2 Years, 2 Months, 2 Week and No Days . . . . Later

Once a upon a time Stephen sat down and drew this up on his computer to give me some idea of what my ideas out front would look like.  After tweaking and lots of patience, this is what he came up with.  I loved it.  Then I got to work starting with the path going across the front.



I filled my little green jug, the one I still use regularly, bought my "bigger hammer", which I also still use regularly,  pounded lots of re-bar, strung lots of string and got to work.


Only thirty minutes and I had the first two pavers buried and ready to hold the gravel path in . . . . not too bad I decided.  Then . . .  I hit  . . . ROOTS!



Lots of ROOTS.  Big ROOTS!
Now it took Rob over 4 months to plant that pine tree.  The first Christmas tree in this house.  That was a lot of digging, picking, soaking and more digging and more picking. Can NOT harm that tree!  When they got bigger than my thumb, I just couldn't bring myself to cut them off.  Two years later, with Jon's approval, I did.  Jon is pretty sure that is what is raising some of the walk, so it was a necessity.




So while I had a power washer here, I used it to help with the trenching.  Got totally covered with mud, that was a light bulb moment.  Jon helped me one weekend getting most of them in and then we were back to the ROOTS.

Yesterday, after lunch with my cute little cronies, I ran and got a half ton of gravel.  It was a little browner and smaller than the gravel I bought a couple of years ago, so Jon was a good sport and helped me move, spread and level the old gravel over the whole area.  Then it was time to move the new stuff.  I figure we handled a full ton of gravel this morning.  But look what we finally have!


I have to laugh at the side tracks we (I) have gotten off on this past year.  When I pulled up the picture of  "the plan". I still don't have that pergola or fence to slow down the grand kids and dogs when they bolt out of the front door. I do have to wonder if that would be too much out there.

The shade cloth is back down because of wind, but will go back up tomorrow, hopefully.   Maybe I can stand back and see if that would be too much.  For now, the outside budget for the year is used up so I can keep myself out of the "bars" (short for trouble, expression my mom used . . .  never did the bar thing) barricading the side yard and getting the Lantana planted and hopefully the grapes planted too.  I am so ready for all of this year's planting to be done and the drips all up and running!  Bless Jon's heart, he is getting up every morning and helping me, as well as rewiring the shed, so that it will be a good place for both of us to work.

Jon is also going to help me figure out the best way to hang a gate so the fencing around the "barely farm" will be complete.  No clue here . .  the things I get that poor guy into!  He has left his job, so there is a lot of time to help me out . . . perhaps too much?  I do love having him here though.  Every year of him working up in Phoenix had become more and worse torture for me.  Guess that is what I get for marrying someone whose company I love.  But how awful if I didn't . . . . and vice versa.