The Screen Door Project
We are having the BEST weather and I am enjoying it like nobody’s business. The windows are open and the screen doors are letting in the heavenly breezes.
Ever since I moved my shop to the guest house living room I’ve been a little sad because there’s no screen door on the guest house so I couldn’t enjoy the spring like weather while I worked. I thought about just leaving the door open, but the 7 cats and 8 chickens that perpetually wander around in our yard are like magnets to an open door. They think we can’t see them stalking the opening trying to slide in unnoticed. An open door is an invitation for cat hair and chicken poop all over the house. No thanks.
I finally decided that I just couldn’t live a happy life if I couldn’t leave the guest house door open. So I went out to my junk pile and found an old screen door that has been waiting for years to be used for something interesting. I pulled it out from behind some other old, broken down doors and dragged it over to the guest house. If I prop it just right, it keeps the cats and bugs out so I can leave the door open….hallelujah!
There’s just one teensy problem. It is not easy to go in and out since the door has to be propped just right or it falls over. I am constantly carrying armloads of product or packages out the door and now I have to set it all down, move the screen door, push a few cats and a chicken away with my foot, pick up my things, go out, put it all down again, push away another cat or two, prop the screen door back into place, pick up my pile and walk away. As soon as I get out I realize I forgot something and have to do it all again.
Oh my….isn’t it funny how you can walk past something 25 times a day and not realize how bad it looks? These pictures show me that the guest house is in serious need of some TLC. And isn’t the huge power box by the front door a charming welcome to our guests? I promise it looks better on the inside!
I’ll add the guest house work to the ever growing list of things that need to be done around here. Right after hang a screen door.
It may be a while though. You know how those lists go.
Have a great week!
Love screen doors. There is nothing like the sound of a screen door when it creaks open or when it closes. I’ve missed having a screen door until recently. We had to get a new storm door for our front door and the one we bought was made so that we could easily take out the glass and replace it with a screen. Who knew the air conditioner would go out and we would get to put in the screen to help keep the air flowing through the house!
Enjoyed your post! You have such a great sense of humor and paint a vivid picture for your readers. I could just see you with your arms loaded with packages trying to kick away cats and chickens and get out the door without them running in behind you before you could close the “door” again.
Blessings,
Missy
I love that you have a guest house! I also love that you keep things around to pull out and use when the need arises!
I too have seen some shabby areas around here lately and am going to start a list of fix up items – we finish school in just a few days so I am looking forward to doing fun projects around here!
Oh, I forgot to say that I think the color of the paint on the screen door is great!
I do that too, take a photo and realise that everything around it looks shabby or dirty, it never seems to end does it!
That siding reminds me of the house I grew up in, in Texas of course! Do you have pictures of the inside of the guest house anywhere on your blog?
I love an old screen door – the squeakier the better! I remember the ‘flip over’ door closings that we had on all of the screen doors at summer camp – I wonder if they are still available? Oh and the funny little spring that made it close on its own! Sometimes it would be adjusted too tightly and smack us in the bum on our way out! I wonder if that’s where the expression came from … ‘don’t let the door hit you on your way out’! It looks like you will be able to trim the length of the door and install it pretty easily – though you might need to glue and clamp it before trimming it. Another great project – can’t wait to see how pretty it looks completed!
Hi Lisa, we love the color of your screen door – but yes it would appear it is ready for TLC. Having a good screen door is key to keeping the pests out but fresh air coming in. Hope the project worked out exactly as you had hoped.