Porch and m&ms

 

Joe and I bought a little house in St. Marys, Georgia in 2000.  We enjoy it when we can and rent it out to vacationers when we can't.  Click here to see what vacation renters see.  

Owning a vacation house is a double edged sword. It's a nice place to get away, but then there's that pesky maintenance. Many of our trips "for fun" end up as hammering, painting and raking.  In this case...the front porch. Had to make it new. It had become treacherous!

With the help of husband and wife team, Joe and Linda, the old decking was ripped off.  Replaced it with Yella Wood. This should last decades!

Old posts had to be knocked out to replace the deck boards, so I decided this was a great time to create new heftier posts and railing.

 I described what I wanted to Joe the carpenter and he made them a reality. Twenty-four mitered saw cuts on this bottom treatment alone. NICE work, Joe!  And Linda, your caulk work is divine.

 While Joe and Linda forged ahead, I headed to the backyard to slap a new coat of paint on some of my "worse for the wear" trash porch furniture. How about a shocking pink adirondack chair?!

Meanwhile, back at the front porch, how's this for progress?! New posts are set!

But it's not all work and no play! This is Linda about to demonstrate what nice thin slices her big ole saw
(whatever kind it is) can make. That's Joe Williams, one of my favorite of all time neighbor, risking his neck for my blog.

 Here's a closer look.
HAH haaa! 
I am focusing on Joe, because this is an ART BLOG after all, and Joe is an artist.
"FINALLY, some art", you say.

This is some of Joe's work. I know! It's beautiful! He paints on old navigational charts.You'll find his framed work at The Cottage Shop on Osborne Street in St. Marys.
So, what about the m&m part, Ronnie? 
Be prepared to be stunned. See that beautiful shrimp? Joe uses the color from m&m shells as paint. Yeah, go ahead, ponder that with your mouth hanging open. What's more, he uses eye shadow too!!!! HAH! Amazing. What originality. Would you have ever thought of that in a million years?  I know, I've stuck my tongue out (just like you have) and said, "Cool, my tongue is blue", but  would I have ever taken the leap to use it to paint a picture? Well, Hell no!
Click the picture for a closer look.  
I wonder how Kool-ade would work? It's so hard to stay on track. I have to paint the porch first.

Next up! The kitchen tear out! See it all here! Next!

As for the porch...
I stained the decking a pale drift wood. Joe and Linda finished the rails and now all that's left to do is a good coat of white paint. The pink adirondack turned out nice.
I hope you all are having a good Summer.
Love, 
Ronnie - aka Joe Tucker's stove operator