In other news, I also had the back step fixed, and I took it out of the concrete molds myself this morning. The original step was this broken down, narrow brick thing which was an accident waiting to happen until it actually did. A busted knee, ankle and hand later, I decided it had to go sooner rather than later. Here is the original brick step

and here is the new step, which is made from concrete that I exposed the aggregate on.

It was actually a lot easier than I thought, and it was done without any of that special chemical used to keep the top from setting … basically just a brush and a bit of water, watched carefully over a day or so. The exposed aggregate basically matches the concrete used on the rest of the patio, and will be the same treatment the side of the house will be getting when the new step is poured to replace out the rotten deck we removed. I used a larger brush on the overall surface, and (funny enough) a little nail brush on the top part to get under the sill. I redid the treatment 3-4 times over the course of a day and a half, after waiting for the initial set period, until it was a look I liked. On the last time, I also brushed the sides (once the frame was removed) and scrubbed some of the extra off the bottom. I still need to clean it up a bit more, but I really like it! I think the trick is to not use a heavy hand on it—you can always go back and do more, but you can’t replace that which you have scrubbed too hard on! So I poured a bit of water on it and lightly brushed the surface until I was happy with what I had.

Rather than putting in a standard fence with boards and pressure-treated wood, I wanted something more natural and rugged looking. I found a great local connection for split cedar posts and rails off Craigslist, and picked up a whole pile of them. (I figured any extras could be used for other landscaping projects.)

The posts went in yesterday, which you can see from the picture below. They are being installed by an excellent local contractor here in Eugene, Russ Kimball, who doesn’t think I’m totally insane for installing a field fence in a small area of my backyard. Once the posts set, he will be attaching rails to the front of the fence and wire deer fencing to the back of the fence. I wanted it this way because the posts will make an attractive backdrop for the Clematis vines I purchased, which will be growing on cherrywood trellises that I am assembling soon. I also wanted the wire on the back in case I ever wanted to remove it some day, or change it out for a finer mesh in case my husband ever caves and lets me get chickens or ducks.