Outside

I've not mentioned a lot about the great yard project lately.

I added a row of bricks to an undefined area at the south end of the house. So that it meets up with the area at the southeast front of the house.

This front area was so covered by ivy that I was not sure what was there. But I clipped and cut and chopped and found bits of pottery, an old hose, several plastic flower pots, three pieces of concrete pipe (the sewer line to the street was replaced at some time), wire, and two hose nozzle. Oh, and a row of gray bricks that I vaguely remember from long ago. I got rid of everything and re-set the bricks. Then covered the bed in reddish mulch.

On the south end, I first had to attack, as usual, the root problem. Then I weeded out some small shrubs that were trying to take over. Next I added about 60 pounds of top soil. (It comes in 20-pound bags.) Which didn't seem to do too much. Then I had to backtrack three or four times to line up the bricks in a more even row. And today, I added four or five bags of the same reddish mulch, on top of four bags I added yesterday. Or at least, it's supposed to be the same, but it seems to have a different texture - much thicker clumps. As I was doing this I came across a small brown toad. (According to essortment, toads have dry skin; frogs, wet.)

In my almost one year here, this was only the second toad I've encountered. The first was a couple of days ago when I found one hidden among a pile of bricks.

Thursday, at last I finished the patio which turned out to be a horrendous task. The problem was that the bricks were not all the same size. Some would be 1/4-inch wider or longer than others. And just because they had a similar look did not mean the size was the same. I'd start a row, and then by the time I reached the end, I would be two or three inches off from the next row. I finally spaced each brick so that it would fit vertically with the brick next to it. It also turns out this creates channels between the bricks for the water to run off; something I'd never thought of.

It was in the midst of this that I encounter my little toad friend. He seemed to be most interested in what I was doing. Not the least afraid. He and the other toad had different markings, so I know it was two, not one in two different spots.

At the end, I wound up with a huge pile of unused and broken remnants that I stacked next to the infernal metal shed. Which by the way, I've decided to try to re-furbish and use in some form or fashion. I don't know what else to do. And I've accumulated enough yard tools and equipment that I need some place to store them.

Of course, nothing is ever simple. It rained Thursday afternoon, and by accident I noticed that water flows into the shed. So I will need to finish cleaning it out and add some type of paving bricks as a flooring. And I'll need to cover the roof with some type of tarp; it was damaged in hurricane Katrina.

After all this work, I noticed that the patio looks flat and almost uninviting. It really needs some plants in pots. I refuse to plant anything around because of the root problem.

This afternoon, I used the edge trimmer to cut up the soil on the north end of the house and the north end of the patio, so that I can even it out and place a walk to the drive. There are some plants along the carport, so I'll then be able to create a bed for them.

I took walk to the back of the lot this evening and realized there is still a lot of work to be done back there. Limbs to be cut. Old bushes to be weeded out. Hedges that needs trimming. And straw and leaves to be raked and dumped into containers.

I'm sure this is far more than you ever wanted to know about the great outdoors at my wee cottage.

PAX!