The Yard Has Good Bones; Now I Have to Figure Out How to Make it Work Now that What I Used to Have is Gone.

Somebody, I'm not sure who exactly, came through today and destroyed my back yard. It has something to do with clearing the power lines, which has to be a good thing, hasn't it? That grove of bamboo where we thought Parker would like to play is gone now. I haven't been out there yet, but there appear to be little jagged stumps all over the place that we'll have to do something about. The view is no longer shielded between our yard and that of the semi-vacant house next door.

Here's what I'm thinking. I wish that I could transform into a big strong man for just a few hours. Make that a big strong man who knows something about yardwork. I would take a shovel and dig up the shallow roots of the bamboo that was there just four hours ago. I would dig a trough deep enough to insert a barrier so that the roots could no longer spread to the rest of the yard. Meanwhile I would remove the metal frame that stand forlornly near the back of the yard, and in its place I would install one of those old fashioned clothes lines, the kind with permanent posts set in concrete; the clothesline would run parallel to the fence. I would run out to Lowe's and buy more of the screening that was installed between our yards just before we moved into this house, and add it to the fence as needed. I would also have our chain link fence repaired in the couple of places where it has been warped out.

Fortunately or unfortunately, since I'm pregnant I can't do any of that stuff. I guess I'll have to take this as an opportunity to plan. I miss my old shady yard already.