The Side Yard Saga

For those of you unfamiliar with the details of the side yard...let's just say the landscaping was not "straight forward". Essentially, there were more rocks (big!) than clay, and the clay was as hard as the rocks. Additionally, drainage was a real issue. There was supposed to be a swale, but the builders didn't grade the property correctly, so we not only had to dig an underground drain (with perf pipe and gravel), but had to make it deep because the vents on the foundation have to have the ground at least two inches below them to be up to code. Anyway...it was a pain. Still not finished, but for those who saw it before grass...I think you'll agree that this is a great improvement! I got fifteen rolls of sod this morning and laid the last bit to connect the grass to the backyard that was already done. Feels good!

From the gate:

From the backyard:


Where the dirt pile was:

Candy's Cobbler

Well, after reading Candy's blog, I decided to use the cans of fruit (peach and blackberry) that I had bought for a dutch oven recipe (and had never gotten to), to make her cobbler! Turned out yummy, but too big for one person!

"Sillies"

As Megan used to say...

I have been outside all morning working on the lawn and decided to come in and surf the web for cool birding blogs/pictures. I came upon this and had to add it to my blog. Aren't the differences in bird plumage amazing! It is really a testament to their ability to inhabit specific ecological niches.

Backyard Blues

We are still spending most of our time finishing the yard. We have to dig many ditches to drain the property (we are lowest of all of subdivision), then fill them with gravel, followed by topping with dirt, and then laying grass. It all takes a while. On the bright side - the back-back yard is done!! Yeah! The side yard is in progress and will hopefully get done by Friday evening so that Matt can rest Saturday before he travels to Salem on Sunday. Will post pics soon.