Porch begins

What begins as a fix-the-floor and restore-the-railing upkeep project has taken a bit of a turn.  The columns that hold my porch roof up are, in fact hollow - without the post inside I was expecting.  They are caving in on the rotting floor beneath them.

From the outside, after careful -surgical- stair removal:

And, after pulling out the cedar ceiling in the basement below, I have this view of the column support:

So... today, up goes the roof.  Up up in the air.  This should be fun.  The neighbors are certainly amused.