the Front Porch

This is where the neighbors in South City hang out-- no, I mean live. On my way to run errands, I've often marveled at this phenomena while waving to a neighbor playing with her grandchildren. Or the two ladies across the street joining each other to watch cars and gossip. Party animals thrive in the night here facing front. In a way, I guess this is a lot like living on Sesame Street! Then I wondered no more as I found myself sitting on a lawn chair that I had plucked from the burning hot backyard to find reprieve under the shade of my front porch.

And that's exactly the reason.

The overhang to the front porch seemed to come standard with every home on this block in the late 1920's. It provides relief from the sun and a shield from the rain. Homeowners-- rather than create shade for their backyards-- just end up on the front porch by default. After all, it is less expensive to sit where there is already shade than to create shade where there is none.

So what's wrong with it? My front porch is crumbling. The paint is starting to peal away as the result of a quick rehab by the previous owner. Plus, I hate the battleship grey. It would be nice to add a pebble stone overlay with epoxy (that's my unlimited budget dream). More furniture would be nice too. My neighbors have made their porch look like the side of a cruise ship with decking furniture and nick nacks galore, but that's not me. I would like to consider a few more items for the front porch: A reading table, a bench, a large wooden wind chime that makes subtle small expressions, citronella candles. But these are all dreams for a place that is already magical. Birds have nested in the flowers here. Obviously this is a safe place to be.

My wife and I have added flower pots and baskets all around the rot iron railing plus two that hang from above. Every year we plant various annuals in these places. This year, I've dared to plant some plants that I will have to shelter inside for the winter. I've seen hummingbirds paying quick visits in the mornings while I have my coffee and croissant. This is the most serene part of my outdoor experience on my property. Can I give each area of my yard this kind of magic? My intention is not to dwell in each area like I would on the front porch. What I do want is to make each section of my yard a place I'm happy to find myself in for the reason that I've found myself there.

These locations of my yard that I'm describing are like countries on a map! I might like to draw one and post it at some point.