Outdoor Upgrades: Febrary 2010

We've lived at our home for almost 6 years and other than the vegetable garden have really never used our backyard.  There is really nothing to do back there and because the window wells were uncovered, I always hate to send my toddler out to play unless I'm right there.  Because our backyard is south-facing the sun and it's glaring heat are too unbearable back there where our knee-high spruce tree is the only source of shade.  Although, I've hesitated to build a fence for fear it would block the view of my beloved backyard alfalfa field.

So we decided to move up the fence to the top of our priority list.  We called in February hoping we could get a good deal on winter prices and undivided attention.  It worked.  Even despite my fears that they wouldn't be able to dig in the frozen ground and that they'd have a 4 foot snow drift to deal with, the workers were not discouraged. We got a tan fence (because the white fence next door is blinding in the sunlight) for cheaper than a white fence would be in the peak season.    The company we went with also builds pergolas, so we had them build it as well and got a "package deal".  I figured while we're at it, we might as well cover the window wells.

Who knew what a difference the fence would make?  We are excited to have shade in the summer time.  The yard looks bigger, I feel safe letting Brynlee out to play whenever she wants, and most of all we felt this would give us the privacy we needed to do sneaky thinks like keep chickens.  More on that to come.

We have spent more time in our backyard this spring than we have the whole previous years combined.  I even have a renewed desire to attempt some landscaping.  Hopefully there will be more to come on that as well.