Under Destruction

The back deck lattice was all planned to come down, get painted/replaced as needed, then go back up. Since the Trumpet Vine keeled over, it wasn't needed anymore. I still planned to replace it, until I was inside the house and looked out the slider... The deck looked so much bigger (and my neighbor has pretty flowers too), so I decided not to put the lattice back up.

The pile of sticks in the one photo used to be the lattice from the roof. It disintegrated when I tried to pry it off. I must say though, it was very fun and satisfying to just shred it! I had all the fun then called my dad to bring his truck and a wheelbarrow to get rid of the after-effects :)

Home Improvements

Over the last few weekends I have been working on my front porch, getting the railings torn off and replaced, painting the deck floor, and getting all the railings and posts painted. The front is done now (well, except for a 2nd coat of paint on a section of the floor), so last week I moved on to the back deck.

1/2 way through.

Finished

I was trying to save a large trumpet vine that was threaded through lattice up and over the deck. I managed to get it all unwound without breaking it until the last space. I was holding the trunk about 6-8' off the ground, pushed out on it to get the last branch through the lattice, and all of a sudden I wasn't holding the trunk anymore, the vine base broke below the ground and my handhold was lost. So much for saving the vine! Upon closer inspection of the base, the trunk was rotted in the center. It was 11" in circumference, quite a vine!

Base of the vine, where it broke below ground-level.