C'Mon 'N Get Your Rake On.

We worked our booties off this past weekend. Seriously. Through the cold, wet, ickyness that Mother Nature bestowed upon us, we cleaned up the front yard quite nicely by raking, weeding, clearing, moving, chopping and cleaning this not so giant space. For years this house has been slightly ignored in terms of appearance. Even though the trees are overgrown, the bushes half bare, the years of leaves thatched into the ground, hidden garbage strewn about, and items left behind to rot, we know that RHN has curb appeal and a sexy side just waiting to gleam to every passerby. This medium sized lady wants to strut her goods!

Let us visit the ugly ducking from the front this time.

 

So, what you are looking at is chaos and it's not very becoming on a lovely lady such as RHN. The row of bushes in the front are heavy, some sparse, and boring. Think a moo-moo on a svelte model. Then there's this front and center mess with rocks, daffodils, two rose of sharon, some crazy vine, and two rotting stumps. Yes, the non-fashionistas who once inhabited RHN before put a moo-moo on RHN and then added crazy make-up and more spray-tan and cover-up than one could shake a stick at to 'hide' the rotting stumps. Really? Why not just rock the natural skin tone and go to the dermatologist? Why are we rocking the Jersey Shore look? Here's a better idea: get a damn stump grinder and take out those stumps. Genius I tell you. Genius. Anyway, moving on. The 'rock garden' makes no sense. I cleaned it up, but still look at it going 'huh?'. The Japanese Maple that's located in said garden is huge. It also had Christmas lights wrapped around the bottom of it and on one of the branches. The lights have been there so long that the tree actually grew around the lights - almost like it ate them for a snack. This tree, when fully leaved, smacks everyone walking up the walkway in the face no matter how far we seem to trim it back. Ed is thinking it may be time to bid this tree farewell. I wish we could transplant it, but it may be just too big.

While I was up front workin' away, Ed was partying in the back with a chainsaw. Ha! We sound like a mullet! Bidness up front, parrr-taaay in the back! The reason I said Ed was partying in the back was because he was wreckin' shit and playing with power tools. Case and point:

 

This may sound gross to all Ed's family members (and hell, probably some friends), but 'hubba-hubba!' Heehee. What?! C'mon ladies, don't you tell me there isn't something even remotely attractive about a man (especially your own) using power tools. Anywhoosle, Ed cut up and partly split the old fallen down tree in the backyard. We are planning on having the chimney cleaned soon so we can use that awesome fireplace in the winter (help supplement the oil cost a little). 

While the parr-taaay was happening in the back, the bidness up front was digging up random items in the front. 

 That's a squirrel sprinkler who is missing an ear and a high game bowling trophy of sorts. This seems par for the course for RHN. I also took out that chaotic mess that was obstructing the middle of the lawn. This hot mess still needs a stump grinder, but it looks better already - well, as good as a circle of dirt can look I guess. 

We also bought a grill, yo! No, no, not the gold dental kind, the gas kind you cook on. Ed and Ihit up quite a few different brands and stores, but this Brinkmann from Home Depot (obviously our break-up didn't last long) won out over the others because of looks, size, value, and of course price. We have used it a few times and LOVE it. There's just something about grilling we love. Ahhh, the sweet smell of spring/summer is here. 

This weekend coming is supposed to be gorgeous and around 65, so you know we will be working our tukases off finishing up the front (which we didn't because of the rain) and really hitting the back yard with a vengeance. Hell, we may even begin buying deck supplies to start re-decking that awful looking wobbly deck.