The Latest on the Lowes

We started this blog to share the transformation of our 1926 fixer...but with time and the addition of kids it has become my way of documenting two childhoods...the triumphs, moments of hilarity, lessons learned and everything in between.

Sunday, January 08, 2006

Taming the yard


Before we even moved in, Chris started work on the backyard fence. The yard itself looked awful, but we knew with some love it would be great. The deck is huge and perfect for BBQs and the yard below is the perfect size - not too big, not too small. On the left you can see how "landscaped" it was. According to the neighbors, this was a vast improvement over the year before. I shudder to think how it looked before this upgrade.

After several weeks of intense outside work, including the excavation and removal of a massive tree stump, our yard now has a lovely 5' cedar fence, complete with solar lights! Chris actually got the whole thing finished in time for us to move in, ensuring Cass and Paco would have a safe yard to do their business. They were most appreciative.

Of course this amount of work cannot be done alone. Thankfully our wonderful friend Tom was there to lend a hand....which really says a lot considering that the project started out with dry skies but 30-degree weather and ended up a balmy 52-degrees in the pouring rain. To add insult to injury, Gordito's was closed this past Saturday meaning all that labor couldn't even be rewarded with a mamoth burrito. Thank goodness Snappy Dragon was there to save the day.

We also got a truck from Handy Andy to haul away the massive amount of yard waste that came with the project. It may look sturdy, but the inside was terrifying and the tires bald. Needless to say Chris was more than happy to return it at the end of the day.

And last but not least, Cass and Paco were diligent about overseeing the project from both above and below. When their vantage point on the deck grew tiresome, they helped out on the ground, showing Chris were all the escape routes may be. They're really quite the taskmasters.