The tiki bar is nearing completion and features a Robert Unik carving out front.
The Peg’s Cheryl Kretzmann wasn’t planning on renovating her entire backyard, but an unexpected and very unwelcome flooded basement two years ago said, “Hey, it’s time!”
Y’see the flood happened because her yard was graded toward her house instead of away from it, and finally the weather gods decided to deliver a tsunami that simply would not be denied.
So first the basement had to be gutted, and because she hardly uses it anyway, it’s still that way. There was no point in redoing her basement before fixing the back yard. Surf would be up again in no time, any repairs done would be for naught.
Demo time. Bye bye nice wooden deck, that she and her family had enjoyed using for so many years, bye bye pretty lawn, had to take down the chain link fence to gain Bobcat access for regrading, moved some small sheds out of the way for the time being, the view now being an empty barren lot awaiting a lot of work, which began by digging the earth along the back of the house down a few feet to replace the old weeping tile. Muddy messy job.
With the weeping tile renewed (why do they call it that when it’s a big black hose thing?), some backfilling done with the kind of gravel needed to let the water through but prevent the weeping tile from clogging up with silt, the earth replaced, it was bobcat time.
In came the loads of dirt needed to reverse the grade in Cheryl’s formerly pretty yard, and before long, with everything sloping away from the house, the rebuilding could begin.
“Now what do I want back here? She mused.
“I want a back yard oasis, that’s what I want. A place for family and friends to gather, party, sing, dance, and just have a marvelous time! And hey, maybe a Tiki Bar!”
In no particular order here, she had gorgeous new wooden fence built surrounding the back yard, the old chain link fence used to create a big dog run along the north side of her yard, a phenomenal stage built for future performing (has a lot of musical friends, neighbours are all for it), a tiled area with a portable fire “pit” out front of the stage that can be instantly cleared for dancing, and yes, one of the sheds has been moved back by the house and is becoming a Tiki Bar!
Both the new composite plank deck along the back of the house and the stage have a roof built over them, giving both a very homey feel, and everywhere grass can be, it has been covered with new sod.
She’s having a ball creating and constructing her Tiki Bar, for which a friend gave her a french door which turned horizontally now opens inward and hooks on the ceiling to open the front right up. Gather round folks, this bar is almost ready to rock!
She still has wood siding to add to complete the exterior of the Tiki shack, and a fair amount of interior work to do, but her dream back yard oasis is getting very near completion.
What I’m loving about this is that we all have the potential, if feeling in a rut either inside or outside our residence, to rethink the status quo, and create a world around us that makes us feel alive again. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to give your yard a different look and feel. Take your time, remove what doesn’t work for you anymore, and create the reality you’d like. Scrounge, plant some trees and bushes, maybe make a rock garden, build a patio, diy to your hearts’ content ‘til you love the new reality you’ve surrounded yourself with.
No flood required, just dream it, and do it. Thanks for the visit Cheryl. Happy weekend folks!
Comments and column ideas welcome!
lmustard1948@gmail.com
