The NFC B-Day Chat Thread

[N F C]

Not until September 5th, thank goodness! We still have so much to do it isn’t even funny. <sigh>

Your family isn't going to care if everything is perfect, they mostly just want to see you and Ken!

 

[DigMyChicks]

Good to have the extra hands even for just a day, that's a big job! Hope he can get your job done next week
Thanks Debby!

I always, always, stress about having everything done before company arrives. Even when it's just my kids. It seems like I spend more time preparing than I do visiting with them.

You sound like me Janie! I hope the people coming for his birthday tomorrow ignore the messes.

 

[Blooie]

Thanks! His brother, my hubby, and my son helped with the concrete walls yesterday. I assume hubby will be all he gets next week.
View attachment 3221950

Many hands help the work go faster……no matter whose hands they are!

I always, always, stress about having everything done before company arrives. Even when it's just my kids. It seems like I spend more time preparing than I do visiting with them.

Your family isn't going to care if everything is perfect, they mostly just want to see you and Ken!

I really don’t care if everything’s perfect. I’d just like to be able to sit out back in the evenings, maybe with a nice fire pit going, and relax with them. We’ve focused all of our energies on the front all spring and summer because obviously that’s the most visible area. The back is nothing but tall weeds, (and one feeble, failed attempt at a garden), the chicken coop, overgrown half-dead lilacs, dirt, and a rickety set of steps leading down to the “yard”, plus all the junk we just tossed back there to get it out of the front. it’s seriously bad. Ken rigged the hoop run so that he can pull the plastic over it temporarily while he runs the sprinklers, but sometimes he forgets to roll it back until early afternoon. Looks terrible!! The only attractive thing out there is the loaded pear tree. 6

We’ve seen progress, believe it or not. As bad as it looks right now, it looks better than it did. Maybe I need to just bite the bullet and hire a lawn crew because just a couple of hours out there wipes us out. Problem is we’ve already contracted for air conditioning to be installed next week, so we’ll need a little financial recovery time after that project.

Just ran out and snapped these real quick. See what we’re up against? And I’d sure love to have a deck or patio back here.

 

[DigMyChicks]

Many hands help the work go faster……no matter whose hands they are!




I really don’t care if everything’s perfect. I’d just like to be able to sit out back in the evenings, maybe with a nice fire pit going, and relax with them. We’ve focused all of our energies on the front all spring and summer because obviously that’s the most visible area. The back is nothing but tall weeds, (and one feeble, failed attempt at a garden), the chicken coop, overgrown half-dead lilacs, dirt, and a rickety set of steps leading down to the “yard”, plus all the junk we just tossed back there to get it out of the front. it’s seriously bad. Ken rigged the hoop run so that he can pull the plastic over it temporarily while he runs the sprinklers, but sometimes he forgets to roll it back until early afternoon. Looks terrible!! The only attractive thing out there is the loaded pear tree. 6

We’ve seen progress, believe it or not. As bad as it looks right now, it looks better than it did. Maybe I need to just bite the bullet and hire a lawn crew because just a couple of hours out there wipes us out. Problem is we’ve already contracted for air conditioning to be installed next week, so we’ll need a little financial recovery time after that project.

Just ran out and snapped these real quick. See what we’re up against? And I’d sure love to have a deck or patio back here.

Your place looks like mine. It’s driving me crazy. I need to go out and mow around trees. It hasn’t been done all summer and it looks terrible. It’s hot and humid out and I don’t want to do it. There’s construction junk to pick up too

 

[janiedoe]

Many hands help the work go faster……no matter whose hands they are!




I really don’t care if everything’s perfect. I’d just like to be able to sit out back in the evenings, maybe with a nice fire pit going, and relax with them. We’ve focused all of our energies on the front all spring and summer because obviously that’s the most visible area. The back is nothing but tall weeds, (and one feeble, failed attempt at a garden), the chicken coop, overgrown half-dead lilacs, dirt, and a rickety set of steps leading down to the “yard”, plus all the junk we just tossed back there to get it out of the front. it’s seriously bad. Ken rigged the hoop run so that he can pull the plastic over it temporarily while he runs the sprinklers, but sometimes he forgets to roll it back until early afternoon. Looks terrible!! The only attractive thing out there is the loaded pear tree. 6

We’ve seen progress, believe it or not. As bad as it looks right now, it looks better than it did. Maybe I need to just bite the bullet and hire a lawn crew because just a couple of hours out there wipes us out. Problem is we’ve already contracted for air conditioning to be installed next week, so we’ll need a little financial recovery time after that project.

Just ran out and snapped these real quick. See what we’re up against? And I’d sure love to have a deck or patio back here.

I think you're being over critical of your own yard. It honestly doesn't look as bad as you seem to think.

 

[janiedoe]

I have to say, I can visualize it with multi level deck, a fireplace, and some lattice panels where the fencing is.

 

[N F C]

Many hands help the work go faster……no matter whose hands they are!




I really don’t care if everything’s perfect. I’d just like to be able to sit out back in the evenings, maybe with a nice fire pit going, and relax with them. We’ve focused all of our energies on the front all spring and summer because obviously that’s the most visible area. The back is nothing but tall weeds, (and one feeble, failed attempt at a garden), the chicken coop, overgrown half-dead lilacs, dirt, and a rickety set of steps leading down to the “yard”, plus all the junk we just tossed back there to get it out of the front. it’s seriously bad. Ken rigged the hoop run so that he can pull the plastic over it temporarily while he runs the sprinklers, but sometimes he forgets to roll it back until early afternoon. Looks terrible!! The only attractive thing out there is the loaded pear tree. 6

We’ve seen progress, believe it or not. As bad as it looks right now, it looks better than it did. Maybe I need to just bite the bullet and hire a lawn crew because just a couple of hours out there wipes us out. Problem is we’ve already contracted for air conditioning to be installed next week, so we’ll need a little financial recovery time after that project.

Just ran out and snapped these real quick. See what we’re up against? And I’d sure love to have a deck or patio back here.

I can understand where you're coming from, but it takes time (and money) to do everything and you've done so much already getting the house and the front yard.

I say you just tell your family you're going for that country casual chic look!

 

[Blooie]

What you’re not seeing is that there’s another section of yard in the back behind the chicken coop. Let’s take a little walk, shall we?

We have lots of lattice laying around back there that Ken has earmarked to attach to the perimeter fencing where we’ve divided off a section just for Feefer. Her area is from the utility room door, where the dead riding mower sits, to the driveway in front of the garage. It’s the only place with grass growing, and it’s so overgrown now it’ll take a weed eater to cut it.

Behind the coop, the grapes have grown into the apple trees, which have grown into the lilacs, which have arched almost into the hoop run, so we can’t walk back there without stooping. The ground is ankle- twisting uneven back there….it’s hard to walk.

The neighbor’s hollyhocks have seeded all over the place back here, and I’d like to keep them but tame them and get them out of the grapes, maybe even transplant some of them into that triangle by the garage. Hummers love them.

We’ve started cleaning up behind and around the apple tree area, around the camper. That spot isn’t hidden from the street so it’s almost got to come first. It’s all just so overwhelming. We’d like to end up with one inviting, cohesive yard back there. Yeah, right.

 

[N F C]

What you’re not seeing is that there’s another section of yard in the back behind the chicken coop. Let’s take a little walk, shall we?

We have lots of lattice laying around back there that Ken has earmarked to attach to the perimeter fencing where we’ve divided off a section just for Feefer. Her area is from the utility room door, where the dead riding mower sits, to the driveway in front of the garage. It’s the only place with grass growing, and it’s so overgrown now it’ll take a weed eater to cut it.

Behind the coop, the grapes have grown into the apple trees, which have grown into the lilacs, which have arched almost into the hoop run, so we can’t walk back there without stooping. The ground is ankle- twisting uneven back there….it’s hard to walk.

The neighbor’s hollyhocks have seeded all over the place back here, and I’d like to keep them but tame them and get them out of the grapes, maybe even transplant some of them into that triangle by the garage. Hummers love them.

We’ve started cleaning up behind and around the apple tree area, around the camper. That spot isn’t hidden from the street so it’s almost got to come first. It’s all just so overwhelming. We’d like to end up with one inviting, cohesive yard back there. Yeah, right.

Maybe it would be worth it for peace of mind and to make it easier on yourselves, to go ahead and hire someone to deal with it. Then you and Ken could do the upkeep once the major clean up is done.

 

[janiedoe]

I like that it isn't cohesive. It's like being in a gallery; walk around a corner and see something new!