Deck, garden--and a day of piddling

My new deck is a almost done, and for the first time in a week I can walk out the back door. I love the flooring. When finished, it will have a matching 6" railing top --perfect for plants. Meantime Sophie and I enjoyed it tonight--if you look hard in the shadows you can see her. Jim and Lewis Bundock, who are building it, don't trust me--they nailed a board over the opening where the staircase will be to make sure I didn't try to go down the stairs that aren't there. I did slide off the front of the desk to water some plants. I'm very excited about the whole thing.

Lewis (standing) and Jim Bundock, who keep my house in order

And neighbor Greg, who tends my lawn and garden, spent the whole morning clearing out the "way back" which used to have photinia bushes until the city took them out to do sewer work. In so doing, they left an open six by six foot hole, maybe three or four foot deep. Jordan and I came home one night late to find our lab, Maynard, at the bottom of the hole. We had to call the fire department, and they came with sirens and lights, but they got the dog out and were nice about it.
The city replaced the old bushes with tiny plants, which the two large male dogs I had at the time promptly peed on and killed. It's been a wasteland ever since. Greg is going to put roses back there--mutabilis, an antique shrub rose. He's had them for a month or more and every time I ask about them, he says, "They're real pretty." They'll actually go in soon. I didn't realize how much clearing he had to do in preparation, but he even took out an old tree stump, rotten to the core. He says he practically just kicked it over.
Other than that a lazy day--piddling. I didn't get a lick of honest work done. But it was kind of neat. Jordan asked if I wanted to pick Jacob up at 3:45 and I said no, I'm having a lazy day. Did have dinner with a friend at the Grill--meant to bring half my meatloaf home for a sandwich but ate it all.
Now to some honest to goodness work.