...and the list goes on.

We will probably always have small projects to work on.  Once the crawfish boil was over and the crown moulding was installed.  I started work on a pergola for the deck.

It was a kit from Home Depot

It went up easily in under a day.

…and it came with shade. (The small trailer in the background let's Robyn and I get out and explore the sights up here.)

I also put a screen door on the back of the house which I forgot to take a picture of.  But that enabled me to take down the back door and paint it.

This is the outside.

The color is the approximate color of what we thought the steps were going to be .  In 2016, we hope to start painting the trim on the house about this color.

The inside of the door was painted “John Deere Green” to match the bright colors of the breakfast nook.

The green storm door match the maroon door about perfectly.

The last project for 2015 was to build a new cover for the steps going down to the outside basement entrance which is currently blocked off with a piece of OSB board.

The old sills were starting to rot. Who knows how old the old cover was…

…but it was well beyond its useful life.

A couple of years ago, I had sketched up what I wanted to do and attached the paper to the kitchen refrigerator.  But I needed a new tool…

…a powder actuated nailer. (Mmmmm… more power)

Using treated wood, I used the nailer to build a new sill for the cover attaching it to the old coal cellar and foundation.

Framed up the sides.

Covered the insides with plyboard and attached the frame to the sills.

And started covering the frame with treated plyboard

Added the hinges…

…and a handle to lift the door.

Which actually lifts fairly easily.  In 2016, I hope to build a secure entrance door to the basement from the outside.

Last project of 2015 were these steps which were built out of scraps and leftovers.  It chewed up my third drill since we started on the house and I had to get a new one.  The steps will be sealed with Thompson’s Water Sealant in the Spring.  The basement entrance will be painted to match the house trim.