Concrete Front Porch

'True Blood' season 4 preview: Undead delights ahead

It’s not like we expect a show about a telepathic waitress and her cohort of supernatural pals in rural Louisiana to be, say, plausible, but shock for shock’s sake shakes us out of the creepy, kinky and curiously charming world created by Ball and Charlaine Harris, the novelist on whose Southern Vampire books “True Blood” is based.

My other main beef with the third season of “True Blood” was that, for long stretches, there seemed to be no main beef — that is, Ball had each character embroiled in their own sordid dramas, independent of everyone else. (And often independent of basic common sense.)

The good news about the fourth season is that, judging from the early episodes, Ball appears to have found a way to integrate many of these characters into one major arc, centering on new baddie Marnie (brilliant Irish actress Fiona Shaw), a Wiccan who runs the local coven and is interested in the stretching the limits of necromancy, which understandably gives the undead the heebie-jeebies.

At the end of the third season , our heroine Sookie (Anna Paquin), vampire boyfriend Bill (Stephen Moyer) and vamp bigwig Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) had dispatched, Hoffa-style, Russell Edgington, the Mississippi vampire regent who was proving to be a bit of a public relations nightmare for the pro-mainstreaming American Vampire League.

And speaking of spines, Bill certainly displayed one when he tried to bury Eric as well in that vat of cement, ostensibly because Eric knew Sookie’s secret: She’s part fairy, which makes her irresistible to vamps. But moments after Bill declared his eternal love for Sookie on her front porch, a concrete-matted Eric appeared and spilled the beans on Bill. He didn’t show up at Merlotte’s because he heard the waitresses were easy. He came to Bon Temps on the orders of vampire queen Sophie-Anne Leclerq to “procure” the gifted Sookie, and let a skeevy couple viciously beat her up so he could heal her with his blood, forging a bond between them.

Meanwhile, self-destructive barmaid Tara, despairing over the death of boyfriend Eggs in season two, was kidnapped by a delightfully unhinged vampire — delightful to us viewers, if not to Tara — but escaped and was last spotted heading off for points unknown.

Fabulous short order cook Lafayette found love with the supernaturally-inclined Jesus — “You’re a witch who’s a nurse who’s a dude?” — and began to unlock his own untapped magical powers.

Staining concrete floors, Concrete stain sealer, Etching concrete

Staining concrete floors is an easy and a relatively inexpensive way to update your front porch or patio.

You are only limited by your own imagination. Get inspired and create your very own unique design that will last for years.

Traci, author of the wonderful blog Beneath My Heart , and her husband stained their patio's concrete floor to make it look like a tile floor. We're very excited to show you her pictures and instructions. You'll be amazed at their fabulous results.

Traci's Stained Concrete Floor


Staining Concrete Floors - Step-by-Step Staining concrete floors is basically a three-step process in most cases. Prepare the concrete

Stain the concrete

Seal the concrete

Prepare The Concrete Preparation is key to attaining a perfectly stained concrete porch. Clean your porch floor thoroughly. A mild detergent will work in most cases but if it is really soiled, stained, or has algae, use a cleaner specifically designed for cleaning concrete which you can find at most home supply stores.

Now is the time to repair any imperfections. Most cracks can be filled with a concrete filler. Follow manufacturers instructions for drying times before staining concrete floors.

If your porch floor has large cracks or is uneven due to settling, don't despair. It is important to determine the cause of the damage. Repairing the concrete without fixing what caused it is throwing money away- your concrete will just crack again.

Concrete is porous and thus needs to be prepped to receive the stain.

Traci chose to use muriatic acid that they already had on hand for etching concrete . Although effective, it is a caustic material (see note below).

You may also want to investigate using other products like NewLook QuickEtch™ (a biodegradable concrete etching compound) or NewLook EcoAcid™, a water-based, non-corrosive concrete cleaning and etching compound or even Quikrete BondLok (available at Lowes). NOTE: Muriatic acid is a very poisonous, corrosive liquid that reacts with various materials and can severely damage body tissue and organs. Use extreme care when using it. Wear neoprene or rubber gloves, a protective apron and leather shoes or boots. Wear safety goggles or a full facial shield. Do not ever add water to the acid, as that generates extreme heat and causes it to boil and splash.

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Alabama, One Big Front Porch