Success

The De-construction project has been successful. I have one more project that needs to be done this fall and then I am finished with project work for at least a year. 

I'm pretty much worn out from all that I've gotten done the past 6 months.

This is the part of the ugliness I looked at for so many years. We do have a beautiful place in this hollow. Really, we do!

But when anyone pulled up to the house to visit or make a delivery, this is what they saw just north of our house.

I, of course nagged my husband for years to get the place cleaned up. However, he was never well enough to tackle this overwhelming job.

I hired Patrick from Midwest Excavating to get the job done. This is a shot from my 'security camera' that I captured when Patrick was working. You can see the proximity of the mess to my back door.

I had to look at that mess for 14 years. You've seen this shot before.

The view from my back door became this:

Now 3 weeks later? The grass has filled in around the concrete pad and it looks so much different. Another shot from the top of the machine shed.

I put items in the gravel there for two reasons. The ground under parts of it were still a bit soft and I don't want UPS or any other heavy vehicle leaving ruts. I also need to go over the gravel area a few more times with a magnet to pick up any nails or chunks of metal. 

I worked on revamping the east side garden yesterday. I'm making a mess, but I am moving some of the bulbs that are next to the house to another spot. 

This summer:

After two days of cleaning up the weeds and the dead stuff:

Hey! No messy dilapidated garage in the background!

I pulled out all the border rocks and had to dig out two trees that wanted to grow next to the foundation. I dug out the grasses and cleaned out the flowers. I normally leave all it winter for insects and birds. This year it really needed a clean up. I didn't want to wait for Spring.

I transplanted 20 or so tulip bulbs to another area as they were getting so crowded. I moved 2 Blazing Star bulbs out away from the house. The birds love the seeds from that plant.

I took out Iris plants by the score and still have more to move around. In 10 years they have multiplied like crazy so I'm going to find some a new home. I also trimmed back the spreading phlox and replanted [hopefully] them by an area that is too difficult to mow.

The flowers around the porch are still going like crazy. Zinnias, Cosmos, Borage that has re-grown and re-flowered, and the Nasturtium flowers...wow.

I should just plant those flowers. They are so much fun. They have tried to take over the porch but I cut them and the morning glories back. They are now shining along with the marigolds in this fall weather in yellows and oranges. They are still attracting bees and showing off along with the orange cosmos which are very bold and beautiful too.

By late afternoon, the dogs and I decided to go out to the 'camp' and hang out in the hammock. As the afternoon cooled off, both dogs piled on me and we kept cozy enough to take a nap together.

The view above wasn't too bad either.

When we headed home for supper, these two insisted on riding the 4 Wheeler with me.

I do wish they would be the ones to open up the gates for us to pass through. Oh well, they are cheap help!

I worked hard all day while my little co-workers supervisors looked on.

Sunday.
It looks like a day of rest and relaxation for us.