Deck Deck Goose

My never-ending quest for Unbounded Domesticity took us to Home Depot again this weekend. We wanted to buy a patio table with umbrella, and a patio swing. We came back with more than that--this turn it was my wife who caught the Hompee Deempoh virus--but fortunately only the swing and the table needed assembly.

I spent the better part of the afternoon building the swing (the table, made from lovely native resin, popped together in about two minutes) while the older kids watch/helped. It's supposedly a three-person swing, but it holds a family of five comfortably--for now.

It's amazing how a covered swing and a patio table really livens up the deck. It's a cozy setup, really. The kids love it--all they wanted to do yesterday was sit in the swing. We even had lunch outside yesterday.

We didn't use the patio at our old house much, even though it was concrete and covered. I'm not sure why. I suspect we'll use our new patio much more--at least until we reach "Insufferably Hot" season in a couple weeks. We have a rather nice back yard, and now we have the means to sit back and watch it in comfort.

We're not the only ones who seem to be fond of our back yard either. A pair of mallard ducks have adopted this section of neighborhood, and they seem to find their way into our yard at least two or three times a day. They've become such regulars that even the cats don't really notice them anymore.

We also inherited several bird feeders and some squirrel houses from the previous owners. We have at least two squirrels that live in our yard. One is Frank, who likes to poke his head out his front door and just watch the morning unfold for about an hour before getting up and getting to work.

We haven't named the other yet, mainly because we're not sure who he is. We have about five squirrels who live in this area, and the only way we can tell them apart currently is if we see them in one of the two houses. Frank is the only one that seems to use a house regularly.

We also have several different flocks of birds that frequent our feeders. We have several varieties of finches, red winged blackbirds, cowbirds, and several species of sparrows, as well as doves, magpies, and a couple other species we haven't identified yet. It's really quite the exciting place.

If only it would stop raining long enough for us to deal with the grass and weeds, as well as plant our garden. But I suppose I shouldn't complain. Rain is generally in short supply around here. Give us another month or so and we'll probably be begging for some rain. After all, "Insufferably Hot" season is just around the corner.