A new room, sort of

We've been in this house 26 years next month, and for most of those years we've talked about screening in our back porch.  The house came with a covered porch with 3 sides.  All we needed to do was add the 4th wall of screen.  Such a simple concept.  It took 3 adorable little birds to finally motivate us to do it. 

Lewisville has a "mascot" bird, the purple martin.  These little guys are very pretty, with a sweet song.  They generally like to roost up high, so people buy special purple martin houses and install them on tall poles.  Several years ago 3 of the birds decided to make their homes not up high in one of the exclusive condos designed just for them, but rather on a 1/2" strip of wood under the roof of our porch.  At first we thought they were very charming.  Until they started to poop.  And to construct impossible nests of grass, twigs, and mud.  On our house.  We went to the experts, the good ol' boys at Lewisville Feed Mill, who sold us an assortment of rubber and plastic owls and snakes, guaranteeing the expulsion of the purple martins.  Yeah, right.  The birds and reptiles became fast friends.  The birds were no more afraid of the owls and snakes as I am of oatmeal.  We tried everything.  Squirting them with water from spray bottles (they loved it).  Hanging CDs from string (classy) after being told the mirror effect would scare them (nope).  Letting Millie out to bark at them and loudly clapping our hands and shouting at them.  Our neighbors were worried about our sanity, but the birds just mocked us.  Finally we strung up some clothesline across the porch and hung up an old sheet, thereby not only blocking the view to the pool but also designating us the trailer trash of Clarendon Drive.  Something had to be done.

It was time. Time to finally screen in the porch.  Tony got busy with tape measure, pencil, and graph paper, designing a wall of wood and screen.  After a few minor roadblocks, mainly due to lack of construction experience, he was ready to buy the materials.  Josh offered to help and supply some very cool power tools, which Tony is now coveting.  It's amazing how easily a project comes to life if one has the proper tools.  They worked pretty much all of 2 Saturdays and a few hours of a Sunday (with extra hands offered by Dave), and our open-sided porch is now a lovely, open-air room.  And the birdie problem is solved.  A win-win for the Leos.  The guys also installed a screen door to the garage access.  All we need to do now is paint the wood to match the house trim.  When it gets cooler, we'll paint the concrete floor, install a ceiling fan, and hopefully buy some end-of-season sale furniture.  It will be a nice place for the kids to play, or to enjoy a book, or to have dinner or breakfast.  And it will be permanently poop free.

Thanks, purple martins, for motivating us to finally tackle this project.  Hope you enjoy the condo we put up for you, 'cause Casa Leo is off limits for good.