Allow me to elaborate

on what's happening in the Great Big Backyard Project of 2007.

1. A fence is being erected, behind the carport, to create a playplace for Magnus to stay in while I'm gone during the day (weather permitting, of course, and he will have a doghouse back there but this isn't where he will live, just where he'll stay when I'm not around to keep him company).

In order to build the playplace, the old weed box (which many people thought was the compost pile but was actually really just a big box of weeds) was taken out when the Bobcat was here.

Also while the Bobcat was here, the big blue spruce was taken down. I had mixed feelings about this because I never liked where it was placed in the yard, but I also didn't want to just kill the tree. Now that it's gone, I'm really glad. Just like when I took out the big bush the first summer, this has really opened up the yard.

2. A patio is being installed, slowly but surely. We have gravel. But not all of it.

3. The left side (looking from my back porch) fence line is being landscaped. Another bit-by-bit project. When finished, this will have a brick row for the mower to ride along. I like the Arbor Vitae but I don't looove them here. I'm not sure if I'm going to stay with this idea or not.

4. An add-on to the carport will be built at some point in the future. I'll use this space for a potting bench and storage for garden tools. I'm also going to start using the overhead section of the carport for more organized storage of outdoor crap that's currently in the basement like screen and storm windows and other such things.

5. I was thinking I might sod the remaining part of the yard this month, but I'm worried that we might get a weird early frost just like this weird summer weather, so I've decided to wait until spring to install the sod. That will give me more time to prep the ground because I'd like to bring in a load of topsoil and till it in and grade the yard to get rid of all the dips and valleys before putting the sod down. I won't be doing anything with the ground on the playplace side of the fence since I fully expect Magnus to destroy that side anyway.