From My Nest - Backyard Blues

 You know what's funny about where I live? We are not technically inside city limits. The people who live in the fancy, brand new neighborhood across the street? Oh yeah--they are inside city limits. Sometimes it seriously feels like we are shunned because we are on the North side of the road. We're those crazy "county" folks who don't even live "in town" ....even though I could walk to Wal-Mart .26 miles away. (Which is in city limits, in case you were wondering.)

The worst, and I mean worst part about living outside of city limits is having to use a septic system. These days there are some great technological advances in the lovely world of septic systems, but unfortunately our house was behind the times.The other day I woke up to this going on in my backyard.



Our landlords evidently decided to leave the old tanks in the ground and put the new one in a new location--our yard. I realize that I only had weeds and crabgrass growing out there before, but at least it was something green! Bye, bye green ground. Hello backhoe.

After everything was all hooked up and working properly, this is what was left.

Can you see those enormous cement platforms sticking up out of the ground? Well, there are five PVC pipes you can't see in this picture also sticking out. I have no idea why it was necessary to completely ruin our yard in this fashion, but at least I can flush my toilet with renewed confidence.

I'm sure you will notice that our yard is now basically a desert. Isn't it humorous that my little garden is the only thing left the same? Thank you lovely excavation men for being kind to my garden! Although, the desert ia not a good option for people with a dog. As soon as it gets wet and sloppy out I'd be tearing my hair out with frustration (or shaving the dog!). So, today I decided to attempt to revitalize a lawn. It did just get a major tilling after all!

Off to the store I went. I returned with all the necessities to re-grow some grass. By the way, why do seed spreaders have to be so dang expensive? Even the hand-held one was $25, and it's just a big hunk of plastic! But I bought it anyways.

I decided that if I was going to plant the grass that I had better do it right and take the time to rake up the big rocks that were now left all over the place. Well that only took ten eternities! My previous suspicions that I'm lazy were definitely confirmed by my screaming back and shoulders. It felt like a blessed relief to simply walk around spreading fertilizer and grass seed... and then I had to pick up that blasted rake again. Once everything was worked into the top 1/4" of soil I set the sprinkler out. At this point it was 2 hours later and I was covered in red dirt. My throat was dry and tight, and my muscles were throbbing, but I felt accomplished. Please grass grow!

I will honestly be satisfied with even the slightest ground cover. Anything to keep the dog from being a red, muddy furball is fine with me. All I can say is, I hope I got some good exercise and a decent tan out of it.

What house projects have you been working on?

- - Happy Home Improving! - -

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