Bubba and Bertha miss their old smelly deck, which was ripped out this morning and carted off. After anticipating a nasty surprise, what had been hidden all these years turned out to be nothing. No rat skeletons, no nests, no toys, no holes in the foundation, nothing. My contractor came by and coated the newly exposed wood siding with some sticky blue gunk, let it dry, and then applied the water proofing material that you see in the above photo. Earlier the demo crew made a temporary ramp for my dogs. Of course Bertha knew instantly how to use it, but that wasn’t the case with Bubba who required coaxing — placing treats at the top near their door. Tomorrow the concrete crew will be building the forms for the new back steps and the entrance to the garage. At least that’s what we have been told to expect, but I’m not going to hold my breath.