A Concrete Slab with a View

As the weather gets nicer, my thoughts turn to our balcony. When Mr. Random and I bought our condo two years ago, I really lamented the fact that I wouldn’t have a yard in which to plant flowers and assorted vegetables. Ever since I was a little girl, I always dreamed that my first home purchase would consist of a little Cape Cod with a yard in back where we’d have cook outs and a vegetable garden and my eventual little kids would have room to run and play. Nope – the brutal Washington DC real estate market dashed those dreams really quickly . . .

So now we just have a little balcony off of the living room to fulfill all of my outdoor leisure dreams. Last summer, we couldn’t use the balcony because all the balconies in the building were getting refurbished for safety reasons and we didn’t want to take the chance of plunging to our deaths. By the time our balcony was finally fixed, it was too late to get proper furniture for it (i.e. there were no more sales and the good stuff was already taken.)

This year, I want to get a little metal table and chairs (with gaily colored cushions), a couple of small evergreens in pots to put in each front corner, and a small low bench that I can put a flowerbox on to grow pansies or something. Whether all of that will actually fit is anyone’s guess, but I am a dreamer . . .

We have a lovely view from our balcony. We are in the back of the building, so we currently look out over a wooded area that is home to many, many beautiful birds and trees. The Random Cat spends hours looking out of the sliding glass doors, working herself into a frenzy wanting to burst through the window and nab any bird that happens to land on the railing. Unfortunately, at any moment they are going to start construction on a bunch of townhouses on that little patch of land, so we will soon kiss that lovely view goodbye. Sometimes I really hate urban infill development! (Yes, I know it is great from an urban planning standpoint, but still!)

I would really like to go out this weekend and get stuff, but Saturday and Sunday jam-packed with activities already. I hope we can go out next weekend if it isn’t too late to get really nice, but cheap, furniture. We went to Target last weekend and the garden furniture area was pretty much ransacked already . . .