The Outdoor Office

Like West Virginia, almost heaven

Yes, that is cat hair along with the smudges on my screen.

Spring officially arrived on March 20, but for me spring hasn’t really sprung until I can sit outside with my laptop.

Mind you, this outdoor office is not the Ritz. Our deck has a view of the backside of neighboring houses, lots of telephone wires, and our garage (not pictured due to its hideousness).

Said garage: Single car cinder block dating from (we believe) the 1960s. It has poor drainage, a cracked window, and barely enough room to fit any vehicle larger than a 1974 Honda Civic. In fact, in 25 years of living here we have never put a car in it. We’re afraid to.

Instead, the garage is home to a beat-up electric lawnmower (embarrassingly, the handle is held together with duct tape — repair job by me, thank you), two garbage cans, many seldom-used lawn tools, and a heavy bag bought in a fit of optimism some 10 years ago when one of our children expressed (what turned out to be a fleeting) interest in boxing.