Clear cedar vs. Black cedar

You know who you are... you've dropped hints about NOT staining the cedar black.  You're thinking, why would they use clear cedar and then stain it black?  After maybe giving it a teeny tiny second thought, we did it.

Before:

After:

My vote is still stands in the "black cedar" camp.  To me, it finally looks finished.  (It will look even better once the sun is shining on it... as it is in the "before" photo.)