"Don's Home and A Mosquito/Sun Refuge...."

I drove to Madison, WI last Thursday to pick up and bring Don home!  Finally.....after 5 weeks of us both living alone.  Unfortunately, the 10 hour drive was not without mishap.  While on I 94, 80/90 in the westbound lane, my rear passenger-side tire blew!  And when I say blew, I really should clarify it as a total shred job on the tire.  When I got over to the emergency lane and parked, I got out thinking I was going to change a tire and move on.  Even seeing the rim with a small edge of rubber on each side didn't faze me (I was probably numb from my switching lanes in fast, heavy traffic), but after getting out the jack and unloosening lug nut #1, then struggling with #2 and it not budging at all, I gave up and called 911, who transferred my call to the Illinois State Police.  They called a tow truck for me, which came amazingly quick, and I was taken to a Firestone Tire Shop, located right on my route to WI.  I was one lucky person in all respects, as I was on the road again soon thereafter and made it to St. Mary's in Madison to pick up Don 15 MINUTES EARLY!  I kid you not......the whole experience in retrospect seems like a nightmare-ish dream!

Don and I arrived home in Interlochen early evening the following day and have moved furniture from the loft down to the great room and vice versa.  I'd had the movers place things where we "thought" we wanted them, but after seeing and living with them in those places, and after Don's take on what might work better, we agreed to make some changes.  One of the major ones was our moving the desktop computer to the main floor next to the front door (which will rarely be used, I'm sure, since the side door is a more convenient entry/exit to driveway and garage....plus the decks, of course), where it is also next to the parakeets cage.  She is extremely happy with the view, as am I.

The night before leaving for WI, UPS delivered a surprise from Don.  A portable screen room that we installed on the lower deck on Saturday!  Here is a photo of the area prior to its installation (it's one I have used previously, so you may remember it).  The non-working hot tub will be removed "eventually".......right now it isn't a top priority.  Maybe we should consider transforming it into a really deep raised bed?  ;)

Here is the area after the screen room was set up.......but we weren't quite finished with it yet, although we did use it and enjoyed watching the mosquitoes trying to get at us.

Here is another view.......

And the completed screen room this morning after Don installed indoor/outdoor carpeting yesterday.  We have been sitting in it in the mornings while having coffee and using our iPads, and in the evenings doing the same thing but with different "beverages".  ;)

Copper is enjoying being in it, too.