It’s deck weather. Yes, I know the weather is … iffy. That rhymes with jiffy, which could indicate a sense of urgency in enjoying our great outdoors. My concern is that I see the many beautiful decks on homes, but almost always empty.
What’s with that?
So, get on deck. If not now, when?
Our summers are treasured. We get a super nice day early, as we did this spring – a 30 degree moment in a string of others not so perfect moments. Perfect would be a 10-degree night and 24-degree day, calm and sunny; and shouldn’t that start now?
I can feel a little disappointed when the day seems breezy, too cloudy, threatens drizzle (would welcome rain again), you know – just not a perfect tropical experience.
However, we worked hard to turn our old deck into a sturdy space for outdoor leisure and darn it, I’m going to enjoy it. It’s a place to have lunch, to sit and enjoy a few quiet evening moments, a great perch to watch life go on around us.
If your balcony, or deck, sits off the ground a few feet, you are up with the birds.
Stepping out on our deck, whizz – another bird swoops by on their way home with food for the chicks or for the wife on her nest.
Have you noticed that these little guys like to take over your stuff? They assume the raised deck is theirs. If it’s not, then why is a feeding station there, and a pan of water, humming bird nectar hanging prominently overhead, and why is it right in the middle of where they need to go?
I admit, we sit on our deck intermittently during these early spring days. Birds don’t know our schedule. When they alight on the railing and suddenly find themselves face-to face with a human, they don’t actually fly up, they just seem to fall off the edge. Down, and gone!
The sightline of flying birds reminds me of watching that perfect golf shot launched on its 190-yard flight (not lately, though).
Watching a tiny chipping sparrow whisp away feels like I’m in the animated Bee Movie. I’m on the wing with that sparrow, or wren, or chickadee. It’s kind of fun.
I am happy to share my deck with the birds. To help them feel at home, we have two, four-foot potted trees; an upright juniper and an upright cedar. We should plant them, but not yet. The birds need them and the deck feels better with large plants on it.
Pots of herbs and flowers are getting started as well, and we came across a light lattice with fake leaves woven throughout. It’s a great screen that makes us, our basset hound and the birds more comfortable there.
The furniture is hit and miss lawn chairs, plus my anti-gravity special chair. They’re comfortable, like old shoes.
I’ve got to tell you, I feel good when I go by a yard and see others using their patio or deck. An empty deck is a lonely deck on a nice weekend.
