without yardwork!

Yesterday I did it!  I tackled an over grown and neglected ornamental grass "clump." 

Several years ago, a neighbor with whom we share a mutual plot of yard with asked if they could plant this ornamental grass at the one end.  We didn't think there would be harm, as it was small plant in a six inch pot.  Boy were we wrong!

I tried last weekend to cut back the dead and decaying sections.  Soon, though I lost the battle and my determination to purge the mess.  Over the next few days I sought a solution to helping win the war.  Then it came to me, all I needed was a spool of simple white string.

You'd think this would be an easy item to find at your local "we-have-everything-store."  No.  I went directly to the garden center and asked where I could find white string.  The helpful store attendant promptly said, "Follow me."  Pointed at a peg board and said it should be hanging there.   Then continued on, pointing in two more locations.  I timidly said, "Umm, I don't see it.  Where is the white string?"  She replied, "We don't carry white, but here is green." 

I walked away bemused.  I clearly stated, when I first asked the attendant, where is the white (NOT GREEN) string.  I know some of you must be shaking your head going white green what's the difference.  Big I would reply.  I ended up finding the white string (ON MY OWN!).  The spool was twice the length of the green for around the same price.  I did let management know it would be a good idea *IF* an employee doesn't know the answer to a customer's question that they simply say I don't know OR help the customer find someone who does. 

In this day and age of technology certainly there should be some way to check inventory.  Wouldn't you think?

Okay, so with string in hand I was able to tie up several bundles of the unruly dead reeds.  It took me a while but in the end I feel I made a difference to the new growth. 

The war isn't over, because there is still decaying material around the base that needs to be raked up and bagged.  But that will have to wait until this weekend.  Other chores (laundry, laundry, laundry) must be tackled today!

What task have you put off for a week, month or years?  Have you tried and didn't succeed to win the battle?  Try again.  I know you can do it.  Just like I did!

without ripping lattice from the deck

The challenge how much of the wooden lattice skirt around our deck
could our pups rip off from the deck before we have to replace it...?

Amazingly for the amount of slats we took from them
over the last seven months you'd have thought there was two layers!

So before they attempted to munch much more I started looking
for a non-wooden alternative. I found something called rabbit wire.
Unlike it's cousin chicken wire, rabbit is not too flexible;
in fact it's more ridged and retains it's memory.

I picked up two rolls just in time on Saturday,
because Sunday morning somehow both our girls...
Red (60 lbs) and Maeve (70 lbs),
found themselves stuck under the deck with no way out.

So I had to rip more lattice off to allow them to come to me.

As soon as I had them out, I checked them over like old mother hen
making sure they weren't hurt... then I scolded them.
I brought them inside so I could prepare for the new challenge at hand...
Wrapping our deck skirt area with rabbit wire.

I began to gather my tools and the new rabbit wire rolls.
The first side I tackled had no bushes or stairs near it.
It was by far, the easiest of the three I covered.
The second side had two bushes at either corner and a 10' wooden beam to move.
I was still pumped and making progress.

I let the girls out to see what they would do with the new obstruction.
They though had other plans.
First Red tried to casually walk off with the other roll of rabbit wire.
When that didn't work, she ran up on the deck
and tried to snatch the box of special U-shaped nails...
specially made for attaching wire to fence posts.
So she spoiled it for her and her sister, and back they went into the house.

The third and final side to be tackled presented to a formidable foe!
It had a bush next to the stairs at one end.
If it weren't for my youngest son, some of the task might not have been finished.
He crawled under the bush and help move dirt,
a extremely large log and the old lattice.

Once it was out, he helped me place back in an alternate to the rabbit wire...
as I had ran out (*GASP* the horror) and was stuck to put something, anything
there to cover a hold large enough for me to fit under the deck.

We finished though and what a rush of emotion over completing the task at hand!!!

Now what else can I fix...