Damp. Chilly. Muddy. Satisfying.

That about sums up the state of the The Great White Shank hacienda on this early December AM. Walking outside on a damp night under a chilled, ghostly moon I couldn’t help but think that it’s been quite a successful week for this little postage stamp in the middle of The Great American Southwest. In a wild and head-spinning four days this house saw the following:

* Complete replacement of all the front valve work to enable the front watering systems to work correctly.

* Replacement of rotted wood frame and the back patio ceiling after years of sun and heat damage.

* Resolution of the water and brick issues in our east-facing sideyard following its design overhaul. It not only looks both beautiful and natural – more importantly, all water on that side of the house is now kept away from the house and our east-facing wall. We’ve already gotten a slew of compliments for the design and the work by Lords Of Design. They deserve it.

* Installation of a backyard lighting system that adds a sense of warmth and a touch of the exotic, complimenting the happy colorful lighting of the patio and the tiki bar.

* Repair of all damaged stucco and a complete re-painting of the house.

That’s an awful lot of activity for such a short period of time, and the property is showing the strain. All of our walkway and patio surfaces are covered in mud and grime, courtesy of the power wash done by the painters before the painting could begin. They tried their best to wash the surfaces down, but you’re talking about years of dirt, grime, and loose paint here. And given the fact that today was damp to begin with followed by a chilly intermittent rain that started (thankfully) after the painters had completed their work, nothing – and I do mean nothing is dry on this entire property. The sideyard is a quagmire of mud, and the walkways and patio areas are slimy with damp dirt and dust. It’s gross.

Still, it was all work that needed to be done; the house would never have lasted through another brutal Arizona summer, and the washing down of everything and the re-painting that has to be done on the back patio to restore it to its former playful brilliance will all be worth the inconvenience of a few days of muck and mire.

This has been one heck of a week, but at least it’s now over. And lots of stuff that needed to be done for a long time has now been checked off the “to do” list.

Expensive, yes. Stressful, absolutely. Satisfying, without a doubt.

Now the focus turns to my sister-in-law Tammy’s move to her new apartment in 10 days time.

And somewhere in all this is Christmas and the holiday season. Got to start thinking about that.