Ok, we have been really busy and taken a little time to do yard work again, so I think it is a good time to update our backyard pictures. Here's the view out of our back door. It seems like I usually start with these two so I am keeping with the layout. The extra grass is gone (to a Jobe-ier place) and I think the new size of the flowerbed is just right for me. The two trees give lots of good shade to my *new* hammock stand! YEA! No more holes in trees. You can also see that the stumps have been ground and we used the grindings to fill in the holes left from relocating the monkey grass.
Here you can see how we got creative with the 7' x 10' free standing dog kennel to make it a 10' x 10' pen next to the house. Jackson will get the benefit of being outside without us having to walk across the yard in the rain to get him there. You can see we (Nathan with Jackson and I helping) laid some paitio pavers to keep the mud to a minimum and give Jackson a place to laydown out of the sun. We plan to get some 2x4's and plastic corregated roofing over the pavers by the window for more shade in the summer when the sun is further to the south. He will also have plenty of grass for daytime relief. He already likes it and sometimes sunbathes in there or digs for a mole. We had to use it before the pavers were in when he had a case of the runs for about a week. i felt so much better with him out there "just in case" instead of in his much smaller kennel. Of course, he would have rather been in the AC!
And, before I show you the BIG change, here's another pic to the smaller side of our yard. Back by the flowerbed where the tree stump was (on the right of this picture) I want a fire pit. I may steal the Jobe's design, just on a smaller scale. And I want to eventually get some pavers to extend the patio area along the side of the house (left on this picture) to put a 6-8 seater table with an umbrella. It is just kinda hard to cram under the roof when we have company over, although I just love it when I go home for lunch or when it rains in the evening.
The following pictures show the biggest change so far, in length, height, and shear weight of change. All but one of the pine trees are gone. I talked Nathan into leaving the one because it wasn't damaged or the scrawniest and I started feeling bad that we were cutting down so many trees. Thanks to my Dad for cutting them down and hauling them to the curb. You can see we have raked and removed about half of the pine leavings and the other piles should go to the curb weekly.
