The shades are perfect. They were installed yesterday, and you can see that they mask the outside and will prevent direct sun on the porch, but will allow light and vision. The porch can be made cooler and more private without losing the sweeping views I have.
This picture shows the density of the shades a bit better. There are three big shades–and they stop halfway down the porch screens so they can be attached via bungee cords if needed to the wooden strip in the middle of the porch. They are so light and easy to roll up, where they totally disappear beneath their holders, leaving only their little bungee cord holders and the steel chains that control them in view. The chains are at the corners, so they don’t dangle in full view across the screens.
The shade below and the door shade can come down at night to provide privacy in my big room in the house. But I would roll them up at night before I go to bed so if a storm comes in (as happened last night), they won’t flap in the wind.
Here’s the door shade going all the way down, and you can see to its left the adjacent shades little bungee cord holder and how neatly it lives in its holder box.
Note, also, how green the neighborhood grass is getting. It is still too early to fertilize it for spring growth, and we are actually heading into a cold spell with much colder night temperatures for about a week–happening, unfortunately, while SIL Maryann is here from Boston next week.
I am grateful for the solid rain that came last night and will last much of today. I watered a bit yesterday by hand as the shrubs were looking parched. And the grass sod was looking so dry.
My back porch neighbor is a home town woman, and she called upon an old friend of hers to mow for her and for whatever neighbors might be interested in lawn mowing. I signed up and will hold off on buying an electric mower for the moment.
Louisa Enright's Blog 