Saturday Picture Post +

Plus commentary, that is.

My wife and I spent time on separate chores this morning, mine at home and hers more unexpected and difficult.  By early afternoon we were able to be done and go out for a nice, but very filling lunch together, then relaxed at a pub for a few drinks before coming home to watch the Brewers win their game and extend their lead in the division, league, and all of Major League Baseball.  

'Chuffed' isn't a word often used here in the US, but seems to aptly describe our pride as fans of our small-market team doing so well.  It's happened with our different Wisconsin teams at different times, but it's always really nice to look at the standings and see your team on top and enjoy it while it lasts.

Anyway, when we got home this afternoon I took some pictures out in the yard.  Yesterday I mowed the lawn and did some trim, but the batteries were low for the strimmer and blower.  Today, with full batteries, I did the trim and cut back neighbor Jane's fence line, along with pruning the front bushes.  And the sunflowers have gone nuts since I last posted pictures about two weeks ago.  I've even dead-headed about 6 of them for their energy to go to new blooms.

Unfortunately, neighbor Jane can't get around so well anymore so relies on hired help for just the basics of lawn care.  Overgrowth, weeds and invasive plants have taken over much of her lawn and flowerbeds and I am almost constantly fighting it back at the property line, along her fence by the gardens and garage. 

Even up the driveway her invasive lawn cover was stealing up to 6 inches of the concrete in places.  Another 50 feet or so of wooden fence for us on that side would certainly help this situation in the back, but is really not what we want to do.  And many of the more worrisome invasive plants are toward the front, driveway side, so we have the driveway concrete and garage as a good barrier.  So I just keep trimming and strimming and spraying and pulling.  In fall I will have to cut back her flower trees (Rose of Sharon?) that will hang heavy over our driveway again, too.

But, all that work has given us a very nice space in back.  The front still looks neat and maintained, but weeds have gotten out of my control.  The front is so hard to maintain, I'm beginning to be okay with letting it go a bit, and it's still one of the better front lawns in the area.  The back yard now even has a few more weeds than it used to, here and there, but as long as the back stays really good and lush like this I can be okay with letting go of the front yard.  It's just not worth the effort, anymore.

Not any fire pits lately, the mosquitoes have been terrible.  Spraying up with repellent for a fire is committing to a late night shower before being able to go to bed, and that's hard to commit to on a weekend night if you're already tired.  I'm using that as an excuse now, but cooler, more clothed and less buggy fall evenings sound more appealing.

Cheers, everyone, thanks for stopping by and having a look.  The yard is maybe at it's peak time right now and, in quiet moments,  has me pretty chuffed.