Life is going much as usual, but I thought you might like to see the progress on the deck.  I'm getting excited to get it finished and stained and usable.  I think we want to try a soft gray stain.  We'll have to look at the possibilities when it gets done.  It needs to dry out a couple weeks before staining.  Some of the wood is pretty wet.

The beginning after Dad got the base finally laid.  He put the supports on a row of bricks so they wouldn't be in the dirt and rot fast.

Sept 14th.  He got the next batch of boards on and trimmed them all off.

Sept 16th.  He got the next batch of boards on and made a beautiful little beveled corner at the edge and got around the planter on the near side.

Sept 17th.  He got around the other side of the planter and along the garage wall.  Because the garage is at an angle to the house he has to angle each board a little on that side.  You can see the projected shape of the whole deck now that he has the edge laid out to the end.  It will angle around the tree root and end at the back of the garage.

Sept 18th.  More progress.  This is the end of the 16 foot boards.  Now he can just use 14 footers. We went to the temple this morning so he didn't get as much done as he usually does.  But at least we are down to the shorter boards.  He will cut off those extending ends when he gets that whole side secured.

It's slow going because the man doesn't move as fast as he used to.  He lays a few boards and takes a break.  Lays a few more and then comes in for some Gatorade and a cool off.  It's hot and humid outside still.  Not as bad as earlier in the summer, but still not very comfortable.  And then he goes on back out and does some more.  I admire and appreciate his persistence.

In other news I am very happy with the TVP  that I got from Red Mill.  The flavor and texture are very good.  I will make some chili to take to the ESL class to show them what chili is.  The students from the middle east don't know what I was talking about when I told them we went to the church BBQ and chili cook off.  But some are Muslim and the Israeli is vegan and I don't know what religion the Pakistani is so I think TVP chili will be best.  And Dad and I can eat it too.  Somehow alcohol came into a discussion once and I said, Muslims don't drink, right?  And the one man looked kind of sheepish and said, well, formally.  So I don't really know about the meat, but this will be fine and it will be safe.  Okay, I just looked up Muslim eating and they can eat some meat that was slaughtered in the proper way.  But no worries with our chili.

Tonight we will go to see the new Mission Impossible movie.  Something different to do even if it is Friday night.  He said after we retired we would only go to movies on Wednesday or Thursday afternoons and stay away from Friday and Saturday things.  But we will see how it is tonight.