Episode 111: It Only Took 38 Years

When we moved into our house in 1986, this is what the yard looked like out back:

The wood in the foreground was the edge of a crappy little stoop, which housed a colony of field rats beneath. The first weekend we were in the house, we trapped 17 rats. The water covered the spot where a previous owner had a dug a fish pond. After some time, he tired of it and simply filled it in. You can't see it in the picture, but the same dough head had made a worthless 'drainage' ditch of white rocks around the yard, which took a couple of years to dig out. It took usa long time to undo the other 'improvements' he made to the house and property.

Thirty-eight years later, this yard looks a thousand times better.

It has taken a long time and a lot of work but the garden is now a peaceful place to unwind. The front of the house is adorned with numerous tall grasses that give a somewhat tropical vibe when we're relaxing on the screened-in front porch.