which I think is a real step up from the old astroturf of my youth.

I think this will give this little space some comfort and a feeling of tranquility, plus and this is a huge plus, it will keep the tiny vampires from coming up from underneath the porch and tapping into my veins for a liquid lunch!

Now For Something Completely Different

Hello Gentle Readers,

First off, please forgive my absence - I've had a bit of an adventure.  You see, for the past 5 years, I've been pursuing my undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania.  In August, I succeeded in achieving a goal I have been working on for 38 years and received my degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing.

Honestly, it was a big accomplishment and I was tired., so I went on vacation.  I have friends who live in Wasilla, Alaska (Hi Dustin & June!) and they invited me to come and visit.  Off I went.

It was beautiful - unlike any place I've ever visited.  The first day there, we went to Knik Inlet.  We saw whales!

I know you can't see them, but those ripples out there are beluga whales.  Trust me.

See those clouds?  This was weather that stayed for the entire 7 days I was there.  It's weather, so what are you going to do about it?  Honestly, the only time it was really sorta a pain was when we went to Denali.

We stopped at a scenic overlook and there was a panorama sign of the mountain range including Mt. McKinley.

This is actually what we saw directly above this sign.

Nuthin' but clouds.  Ah well.  I still had a great time and got to see a lot of really cool stuff.

Dog Sled Team in Training

Little Susnita River in Hatcher Pass.
 It's that color because it originates in the Mint Glacier.  Isn't it pretty?

 On the way to Denali (or was that Talkeetna?) We saw a dog sled team training with a 4X4.  I think there were 17 dogs altogether and I gotta say, those were some happy puppies.  They have a job to do and gosh darn it, they were doing it.  It was fun seeing them.

We also visited the Iditarod Headquarters in Wasilla.  It was an interesting place.  I know there is a lot of controversy involved with the race and I'm not coming down on either side of that but the history of the race is interesting.

Yearling Moose Calf (one of a twin - the other one is near the tree line)

We drove up over Hatcher Pass and stopped to take pictures of the Little Susnita River.  It was a gorgeous mint green tint, but man, it did look cold!



On the way back to Wasilla, we saw these two yearling moose calves.  They may be calves, but they were still the size of horses.  Mommy moose was no where to be seen, but maybe she was back in the trees there.


I'm back home now and after spending a week getting readjusted to my time zone, I'm ready to get back to my porch project.

Next post - porch railings continued.