Creating the Outdoor Therapy Space

It has been a minute since I posted here. I've been busy with lots going on including attending 5 prides around the state. One big task I took on was fixing up the outdoor space to create a outdoor therapy space. I'm happy to report that now it is DONE!!

When I first looked at the house a few years ago, I envisioned the office in the breezeway between the house and the barn (where it is now) and fixing up the big old deck (a little over 530 square feet) to make a welcoming and comfortable space to talk, make music, and experience community. The deck's wood was solid and study but it had been painted and proper upkeep was not done. The paint was flaking and falling off all over it. It took a few years of working on other projects to get things in good shape before I had the time and space to tackle this project.

So the end of May, I started with stripping the old paint using a deck restoring stirpper and a power washer. Once that was completed, I conditioned the wood to neutralize the chemicals from the paint stripper. Then I painted the deck. It took two to three coats of the deck paint because the wood was so dry. I finished the floor of the deck with a waterproofing agent to extend its life. After that, I scraped and painted the railing. Next, up went the shade sail and then the solar powered lights. Finally, I refinished some deck furniture to round out the space.

I am looking forward to holding therapy sessions outdoors on good weather days if folks are interested in that. I also am going to start hosting an acoustic open mic evening. I am looking forward to experiencing music around the beauty of Midcoast.

Here is a video of the process of fixing up the outdoor therapy space. Enjoy!