Praise the Lord and Pass the Sunscreen

Without getting into issues of religious faith, let me just say that the recent period of unusually heavy rainfall has led me to wonder if this isn't God's way at getting back at me for trying to be handy around the house.
But take a look at the sky today. We'd made tentative plans to tighten up some structure and add decking later this week, but this felt like a "make hay while the sun shines" moment, so I made an executive decision and enlisted Paul to head up the effort.
In a small house, tearing off even a tiny little porch has a big impact on how things work inside. With the rain delays, the inside of the house has become increasingly hard to manage, since I don't even have a stable area outside on which to prop, say, muddy boots or a broom.

That's me, a few days ago, looking down trying to figure out how to get out of those boots and into the house without falling into a mud-filled crater. You'll have to use your imagination, because I was not able to photograph myself trying to catch two slippery mud-coated terriers on their way into the house in order to administer eight little footscrubbings each time. (Just so you know, I am not a full-fledged neat freak, nor do I have delicate, light-colored Aubussons in the adjacent room to worry about. It's just that little bits of upheaval add up to a lot of discomfort quickly, and light at the end of the tunnel felt like a necessary stage to achieve at this point.)

This feels a lot better:
(and please note the re-installation of the broom-rack--a lifesaver, in my opinion.)

Hugo is done with his inspection. The new deck meets his criteria and he feels comfortable enough to go inside and relax. Me too. Finally, I feel like I can relax at home again! Better yet, I can relax at home on the back porch. Now that's something I have never been able to say before!
There's a lot of work left to be done, but having a stable place on which to do it makes a world of difference.
Now that old blue tarp serves double-duty, since it keeps us protected from the sunshine while we work. It's given me all kinds of ideas about a future pergola which allows some control of shading. Having a sort-of ceiling over a space like this actually makes it feel larger, which is worth considering.
Paul was kind enough to let me work alongside him today, and he even taught me a little technique with the drill. I'm getting better at it. In fact, I managed at least 500 deck screws, give or take. Paul did the tricky ones near the edges. My arm hurts. Luckily Paul advised me to ice it so it won't hurt so much in the morning. It's a good feeling though.
Sherman kept telling me how putting on the decking was going to be the fun and easy part, and now I feel a little badly, because she's laid up with a cold, and to be honest, this part was a lot more fun and easy than the framing. Of course, God graced us with perfect weather today. So now let's all say a nice little prayer for clear skies and good health all the way around (before I start waxing on about well-known carpenters from biblical times.) And thanks to everyone who's helping to make it happen.
Peace.