Backyard evolution

We're making some changes in the backyard and it's hard work. It will look really good when it's finished, but it's hard work!

Garden spot has been tilled and covered with weed barrier.

Garden boxes that are small enough that, hopefully, I can handle them.

My sister does garden boxes and it seems more manageable to me. I don't know if it really will be, but we're going to give it a shot. At least it looks better than the weeds that were there that I didn't take a picture of. Most people know it will be cheaper to just buy fruits and vegetables at the store when you're only feeding two people, but I want to have a project that Sarah and I can work on and she can learn to work.

A previous post showed some limbs that I hauled away but I still had another stackof pine branches. I didn't really want to drag them across the lawn and spread pine needles, so the family came over and we burned them. I was funny to watch the boys just stick with it until the end. Of course, it was fire! The girls wanted to help throw the branches on but quickly resorted to seeing how many things they could make out of the branches (antlers, picture frames, etc.). It was a fun night and I am SO glad to have those branches gone!

You can see the size of the pile, though this was not the start.

The drag mark is from moving the fire so it didn't get too close to the tree.

Family fun

Andre, Sarah, and Abby keeping their distance and taking it easy.

Pile is gone!

With just two of us, the big garden is NEVER going to be used as a garden. So, I decided to make it Sarah's playground.

This is how we're starting.

Branches gone, weeds cut way down, and area raked.

Weed barrier

First addition to the playground

Hanging bar switched out for her swing from Nama.

She really loves the slide even though it does have a couple of good bumps.
She even catches a little air.

The swingset was really supposed to be red, yellow, and blue. Sadly, I was fixing lunch when they started assembling it and by the time I got out and saw, they had everything unpacked and started. I didn't have the heart to make them pack it all up. I will always be a little sad that it's not bright and happy, but it doesn't stand out so much in the yard. I did get a $50 gift certificate to use at the Lifetime store. The guys were really apologetic and one even exchanged the plane teeter-totter (they had brought the red, yellow, and blue version of that) and dropped it off on his way home from work. They were willing to take it down, I just couldn't make them do it. Sarah doesn't really care and I'll get over it. Now, we just need to get playground chips to add some cushion.

On to the next part.