Year 3 - Day 165 - June 13

It's not even 11am on the first day of summer. I've already done a thousand things. One of them was giving the maple tree a haircut. It had a ton of little new branches dangling around the grill and they were driving me nuts. I also went down and snipped the ones that were dangling towards the yard so that Mike doesn't get smacked in the face while mowing. Now that I've exerted myself, I believe some couch laying is in my future!!

Year 2 - Day 331 - November 18

Allow me to introduce, our tree that refuses to go to sleep! Just in the last week, it's finally started changing colors. We'd really like the leaves to fall so that we can rake them before it's freezing outside. Perhaps we'll get a really good wind storm this weekend???? :)

Year 2 - Day 239 - August 28

We survived Hurricane Irene with just some leaves and puddles. A neighbor lost a branch but it wasn't too big. Our backyard is a swamp right now, and it was very windy all night.

Lots of people have no power today, but our neighborhood is one of the lucky ones. We were out for a couple hours this morning, but it was quickly restored. Hopefully it stays that way because our chest freezer is housing the cold items from a few friends homes. :)

Year 2 - Day 220 - August 9

Before we left for vacation, we had grass all the way to the driveway. In the 10 super hot days we were gone, the rubbery spidery weeds took over and invaded! This picture gives you an idea, but doesn't do it justice. The rubbery spider weeds are my nemesis! :)

Year 2 - Day 158 - June 8

Unlike the zinneas, one of my green shrubs is dying. In 48 hours it went from just as healthy as the others to almost totally brown. I can't figure out why. It gets the same treatment as the others, and the other 5 identical bushes are fine, as are the 3 spireas and the lilac. Grrrr.....

Year 2 - Day 157 - June 7

My multi colored zinneas (spelling?) are thriving. I'm impressed with how much they've been blooming, even through the heat wave. Some days they have to be watered both morning and afternoon, but they perk right back up. It's amazing ... they are so puny and sad looking when I get home and 20 minutes later, post-water, they perk back up. Kind of a visual reminder of why it's healthy to drink water, I suppose!

Year 2 - Day 92 - April 3

The best part of living in my townhouse was that I didn't have to cut the grass.  Since they used the same lawn mower on the whole street, we all shared "germs" (weeds) so I never worried about having the perfect lawn.

This neighborhood is a whole different ballgame.  With the exception of the one we inherited & one house with older residents, every lawn is perfect around there.  We spent a lot of $$$$$ buying the ingredients for what basically amounts to a 12 step program for the yard.  Top soil, weed killer, grass seed, fetilizer....(all to be used at different times) ... Wish us luck....a lot of luck.

Day 248 - September 5

You see that caterpillar?  The yellow and black one?

It just made me fall over from my weed pulling crouch, jump to my feet, shudder, scream, and take many many steps away from the weeds.

You see, there are several in this weed patch.  And they happened to be waiting in line for something, and when there are 6 all in a line, they look like a snake.

But they're not. They're just a whole bunch of caterpillars.

If anyone happened to be sitting at their front windows watching me pull weeds however, they might think differently.  Mike says he's sorry he missed it.

Day 243 - August 31

This tree in our backyard appears to be on the "school year calendar" schedule, rather than "rotation of the earth calendar" schedule.  There is no need for yellow leaves to be falling to the ground on August 31st when it is 95 degrees outside!

Day 217 - Aug 5

Although that green stuff on the ground under the tree may appear to be a bush in this iPhone-from-a-distance picture, it's actually evergreen clippings from the bushes alongside the house.  Our garbage doesn't pick up yard waste - so we're trying to figure out what to do with it.  This is the unbagged stuff with wide saw-cut branches.  The other corner of the yard has several black trash bags filled with other stuff.  We don't want or really need a new car, but today's the kind of day I wish we owned a pick up truck!  My parents got here yesterday, and once they had an SUV rental car.  No such luck this time.  Mike had to work, but my parents & I got to try a non-wings-and-Yings night meal at Dark Horse Saloon with our BOGO coupon.  It was tasty, so I'm happy.  It's nice to have affordable places nearby that are good.  I hear rumor we may get to go out for dinner too.... ;)

Day 214 - August 2

When I woke up this morning, my big plans were to grocery shop and lay around all day.  Unfortunately, since we were both home we decided that was probably not the smartest thing to do and so we spent a lot of time working on the awful bushes on the side and back of the house.  Double unfortunately, we do not own a pickup truck.  Our trash contractor won't take yard waste and we have too much for a car! (Not to mention, we don't particularly want to fill our cars with yard waste.) :)  It's bagged and piled, and now we just need a plan.  But as you can see, now I have my feet up on the couch, so there will not be a plan tonight.

Day 122 - May 2

Mike is attempting to make grass grow in the dead spots in the back yard.   We hear from neighbors that the previous owner drove some heavy machinery around his yard last year, and then let it sit.  (He also managed to burst the PVC water pipe in the front yard because he didn't heed the warnings and call Miss Utility.)  Hopefully the grass will be friendly and start to grow!  These are the 3 biggest spots, but there are some small ones too.  I wonder what he was digging for?!?

Yes, that's the shadow of a pull up bar you're seeing on the fence.  Another gift from the previous homeowners.