Work work work

 Patrick promised he'd be back and fix the side yard.
And he did show up!

This is how I have been 'mowing' it for 10 years now. 

I tried using a push mower and a weed whacker. 

I tied Little Richard out there and also moved him around. For the past 10 years since the house was remodeled, this area has always been rough and full of huge high and low spots.

Basically, when construction was done some dude [husband] pushed all the sand and dirt around to the west side of the house and called it good.

That pile of stuff below next to the old house? That got pushed into the side yard and never properly graded. 

[Rich had a stroke that next spring when we were going to get that done]

Just for reference, the picture after contstruction was completed.

Finally...

The side yard mess is leveled off matted and seeded. 👇👇👇

Yes, it cost me about $$$$ to get it done, but dang, I don't have to weed whack, and kill myself mowing, fencing, and putting animals on the yard to keep the place looking somewhat like a yard!

Color me happy!

For reference the photo with the mules and this one both have the same stump in it. 
I can't wait for the grass to come in and the yard to reappear.

Patrick's magic machine.

Patrick then brush hogged the pastures to keep down the weeds and tidy things up. A regular mower cannot handle this land, it is crooked, dippy with divots, and rocks that would kill any rider in about 20 minutes.

Hiring someone with equipment is less expensive than constant mower repairs.

If Rich had stayed in good health, we were going to get a brush hog attachment like this for his skid steer. By the time we priced it, he was no longer able to get in and and out of his skid steer so it was a no-go.

Patrick will repeat this job in August to help me fight the weeds.

Now I have too much pasture. Crazy, right? 

[Because this doesn't include the meadow out back.]

Don the Junk Dude came out and picked up a pretty heavy load of stuff. I have to move the tractor tire and move the old wooden posts yet. Then everything in front of the machine shed will be cleaned up except for the T-posts.

At some point I'll move them into the now...cleaner shed and stack them.

Here is a shot of Don's trailer full of heavy stuff leaving the property. I can see what they were doing with the security cameras. 

Strange world we live in right?

We start with the top left shot being the day before Don and his brother came. The right hand shot was after them coming for a month.

And now....

I'm going to throw cosmos in the dirt next to the door. 

The tub has marigolds coming up in it. I may as well toss extra harvested seeds from last year into the bare spots of dirt where metal used to live and see what happens.

The cord is for the fencer on the back of the busted garage. I need to move the fencer. So many things to take care of!

The Garage. 

After the storm in June 2015:

The Garage mess is ugly but so far I am beyond pleased with the progress I have made this spring.

I've decided the structure is too dangerous now for anyone to even try to go in. I'm going to call Frank and tell him I'm ready for him to come and give me an estimate to clean it up.

It is demolition time.

I know it will cost, but I have budgeted for it.

I've always considered it an eyesore after the trees fell on it. But my husband assured me that he would take care of it himself. Perhaps it was just too huge of a project for him to tackle. 

I'm glad in a way that he left it for me. 

Less angst and stress about the cleanup.

And that is it for this week's contracted work.

I do want to look back at what I went through to clean this area up. It was often a sore point in our relationship. I like a tidy place. He did too, but he also liked his 'stuff'.

Below is one of my favorite photos of hubby during our construction. He was supervising the guys working in the basement part of the addition. His stance sums up his character. 

Geeze, I miss him!

That look !!! 

Who can argue with this guy???