The mountain deck that cooks while the air is cool

Do not let one good July afternoon approve a permanent object.

This is the annual vote. The same proposed screen, awning, pergola, move or planting change is held fixed while the engine re-runs the property in winter, spring, summer and autumn.

Reading point

Use

Clock hour: 5:00 PM

The hour is intentionally held constant. This isolates seasonal geometry instead of letting a different clock time flatter the proposal.

The year, in one line

Everything below is about a change. Before that, it is worth knowing what the place already does — the hours it is open, month by month, on one page you can put on a fridge.

Operating hours card

Before a permanent change gets to win

Make January, April, July and October vote on it.

These are the exact same proposed objects re-run through the engine in four seasons. A summer fix that steals winter sun cannot hide inside one July afternoon.

Same geometry · four seasons

Change	Jan	Apr	Jul	Oct	Seasons it helps	Year verdict
A deciduous tree 23 ft south-west of the seat The status improves in 1 of 4 seasons and does not get worse in the rest. 1 stays No.	No No → No	Works Works → Works	Works Works → Works	Works Tight → Works	1 of 4	seasonal
A 6 ft 11 in panel to the south-west This is a real seasonal trade: the status improves in 1 season and gets worse in 1.	No No → No	Works Works → Works	Tight Works → Tight	Works Tight → Works	1 of 4	tradeoff
Move the table 6 ft 7 in north-east The status does not move in any sampled season.	No No → No	Works Works → Works	Works Works → Works	Tight Tight → Tight	0 of 4	weak
Two low shielded lights instead of one high one The status does not move in any sampled season.	No No → No	Works Works → Works	Works Works → Works	Tight Tight → Tight	0 of 4	weak
Add 1 ft 6 in of trellis to Deck rail The status does not move in any sampled season.	No No → No	Works Works → Works	Works Works → Works	Tight Tight → Tight	0 of 4	weak
A second seat 19 ft 8 in south-east The status does not move in any sampled season.	No No → No	Works Works → Works	Works Works → Works	Tight Tight → Tight	0 of 4	weak

What changes by season

A deciduous tree 23 ft south-west of the seat

January: No → No; after the change the controlling issue is what it feels like; direct-sun reading +0.

April: Works → Works; no controlling failure remains; direct-sun reading -19.

July: Works → Works; after the change the controlling issue is what it feels like; direct-sun reading -43.

October: Tight → Works; no controlling failure remains; direct-sun reading -47.

A 6 ft 11 in panel to the south-west

January: No → No; after the change the controlling issue is what it feels like; direct-sun reading -92.

April: Works → Works; no controlling failure remains; direct-sun reading +0.

July: Works → Tight; after the change the controlling issue is what it feels like; direct-sun reading +0.

October: Tight → Works; after the change the controlling issue is what it feels like; direct-sun reading -92.

Move the table 6 ft 7 in north-east

January: No → No; after the change the controlling issue is what it feels like; direct-sun reading +0.

April: Works → Works; no controlling failure remains; direct-sun reading +0.

July: Works → Works; after the change the controlling issue is what it feels like; direct-sun reading +0.

October: Tight → Tight; after the change the controlling issue is glare; direct-sun reading +0.

Two low shielded lights instead of one high one

January: No → No; after the change the controlling issue is what it feels like; direct-sun reading +0.

April: Works → Works; no controlling failure remains; direct-sun reading +0.

July: Works → Works; after the change the controlling issue is what it feels like; direct-sun reading +0.

October: Tight → Tight; after the change the controlling issue is glare; direct-sun reading +0.

Add 1 ft 6 in of trellis to Deck rail

January: No → No; after the change the controlling issue is what it feels like; direct-sun reading -55.

April: Works → Works; no controlling failure remains; direct-sun reading +0.

July: Works → Works; after the change the controlling issue is what it feels like; direct-sun reading +0.

October: Tight → Tight; after the change the controlling issue is glare; direct-sun reading +0.

A second seat 19 ft 8 in south-east

January: No → No; after the change the controlling issue is what it feels like; direct-sun reading +0.

April: Works → Works; no controlling failure remains; direct-sun reading +0.

July: Works → Works; after the change the controlling issue is what it feels like; direct-sun reading +0.

October: Tight → Tight; after the change the controlling issue is glare; direct-sun reading +0.

Draw this change

The same change, four times a year

A deciduous tree 23 ft south-west of the seat, drawn at 5:00 PM on the four days the vote reads. The top row is the place as it is; the bottom row has the change in it.

To scale · to the measurements given

The drawings, in a table

A deciduous tree 23 ft south-west of the seat, as the place is and with the change, at 5:00 PM on four days.
Day	Sun	As it is	With the change	Hours
15 January	1° up, SW	No	No	Not claimed
15 April	33° up, W	Works	Works	Not claimed
15 July	42° up, W	Works	Works	Not claimed
15 October	16° up, SW	Tight	Works	Not claimed

The year as it is

Works
Tight
No
Unanswered

Rings run from 3 pm at the centre to 11 pm at the edge. Schematic: A shape of the facts, not a picture of a particular date or a measured outline. Each month is its 15th, not a promise about the other days.

The table on the deck is open for dinner outside 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, May to August. It opens at different hours March to April and September to October. Shut November to February.

November to February: shut for dinner outside. What it feels like is what stops it.
March to April: open 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Glare is what closes it.
May to August: open 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
September to October: open 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Glare is what closes it.

The shut months are shut for one reason: what it feels like. That is the thing to change if you want the season longer, and it is a different job from making the open months better.

The same year as a table

Month	Open	Usable hours	What decides it
January 15	shut	—	What it feels like stops it
February 15	shut	—	What it feels like stops it
March 15	5:00 PM–6:00 PM	1 h	Glare closes it
April 15	5:00 PM–7:00 PM	2 h	Glare closes it
May 15	5:00 PM–9:00 PM	4 h
June 15	5:00 PM–9:00 PM	4 h
July 15	5:00 PM–9:00 PM	4 h
August 15	5:00 PM–9:00 PM	4 h
September 15	5:00 PM–6:00 PM	1 h	Glare closes it
October 15	5:00 PM–6:00 PM	1 h	Glare closes it
November 15	shut	—	What it feels like stops it
December 15	shut	—	What it feels like stops it

The year with a deciduous tree 23 ft south-west of the seat

Works
Tight
No
Unanswered

Rings run from 3 pm at the centre to 11 pm at the edge. Schematic: A shape of the facts, not a picture of a particular date or a measured outline. Each month is its 15th, not a promise about the other days.

The table on the deck is open for dinner outside 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, March to August. It opens at different hours September to October. Shut November to February.

November to February: shut for dinner outside. What it feels like is what stops it.
March to August: open 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. What it feels like is what closes it.
September to October: open 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Glare is what closes it.

The shut months are shut for one reason: what it feels like. That is the thing to change if you want the season longer, and it is a different job from making the open months better.

The same year as a table

Month	Open	Usable hours	What decides it
January 15	shut	—	What it feels like stops it
February 15	shut	—	What it feels like stops it
March 15	5:00 PM–7:00 PM	2 h	What it feels like closes it
April 15	5:00 PM–8:00 PM	3 h	What it feels like closes it
May 15	5:00 PM–9:00 PM	4 h	What it feels like closes it
June 15	5:00 PM–9:00 PM	4 h
July 15	5:00 PM–9:00 PM	4 h
August 15	5:00 PM–9:00 PM	4 h
September 15	5:00 PM–6:00 PM	1 h	Glare closes it
October 15	5:00 PM–6:00 PM	1 h	Glare closes it
November 15	shut	—	What it feels like stops it
December 15	shut	—	What it feels like stops it

Annual shortlist

6 exact proposals re-tested

A deciduous tree 23 ft south-west of the seat

seasonal

The status improves in 1 of 4 seasons and does not get worse in the rest. 1 stays No.

January: No → No · April: Works → Works · July: Works → Works · October: Tight → Works

A 6 ft 11 in panel to the south-west

tradeoff

This is a real seasonal trade: the status improves in 1 season and gets worse in 1.

January: No → No · April: Works → Works · July: Works → Tight · October: Tight → Works

Move the table 6 ft 7 in north-east

weak

The status does not move in any sampled season.

January: No → No · April: Works → Works · July: Works → Works · October: Tight → Tight

Two low shielded lights instead of one high one

weak

The status does not move in any sampled season.

January: No → No · April: Works → Works · July: Works → Works · October: Tight → Tight

Add 1 ft 6 in of trellis to Deck rail

weak

The status does not move in any sampled season.

January: No → No · April: Works → Works · July: Works → Works · October: Tight → Tight

A second seat 19 ft 8 in south-east

weak

The status does not move in any sampled season.

January: No → No · April: Works → Works · July: Works → Works · October: Tight → Tight