From the day I first looked at my condo, I loved the deck and the view of lovely trees, with a golf course on the other side of the trees (currently an abandoned golf course with a lawsuit pending, but that's another story). The cats loved the deck, too, but I worried about them. Raleigh once took a tumble off the railing. Fortunately, she was not hurt. Coco would catch birds on the deck, bring them in the house, and let them go. I got a bit tired of chasing birds through the house.

Several years ago I got a friend of a friend to screen the deck for me. That was one of the smartest things I've ever done. I put in hinged screen sections that open inward, allowing me access to the bird bath, bird feeders and hanging plants on the railing just outside the screen. I also replace the sliding screen with a sliding plexiglass door, and installed a cat door in the plexiglass. The cats spend many hours out there, and I can sit outside without worrying about bees or mosquitoes. It's like having another room in the house.

Before - 4 seasons of the deck
View in early spring	Late spring, with crab apple trees in bloom
Deck in fall	Deck after a snowfall
Another snowy shot from the deck	Deck facing the house
Transformation: Screen Porch
Still pretty, but much safer screened	Bamboo blinds for privacy from nearby deck
Raleigh and Coco enjoy the porch	Raleigh checks out the cat door