All Decked Out For Now

Saturday afternoon and all work has ground to a halt on the deck. I am at the stage where I am placing the joists on top of the new beams. The last beam was set in place this morning after our usual six kilometre walk in the countryside. Yesterday I had finalised all of the deck supports and installed the first two beams.

I had made another trip to the lumberyard yesterday as well, to pick up a few extra boards and to buy “hangers” for the 2×6 joists. No hangers were to be had, although there will be new hangers arriving on Tuesday morning. I just had enough hangers to be able to get the frame up, and place the joists according to where they need to be. Once that was done, it was time for tea “au naturel” on the cement patio at ground level.

With tea done, I cut the last four joists and then placed the three-step riser in place for the deck. These few jobs were done skyclad as it was quite warm, though windy. I had thought I might then go for some free-hiking, but the wind and scattered clouds dissuaded me. I was then persuaded to simply clean up all the tools and relax in the sunshine. I will remain clothing free for the rest of the day, unless a neighbour decides he needs a free beer. He is always embarrassed by my nudity unlike his wife, so I go easy on him. It is about respect. I have no desire to lose the friendship of neighbours in our small prairie town. One needs to have good, dependable neighbours. We look out for each other regardless of differences.

I have no work in the yard for tomorrow, so hopefully the weather will allow me to go for a naturist walk in the country hills, a trail that I often use in late spring, summer, and early fall. As well, I am quite certain that I will take advantage later today, and for the next few days, to get some writing done on one of my novels.