Porchblogging: Great Outdoors edition

Long-time readers know that last summer and fall were consumed with the effort to get a screened-in porch built in the back of our house. I thought I would post a picture or two to give some closure to that effort.

If this blog were "Better Blogs & Gardens" I would have probably picked up around the porch before taking the picture. Maybe set out a vase of flowers. Or at least put away the garbage. But it's not, so you'll have to take my word for it that we are satisfied with the porch and find it to be lovely.

This spring, we are shifting our home improvement focus to the great outdoors. We are putting in some permeable pavement walkways, a few planting beds, and some sod.

Progress is well underway:

*The lot has been graded
*I transplanted the Shadblow Serviceberry (planted on my 30th birthday) into the opposite corner of the lot (just days before my 35th birthday).
*I moved over 2 tons of paving stones, gravel, and sand into the backyard (via wheelbarrow)
*I have compacted, marked, and graded most of the paving areas
*About 25% of the pavers are in place

Setting pavers in place is kind of addictive, like Tetris. Today was my day at home with the Monkey, and during his nap I graded a walkway and set a bunch of bricks. After he was up, I made him sit in the porch and watch me work. Which he was glad to do (for a while, anyway.)