If you know me then you know that I usually have at least one outdoor project rolling around in my head. Last year it was supposed to be the fire pit area, but we just never got to it. This year I had several little projects in progress.

First, let’s start with my front walk.

You can kind of see it in this picture. The previous owners had used creek rocks to make a path out to the sidewalk. The annoying thing about this path is that it wasn’t correctly done so it sunk into the ground and started to disappear. Plus, since creek rock is all shale it easily breaks and flakes apart, which makes mowing lawn a real pain. So, I decided to do something about it.

At the beginning of June I started to pull up these rocks and fill the area in with dirt. I only managed to get about half of it done because there was more rock there than I expected. My dad was the one hauling it away and as it was it really weighed down the back of his truck. A few weeks ago, though, we decided to finish it up.

I threw some grass seed on there, but it’s been so dry that I think the grass seed just shriveled up and blew away. I know that technically you’re supposed to lay straw down on top of the seed and then water it, but that’s not happening with my allergies. I told Jay not to worry about it because the weeds will fill in soon enough. Then it will match the rest of the yard.

Some people have told me that we have to have a front walk up to our house. Why? Anybody who I want to visit me already knows to go to the back door, so anybody else should realize that they probably aren’t wanted. I mean, not even the mail person uses the front walk, so what’s the point? I think it will look just fine.

In conjunction with the front walk, I also had this to contend with:

The area beside the shed had become the back yard catch-all. I had dumped piles of extra dirt, rocks, and concrete pieces in this area. When my dad was down to haul away the creek rock he also hauled away the various rocks and pieces of concrete that lay underneath all of those weeds. The neighbor behind us (whose house you can see straight ahead) was cruising for a bruising a few weeks ago. Jay and I were back there discussing the other project that I wanted to install when the idiot says, “You finally decided to clean out the jungle, eh?” I so badly wanted to tell him that if it was bothering him that much he could have come over and helped himself. Thankfully he will be moving soon!

So, what was the project we were installing?

A rain barrel!

Up until this point we had been getting a LOT of rain so I decided it would be best to collect it for watering the plants instead of paying the city to use water out of the tap. What kind of sense does that make?! I believe that I shared the stand with you in one of my recent posts. Did I tell you that Jay informed me that the red will not produce hot water unless we have some REALLY hot days. I painted the stand using the exterior trim paint that I used on the shed.

It’s still kind of a mess back there, but I have another load of rocks to haul up to my parents’ house and then Jay will be able to get the lawn mower back there. That was the original plan when we put the shed up. Now all I have to do is wait for rain… and of course, as of this writing there is not a single drop in the forecast. I think that it’s all part of Murphy’s law: If you put up a pool your entire summer will be cold and rainy; if you put up a rain barrel the summer will be hot and dry. Stupid Murphy!

Besides harboring creek rocks and empty rain barrels, the yard has also been producing some greenery. You should have seen my roses last month! They were gorgeous:

I moved my cucumbers this year because they didn’t do well where they were last year.

I asked my neighbors’ if it would be okay for me to let my cucumbers grow on the fence between our yards. They said they didn’t care. Their dogs were a bit dubious, though.

They are doing pretty good! I had the first cucumber out of the garden today and it was really good. I can’t wait for more!

I even managed to get an extra layer of polyurethane thrown onto the wheelbarrow that my brother-in-law gave us. Doesn’t it look cute?

We have one more yard project in the works, but I’m not going to tell you what it is. I’ll just give you this hint:

Let’s just say that this project became exorbitant very quickly. But that is for a future post!

I have a special guest who would like to say Thank You for reading my blog. He is being extra respectful and dropping into a curtsy, too!

Isn’t Dave so pretty in his apron? Awww…