losing our pines.

Two weeks ago we had 8 pine trees removed from our backyard. David’s dad was in town for the Great Tree Chopping Adventure and got to experience some of the crazy. Our concrete patio is cracked, our raised beds decimated, but our roof and play house fully intact. Also no one was injured. Whew. Our yard still looks like the victim of a natural disaster, but it’s coming along, folks!

Good-bye endless layers of pine needles and pine cones! Hello blistering South Carolina sun!

Before:

During:

Can you understand why I was feeling a little stressed? (you have to look closely):

After:

I’m so bummed I never got a photo of the infamous stump grinder (it’s a tool, not a person). David rented it from Lowe’s on Friday and spent 9 hours out in the 101 degree heat grinding stumps and saved hundreds of dollars by doing it himself. Yesterday we shoveled wood shavings (which of course we’ll use for new garden beds), and filled in holes.

David spent this year beating back dozens of bushes and small trees from the sides of our yard, and yes, he has poison ivy again. Now we’re starting to define new beds and I’m actually getting interested in yard work (if only it didn’t involve dirt and sweat…). We’re hoping a nice flowery Crepe Myrtle will thrive right here, where we can see it from our kitchen window.

Here’s the before shot again:

And after: