The deck is nearly complete!

All I've got left to do is cut and install the spindles! I need to get two more boards to fill in the rises on the steps as well, but that's not a big deal. I went with prefab stringers which is a bit of a pain. They don't quite go down far enough, so I'm gonna have to build a little landing. It's probably better that I do that anyway because it minimizes the amount of mud the dogs dig up running up and down the stairs. If you're wondering about the plastic bags on my feet, dogs + rain + coastal Virginia = mud. You can see the tops of the French Drains at the bottom of the stairs; they do a really good job. The backyard would be quicksand without them. I plan on taking the scrap from the old deck and stairs to build the landing and a bench for the deck. I really like how the table I built out of scraps came out, so I might rip the deck apart to build more furniture! Maybe not.

The other guy in the picture is Rob Montgomery. When he wasn't on the phone with his wife, he helped me dig the postholes and pour the concrete. Thanks Rob!