Fresh when it gets here from
Julie Barrett
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Show us something of interest on your porch.
Interest? Porch? Those two words do not go together. My piece o' junk charmingly retro 1970s house was built with the suburbia of that era in mind. To wit: The front porch was constructed from a piece of a commemorative postage stamp. (When the sun is at just the right angle I can still make out traces of the "L" and the lopsided "O.") The builders then coated it with a substance that allows for optimum friction. Letter carriers and delivery people fear my porch. Thus, I have practically plastered the microslab with doormats designed to prevent slippage.
This oak leaf is caught in the clutches of the mat that sits under the edge of the roof.
Under the edge of the roof, you say? Yes, in addition to the petite porch, the architects decided that the roof need not protect the entire porch from the elements. This is Texas, after all, and it doesn't rain that often. Yet, when it does get wet, water puddles on the exposed patch, which makes it impossible to step on the porch without sliding - even when wearing hobnailed boots. No one can stand on my porch in the rain and stay dry. That is, if they make it past the pool of water without sliding onto their bum.
Nearly every house on the street shares this particular design "feature." Yes, there is such a thing as a rain gutter, but that doesn't protect the exposed area of the porch. This is why I have covered it with an ugly, industrial-strength doormat.
Tags: Pictures, Monday Photo Shoot