Yesterday and Today

Yesterday was beautiful. For any time of year, but especially for an August day after a June and July that saw more days above 90 than not. It was in the mid 80s with low humidity. Today was cool, humid and rainy. So happy we were able to work about 7 hours on our back yard. We hired one of the guys who helped build out addition to come work for 5 hours and it was because of his help we were able to get almost 40% done.

We really like how it turned out under the steps. In front of the steps, the landing turned out about the way we expected. In an ideal world, we'd rip out the handy-man special steps the previous owner installed and put in a nice retaining wall and steps, but there are other things I'd like to do, so we deal with the goofy layout and if the landing looks a little askew, it's because of those handyman special steps.

I have lusted after these edging stones ever since I saw them in a neighbors yard several years ago. Just as they were selling their home, I tried to inquire where they had purchased them, but they had already moved out. I've seem similar in other places, but never the exact thing, so I was thrilled to have found them when we went to select our materials. You can't see them well, but they are these small rectangle shaped things in the very edges of the pictures. I'd better like them because they cost 1/3 of all the materials, which included 3 1/4 tons of 2" washed gravel, 37 stepping stones, 1 ton of stone dust and 110 of these pavers/edges weighing in at just over a ton.

Den was itching to do some more work today (and for all you sarcastic types, and you know who you are), I brought all but 4 of the 37 stepping stones to the back, brought 1/2 of the edging stones, moved 2 wheelbarrows of stone dust, 4-5 of dirt, laid almost half the stones and also managed the 7 tree guys who descended on our house the same day to remove 11 trees. All of 2 of the 11 were either dead, on their way out, or damaged so badly from the snowstorms this past winter that they weren't going to make it. If you had never been to our house, you'd never really know, but it's a pretty dramatic change. We figure we'll replant this fall when we are more likely to have cooler than 90 degree weather.

Today it rained, or threatened to rain all day. We had the kids out in it much of the day. Eddie is starting to hang out with the 'older' kids in the hood, which is nice, they are 6, 7, and 8 and for the most part a good group of kids.