Despite the name of this blog (The Summerhouse Years, in case you’d forgotten) and the image on the header of me sitting in our summerhouse (the first one), I have rarely written these blogs actually in the summerhouse itself. No excuses, it’s not as if I have to walk miles to it (it’s right out the back). And not as if it’s too cold in winter because with the heater on it’s too hot, rather than too cold. Plenty of light and a table to write on, (everything a budding author could want) .No, just never got into the habit of it I suppose.
But now in these abnormal times and me doing more outdoorsy things like DIY in the garden, the summerhouse has been a little more in evidence. Just lately it’s been quietly shouting, what about me? I was your first outside building you know and now I’m just sat here.
So today, on what is promised to be the hottest day of the year, not that’s saying a great deal so far, but we should welcome it anyway, I’m writing this blog. Our garden hasn’t looked this good for the last .. well, maybe ever. Consequently, we actually had breakfast out here for the second time this year. From the terrace (rather a grand descriptor for what we have) it is but a short step to this our first summerhouse (as maybe you can see from photo above, probably about 20 or more years between these two chairs. I haven’t improved much, if at all).
So here I am. We’re in that ‘every cloud has a silver lining’ territory again. Without the virus, we wouldn’t have spent as much time in this house which, in turn, means we’ve been crazy into DIY projects, which, again in turn, has meant garden work of various types. Work in the garden has led to it being a place to sit and enjoy rather than hurry through with eyes half closed humming can’t see you, can’t see you.
Yep, it was that bad. Until these last few weeks. This afternoon, if the weather prediction is correct, we’re actually planning our first barbecue of the year. I think last year we may have had one and similarly the year before. I even threw out the old gas BBQ we’ve had for years in one of my enthusiastic garage clear-outs. Throwing anything out is a rare act for me. And maybe, at this point, a rash one because all I have to barbecue on now is the jolly old charcoal variety buried down the side of the house I think.
We even have a different location for it, or will have with just a bit more outdoor fettling. As a result of the door in the garage project we now have a potentially pleasant area in front of same garage. Hopefully you will be able to see it when we’ve done. My new chair, see photo below, was destined for this space but, as you can see, it’s on the deck. I have to say in all fairness to my DIY skills, it looks a damn sight better in the photo than in real life.
So no chair which means (boy this is all like a molecular chain) I need to create some different seating and some kind of table for the new BBQ area. I used to curse our son for bringing home all this random timber bits from some gardening job or other. But in these weird times I will be using at least three of these bits (see below) to construct a modernist / minimalist garden ‘bench’. Otherwise known as a plank on top of two other planks.
I’m hoping this will not prove to be as great a challenge to my skill levels as the yellow chair has been. But I do have the talent to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory so I may well turn a simple project into a ‘tax my skills’ to the limit one.
For example, in order to locate the new bench in its new spot I need to clear some very old plants out of the way. So far this is proving quite a challenge. They have after all been in this spot for a long time. But with Mrs Summerhouse heading indoors to prepare various bits and pieces for the first BBQ after having found the charcoal BBQ, the pressure is for me to have the chosen location up and running. At the moment it’s more down and dirty than up and running. But I have another 4 hours to get it ready. Wish me luck.
So a few hours later and the garden bench is created. It looks alright (below) but it’s not finished yet. True as with all my handiwork, it’s a bit wobbly but hey as Mrs Summerhouse said, so are we all. Now for the BBQ itself. How exciting. Be back soon to report.
I’ll just say it went well. I had quite forgotten how ridiculously easy it is to burn a sausage on a real charcoal BBQ. Blackened sausages all part of the summer fun. Oh and we drank a glass or two of our own red wine. We drank it chilled and we’d tinkered with it somewhat but I can report it went nicely with the blackened sausages. Make of that what you will.