I've been totally ignoring my blog but it's not my fault...fault Facebook!  I've been seduced by it but no more...well I will still be there on occasion but I've promised to be more faithful to my own blog.  So...here we are in April and still waiting for a miracle...two consecutive days of sun....alas it did not happen.  But yesterday Larry and I managed to get in some yard work.  For a long time I've been wanting to lay down rock in a strip between the fence and the deck.  Friday after work, Larry scurried on over to Knife River and picked up a load of gravel...about 1.5 tons of it!  Then early Saturday morning we got up, nixed the showers, and just got dressed and got right to our project.  Here are a few pictures!  It is half done...next Friday Larry will pick up more gravel and we will repeat our early morning task and finish it.  Next project will be to power wash the deck!  Stay tuned!....update for you now!  Sunday, April 18th, 6:59 pm.  Today we finished with another load of gravel.  After three hours, with legs responding Gumby-like, the recent "strip" project was complete.  Larry suffered through a aching back to shovel and dump about 1.6 tons of rock from the pickup to out back.  I raked and raked and raked.....when all that was done I moved some of the potted  plants back into place and sprayed the deck.  Didn't get to removing the algae from the tops of the glass-top tables but that will be for tomorrow after work.  Check out the progress photos below.






Then on Sunday, April 17th we completed the strip.








Now, here's a couple shots of what the next project will be...first, there is this mountain of dirt/weeds/sand to disperse.  To the right, along the fence - which has an uphill slant to it, I will build a stone wall about three of four stones high.  some of the mountain will be used to fill in where needed.  Then I'll probably build three tiers from the corner down, also tiered/walled with stones wall material.



Now, a different view.  To the right of the "mountain" is an area where Larry used to have a hot tub.  See the concrete slab?  Imagine the three foot wide and three/four block tall flower bed against the fence.  It will run down and meet with a tier coming down to meet it over where that hill is....picture a fire pit to the left of the hot tub.  So I can jump out of the hot tub and go sit next to a fire.