SUMMER DECK......A HAVEN FOR PEACE AND QUIET?

Are you enjoying the peace and quiet of outdoor living?

After one of the worst springs I can remember, (weather-wise, that is),
I finally got my deck set up for summer,
albeit several weeks later in the season than I usually do
(thank you, cool and rainy month of May 😖).

Junior Goo Shoes and his friends hauled the chair cushions up from the basement;
 the rug was carried out from the garage;
the shattered glass tabletop from the dining set was replaced 
with a sturdy (we-shall-see-when-a-heavy-wind-blows) piece of acrylic;
weak boards on the deck were swapped out for new strong ones
(they still haven't been painted!)
and summer flowers were finally planted. 

Even with all of that accomplished, the summer solstice has come and gone,
and we've barely spent any time on the deck.

There were few morning cups of coffee........

hardly any afternoons of magazine reading.........

no evening outdoor dining..........

and a scant amount of chats at dusk.

Part of the reason is that the weather has been uncooperative;
the other factor is that we've just been too darn busy. 

Thankfully, the weather these last few days has been glorious,
and the pace of life has slowed a bit.  
So today, on a perfect summer day, I look forward to sitting outside 
in my happy place to work on this blog post.
A tall iced latte makes for a nice companion,
and a chorus of chirping birds are pleasant background music.

 Now THIS is what I'm talkin' about. 

What the WHAT???
What is all that NOISE???

Of course today is the day that they come to re-surface our street!
Aaarrrggghhhh!
The machinery is so loud, I can't hear myself write.

Even Sadie is bothered by the noise.

So much for peace and quiet.

I'll try to block out the noise, and concentrate on showing you around the deck. 

There haven't been many changes.......
Same furniture........
Same cushions........
Same pillows.........
I added just a few new accessories.

One thing I've been wanting for awhile is an outdoor water fountain.
I've envisioned peaceful afternoons, spent reading on the deck, 
with the soothing sound of water serenading me in the background 
(forget about hearing it today, that's for sure).
Believe it or not, I found one at K-mart,
but it's also available here (affiliate link).
It was inexpensive, so who knows how long it will last.

Unfortunately, even on a day when they aren't paving the street,
it's hard to hear the water gurgling over the buzzing of the air conditioning compressor, 
and roaring of neighborhood lawn mowers.
But, in the evening, when things are quiet,
it is quite peaceful.
It has a little light feature, too, which adds a bit of ambiance. 
I'll admit - it's not as loud as I had hoped it would be. 

I don't have room for more doo-dads, 
but I couldn't resist this little square basket planter topped with faux moss.
It's filled with lavender. 

This pretty tea pot shape filled with flowers was a Mother's Day gift
from my sister, made by a friend of hers. 

I'm going wild and crazy with my vegetable garden this summer.
In addition to the usual cherry tomatoes, 
I'm experimenting with green and yellow peppers and cucumbers.
I didn't do any research on how to grow them, 
and have no idea if they are suited to containers,
but I figured what the heck?
I bought them on a whim, and the worst that can happen is that they won't grow.
 I did read after the fact, that cucumber plants should be planted in pairs, 
because they need male and female flowers to cross-pollinate.
I'm just hoping that my single cucumber plant is bi-sexual.
Love is love! 🌈 

A few days ago, I bought a new hummingbird feeder,
since I noticed that the one I got last year was all rusty inside.
Technically, this is not on the deck, 
but since I look at it from my deck, I say it qualifies to be included in this post.
You'll notice the old feeder in some of the photos that were taken before I replaced it.

The one thing that changes up the look of my deck each year are the container gardens.
I don't like to do the same arrangements year after year. 

I think of my deck as a basic black dress,
and each year I update the look with flower "accessories."
More about this year's container gardens in an upcoming post.

Aaaahhh.........finally.
The noise has stopped.
Peace and quiet, at last!

And there goes the neighbor's lawn mower.

Linking with:
Best of The Weekend
Wow Us Wednesdays