Deckhands

This summer it was time for a facelift for our deck. After years of nail pounding, sanding, and re-staining, the surface wood really needed to be replaced. Our favorite woodworker/handyman/electrician/plumber, Josh, signed on for the job. As I mentioned, the old boards were installed with nails, not screws. This made the removal process VERY slow. (Fortunately we had two eager helpers.) Finally the guys devised a method of cutting the boards into shorter sections before ripping them up. However this created numerous “trap doors” all over the deck. Both Erik and I stupidly stepped on half-cut sections with no support beneath! Thankfully only one of my legs went through. I was right over an upside-down canoe our friends were storing under the deck, so my fall was abbreviated by about two feet and I was unscathed except for a pulled muscle. Erik, however, had his arms full when he stepped through and he broke his fall with his chin, leading to a nasty gash and several stitches.  But, the job was finished at last, and thanks to Josh’s craftsmanship we are enjoying a fresh, smooth new deck.