A Plan Is Coming Together
Thursday, March 23rd, 2023 12:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
snoozefestaudio39F and overcast, but no breeze this morning. Everything was wet, but it wasn't raining.
When I'm out there now, all I do is try to picture what it's gonna look like once it's all cleared out and cleaned up.
I guess I should dismantle the scop this weekend. And I'm certain I want to get rid of the juniper next to it so... maybe it's time to get that wood chipper.
Out in the back is the ruins of an old fire pit. It's an eyesore, but there's too much brick and mortar underground to get rid of it. So I'm thinking that should be the site of a new rock garden.
If I can scribe out a circle around it, I should be able to pave a little circular perimeter for the mower, and then I can just put all the random rocks in that spot.
--<>--
The old shed is the other eyesore, but to get rid of it, I'd first need a dumpster to get rid of all the crap I've been throwing into it.
If you recall, I threw Dad's TV in there and... I did call a place that will come get the TV next Thursday morning for $40.00!
To get a dumpster, from Groot, however... their smallest one is $430.00!
I suppose with the money I'm talking about throwing around, that's not so much.
With a dumpster, I could get rid of the jungle gym, all the crap in the old shed, and the shed itself... and if there's room... toss in whatever else inside the house needs to get pitched.
It's worth it, I guess.
There's a little brick entry pad in front of the old shed, so I could reclaim those bricks to use for the perimeter of the rock garden.
So... a plan like that'd take care of all the eyesores in the back yard! No more mulberry and brush pile. No more rusty old shed. No more rotting, crooked jungle gym. And the old fire pit transformed into a rock garden!
Then you throw in the circular brick patio... a few low voltage garden lights... and everythings wonderful!
------------{=0=}------------
1:35PM
Okay, I finally ordered the wood chipper on Amazon! Also ordered six LED garden lamps in the style of the ones I installed in 2019. One of them went bad, so it needs replacing. the other three can go behind the back room.
Anyway, the first of the loan money was just spent.
Tomorrow I talk to a guy about a patio. And maybe I'll schedule that dumpster.
------------{=0=}------------
12:10AM
Brian, Karen, and Max are all coming to visit on Saturday, April 15th.
There may just be time to transform the back yard before then.
Trees are already going away on the 3rd, and I'm talking to a patio contractor tomorrow morning, so... if I can get that locked in, then I also schedule the dumpster tomorrow, and then dismantle the jungle gym this weekend.
The wood chipper comes on Tuesday the 28th, so on Saturday the 1st, I can cut down the juniper and chip it up.
Let's say the dumpster also gets here next Tuesday... it means I can empty out the shed in the mornings (getting rid of the TV on Thursday) and also start dismantling the shed itself on the weekend of the 1st and 2nd.
So... according to that plan, by April 3rd, when Martin Mendez gets here, I'll already have cut down and chipped the juniper, and thrown the jungle gym and shed into the dumpster.
This means I can schedule the Patio for Friday the 7th... because I heard today from Jeremy that we have Friday the 7th off!
That should be a one day job, meaning that I'll have the 8th and 9th to do the rock garden and mow, and clean things up!
Then I have my mornings from Monday 10 through Friday 14 to take care of any last little things back there.
Then by the 15th, the DeKalb crew arrives to a completely transformed back yard, and are shocked and amazed!
--<>--
This is a good deadline to try and stick to, because having it all done in early April gives the lawn all spring and summer to fill in, and... in the footprint of the old shed, get re-established from grass seed.
That mother mulberry used to create such a huge dead spot after her leaves came in. So with that gone, and the shed gone... I'm gonna gain like... 160 square feet of lawn!
Not that I'm mister lawn guy, but I do want those field crickets, and for that I need a field!
------------{=0=}------------
Another problem area is around the north, and west foundations of the back room. Both sides always get over grown with weeds and leafy garbage.
On the north side, that's because I have a flex drain running above ground there. The mower can only get so close to it, so it allows weeds to grow. So, I need to finally trench that drain underground.
On the west side, it's Mom's sacred peonies!
Once upon a time, Mom's bed of peonies was nice, but weeds have mostly strangled the peonies out, and the few that bloom are sad and lose their petals a day later.
But so long as Dad was alive... that spot was off limits! Do not mow! Do not cut!
But after I trench in that flex drain, I'm clearing that whole foundation area, and covering it with wood chips, which I'll have PLENTY of!
And then I'm finally gonna add some garden lights to the west foundation of the back room to illuminate the last spot that sits completely in shadow at night.
--<>--
Everywhere else around the perimeter, I've cleared away all the foliage and bramble (in some cases thorny bramble) that was hiding the foundation. So this corner of the back room is the last place to clear.
With a house this old, it's critical to be able to see the foundations and access them if repairs need to be done.
But... all those weeds and leafy garbage are also a haven for my shrill nemesis... the restless bush cricket!
--<>--
It's not as simple as that bush crickets are unpleasant to listen to, and drown out field crickets.
It's that if you have too many, their din actually drives away field crickets, who seek quieter places to be heard by their mates.
All foliage, all bushes, and unfortunately, all trees... add to the collective drone of the bush crickets.
And I'll never get rid of them completely, but I KNOW there was a time, in that back yard, when the field crickets were dominant.
So, it CAN be that way again!
--<>--
Everything I've done back there, the past four years, has made a small dent, and come at the high cost of both poisoning the ecosystem, and creating a huge brush pile that's been kind of self defeating, because it too allows weeds to grow unchecked!
What I'm about to do this year is like moving mountains! And there won't be any Tordon involved!
And yes... I DO start to get this way about the yard every April!
°¦}
https://soundcloud.com/snoozefestaudio
When I'm out there now, all I do is try to picture what it's gonna look like once it's all cleared out and cleaned up.
I guess I should dismantle the scop this weekend. And I'm certain I want to get rid of the juniper next to it so... maybe it's time to get that wood chipper.
Out in the back is the ruins of an old fire pit. It's an eyesore, but there's too much brick and mortar underground to get rid of it. So I'm thinking that should be the site of a new rock garden.
If I can scribe out a circle around it, I should be able to pave a little circular perimeter for the mower, and then I can just put all the random rocks in that spot.
The old shed is the other eyesore, but to get rid of it, I'd first need a dumpster to get rid of all the crap I've been throwing into it.
If you recall, I threw Dad's TV in there and... I did call a place that will come get the TV next Thursday morning for $40.00!
To get a dumpster, from Groot, however... their smallest one is $430.00!
I suppose with the money I'm talking about throwing around, that's not so much.
With a dumpster, I could get rid of the jungle gym, all the crap in the old shed, and the shed itself... and if there's room... toss in whatever else inside the house needs to get pitched.
It's worth it, I guess.
There's a little brick entry pad in front of the old shed, so I could reclaim those bricks to use for the perimeter of the rock garden.
So... a plan like that'd take care of all the eyesores in the back yard! No more mulberry and brush pile. No more rusty old shed. No more rotting, crooked jungle gym. And the old fire pit transformed into a rock garden!
Then you throw in the circular brick patio... a few low voltage garden lights... and everythings wonderful!
Okay, I finally ordered the wood chipper on Amazon! Also ordered six LED garden lamps in the style of the ones I installed in 2019. One of them went bad, so it needs replacing. the other three can go behind the back room.
Anyway, the first of the loan money was just spent.
Tomorrow I talk to a guy about a patio. And maybe I'll schedule that dumpster.
Brian, Karen, and Max are all coming to visit on Saturday, April 15th.
There may just be time to transform the back yard before then.
Trees are already going away on the 3rd, and I'm talking to a patio contractor tomorrow morning, so... if I can get that locked in, then I also schedule the dumpster tomorrow, and then dismantle the jungle gym this weekend.
The wood chipper comes on Tuesday the 28th, so on Saturday the 1st, I can cut down the juniper and chip it up.
Let's say the dumpster also gets here next Tuesday... it means I can empty out the shed in the mornings (getting rid of the TV on Thursday) and also start dismantling the shed itself on the weekend of the 1st and 2nd.
So... according to that plan, by April 3rd, when Martin Mendez gets here, I'll already have cut down and chipped the juniper, and thrown the jungle gym and shed into the dumpster.
This means I can schedule the Patio for Friday the 7th... because I heard today from Jeremy that we have Friday the 7th off!
That should be a one day job, meaning that I'll have the 8th and 9th to do the rock garden and mow, and clean things up!
Then I have my mornings from Monday 10 through Friday 14 to take care of any last little things back there.
Then by the 15th, the DeKalb crew arrives to a completely transformed back yard, and are shocked and amazed!
This is a good deadline to try and stick to, because having it all done in early April gives the lawn all spring and summer to fill in, and... in the footprint of the old shed, get re-established from grass seed.
That mother mulberry used to create such a huge dead spot after her leaves came in. So with that gone, and the shed gone... I'm gonna gain like... 160 square feet of lawn!
Not that I'm mister lawn guy, but I do want those field crickets, and for that I need a field!
Another problem area is around the north, and west foundations of the back room. Both sides always get over grown with weeds and leafy garbage.
On the north side, that's because I have a flex drain running above ground there. The mower can only get so close to it, so it allows weeds to grow. So, I need to finally trench that drain underground.
On the west side, it's Mom's sacred peonies!
Once upon a time, Mom's bed of peonies was nice, but weeds have mostly strangled the peonies out, and the few that bloom are sad and lose their petals a day later.
But so long as Dad was alive... that spot was off limits! Do not mow! Do not cut!
But after I trench in that flex drain, I'm clearing that whole foundation area, and covering it with wood chips, which I'll have PLENTY of!
And then I'm finally gonna add some garden lights to the west foundation of the back room to illuminate the last spot that sits completely in shadow at night.
Everywhere else around the perimeter, I've cleared away all the foliage and bramble (in some cases thorny bramble) that was hiding the foundation. So this corner of the back room is the last place to clear.
With a house this old, it's critical to be able to see the foundations and access them if repairs need to be done.
But... all those weeds and leafy garbage are also a haven for my shrill nemesis... the restless bush cricket!
It's not as simple as that bush crickets are unpleasant to listen to, and drown out field crickets.
It's that if you have too many, their din actually drives away field crickets, who seek quieter places to be heard by their mates.
All foliage, all bushes, and unfortunately, all trees... add to the collective drone of the bush crickets.
And I'll never get rid of them completely, but I KNOW there was a time, in that back yard, when the field crickets were dominant.
So, it CAN be that way again!
Everything I've done back there, the past four years, has made a small dent, and come at the high cost of both poisoning the ecosystem, and creating a huge brush pile that's been kind of self defeating, because it too allows weeds to grow unchecked!
What I'm about to do this year is like moving mountains! And there won't be any Tordon involved!
And yes... I DO start to get this way about the yard every April!
°¦}
