As the temperatures get cooler, I've been spending more time in my outdoor office. I'm lucky enough to work from home so I've been enjoying sitting out on the back deck with the breeze blowing and the sun shining.

The back deck is one area we've really neglected. Though its a nice functional space, structurally, it should be rebuilt. The posts aren't straight nor supported properly, the lattice is unsightly, and up until two weeks ago, it was very unsafe for Chloe. There were few posts beneath the railing and no handrail down the stairs so we never left Chloe on the back deck alone.


But we finally got our act together and HandyMan did a few modifications so we could at least enjoy our outdoor space with less anxiety. I would have preferred more decorative posts, perhaps an X-design, but as HandyMan pointed out, Chloe could easily climb on that X and fall over the railing. And Chloe is definitely a climber so in this case function beats form!



I decided to tidy things up a bit and created this little vignette. Its a mishmash of things that have been hanging around and we've never found a proper home for... an iron table that HandyMan made years ago, lanterns etc. Chloe likes to draw on the deck or on the patio stones below so we had to keep her chalk handy too.


And HandyMan also got the little pond working again so now I look can hear the sweet trickling of water as I'm working away. Don't you like the huge fish? We inherited it from Mama HandyMan who used to have a koi pond in her front garden.

There is a whole lot that needs to be done to this deck to make it pretty...


...but for now its good enough. At least for this summer ;)