*Lyrics from Grace Potter & the Nocturnals’ Low Road from their self-titled album.

I’ve said it before, and it’s still true: there is something inspiring about having teams of people at your house doing work that always makes me want to do more things. After Candy and the ladies (and gents) of Ladies Landscaping came to refresh our yard we determined that if we were ever going to stain the fence, now would be the time. Before any more plantings get put to bed, before the weather turned, while we had the vicarious energy boost from the Ladies’ day and a half microburst of yard beautification. It was time, and we got to it.

We enlisted help from our dear friend, Kizzle (names may or may not have been changed to protect the innocent – ok, that’s just his nickname), and my sister, Christine, and we got to staining. I say staining, because that’s the technical process that we undertook, but it was basically painting with solid-body white stain. I joked that I should have roped my niece into the job by promising that her self-defense skills would no doubt be improved by a day or two of paint-the-fence, but she had art camp, and I didn’t have any Miyagi follow through.

For several body-achifying days we rolled around in the mulch and dirt, crouched, bent, reached and sweated to finally get the new section of fencing practically complete. I say practically because we (a) ran out of stain, and (b) only need to do a second coat on one gate and that whole side of the yard is done. I still have to tackle the fencing that you can see from the street, but that requires a bit more yard prep (busting out the edging tool), and a bit more recuperation.

So, the yard is much improved: new plantings (in the formerly balding spot in the corner of the yard), new fencing (including a composting area), and new stain. It’s looking fresh, bright and welcoming. Just in time for a family BBQ, don’t you think? Enjoy! xoxo