Pics, as promised....

As promised, here are some pictures of the progress we've made on our back & side yard this summer. Of course only Mom & my sis will know what it looked like previously, but still....



This first picture is from the front-side of the house, taken looking toward the back. This is where the dog-kennel stood previously and I am standing just a couple of feet up from where my car was parked in that pic I posted a couple of days ago. That's DD's bedroom window with an abysmally poor view. Just the neighbour's fence-line.



This next picture is taken from just behind the dog-house seen in the previous photo looking toward the central part of the back yard. DH's car-port will be parked there to the left of the car-port containing my car. On the right of the pic you can see the corner of the dog-kennel, and behind that is the shed.

Just a short couple of weeks ago this was waist-high in weeds with only the shed out there.



Now for the third pic... All I've done is turned to get a better view of the dog-kennel (and the dogs, who wouldn't allow me to leave them inside long enough to take these pics, and so spent a few minutes wondering what the heck I was doing). That dog-house outside the kennel will eventually be moved INSIDE the kennel, but for now it contains straw purchased last year that's going to wind up on my flower-beds protecting them from the snow. In the mean-time, DH hasn't moved the doghouse into the kennel because we don't want the dogs sleeping on that old straw. The one corner of the kennel has been screened off to provide late-afternoon shade. Otherwise the kennel gets the full-blast of the afternoon sun with no relief. Of course, that hasn't stopped Jenny & Puck from digging a hole just to the right of the dog-house that's already inside the kennel. Puck would rather sleep in a hole in the dirt than in his dog-house. *shaking head* Doofy mutt!


Next comes a pic facing the other side of the kennel, with a good view of the deck, from just behind my lilac bush. (Some other type of weedy bush growing up with my lilac, but I think I will get out there & cut it out before it kills off my lilac.) Of course, the lonely chair & grill out there. Trying to decide what I want to hang on that back wall. I'll find some garden decoration of some sort to hang out there, you can be sure of that. Of course, that's my kitchen window looking out to the back-yard. Not really visible, but there none-the-less is the chive plant growing just to the back of the grill, at that corner of the house. And further down are my rhubarb, and at the front of that side of the house is my pea-patch.

There's not 3 feet between the edge of the deck & the dog-kennel. Just enough to keep the pipes for the fuel-tank free so that the delivery person won't have to enter the dog kennel to fill our tank.


Last but not least, I'm standing in the neighbour's drive for this picture. Just the side of the shed & my lilac. Eventually just here to the fore-front of the picture I'll have a clothes-line tree. One of those round types. It'll save space while giving me the most line. I'd like to get it installed this autumn to be ready to use as soon as the ground thaws (and stops being muddy) next spring. I know it's not going to get used this autumn, no matter what I do.

That small row of sapplings just behind the lilac is the property line between my yard & my neighbour's back yard. The shed sits right on the edge of the property line as well, as does the car-port.

Ok, well that gives y'all some idea of what my back yard looks like. And how tiny it is. And how much fuller it's going to be in a couple of weeks. *grin* Unfortunately no room for a garden. Though.... I may see about putting a little terraced bed just to the side of the shed there. It faces south, and except for the shade of the lilac, gets good sun during most of the day.

*****

I spent the morning (after waking up about 9:15) running to pay the phone bill, then on to the farmer's market where I purchased 2 jars of home-made jam (one blueberry, one red-rhubarb) and 4 pieces of cake (2 quarters of almond cake, 1 quarter each cherry & apple). There's this local woman who's origionally from the Czech Republic who makes this FANTASTIC almond cake. That's my favorite flavor, anyway. It's just this thin dense cake with a layer of home-ground almond paste & studded with almonds. She also has the previously mentioned apple & cherry flavors, as well as blueberry, very berry (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry & blackberry), strawberry-rhubarb, chocolate, walnut, and one other that I can't seem to recall right off the bat. Anyway, when I got to the farmer's market little after 11 this morning (it opens at 9 am on Saturdays & goes till about 4 pm) she had a line 10 people long, and moving steadily. She makes some lovely breads, incredible cannoli (which I didn't buy, as I was getting cake) with honey or lemon flavored filling, garlic rolls that smell divine, coconut macaroons, various quick-breads, and so many other delicous things that I can't remember them all. But, I primarily buy the cake. *grin* I only spend $24 altogether on the cake & the jams. Not bad! Of course I could have spent SOOOOO much more, but I restrained myself. I was kind of hoping to find some swiss chard as well, but didn't see anybody selling any. *sigh*

After the farmer's market I head a bit further up the road to Gulliver's Books. It's the only used bookstore in town, and it's on the far-side of town for me, so I rarely get there. But ooooh they've got such incredible books. The upstairs is shared between the used books & the Second Story Cafe (which, I hear, has lovely food). I didn't find anything of any real delight to me today, upstairs. I was looking for any of the American Girl Craft or cooking books. Esp. Josephina or Kirsten. I also love to browse the regular craft section for interesting crochet books. I found a book (a good 200 pages long) of victorian patterns, published in the 70's, last time I was there. But as I said, nothing upstairs that caught my attention today. Downstairs I found the Stitch&Bitch Happy Hookers book, and the Harry Potter-themed "Charmed Knits" book. Both of which I would love to own, but didn't feel like spending that much money today. Some other day. *wink*

Stopped in to see Dad on my way out of town & visited with him for a bit. Then headed to the craft store to pick up supplies for a craft project to dress up DD's jeans. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have some creative pics to post. Then home.

For now I've got to go shred the last of the zucchini, do some dishes and get a frozen chicken popped into a sink full of cold water to thaw in time to roast it for dinner tonight. Oh, and make myself a sandwich for a late lunch so I can enjoy a piece of that almond cake for dessert. *wink*

Have a Blessed Day.