Backyard - Update 4

Backyard DIY Projects Part 4

 Friday was a good day! Simply because I had free labor and everything went as planned.

Even better actually. My daughter and her BFF had some free time and asked if I had any projects that  I needed help with.



Uhh have you seen the backyard? Hell yeah!

So as you can see above and below, I had them remove almost all the remaining cut up concrete from last year.

They got more then half done in about 3 hours. All nicely stacked in piles ready to go to the Sand/Concrete dump about 10 miles from my house. 

To refresh everyone's memory last year we rented a concrete saw to do some repair work in the backyard. So knowing we were going to have a real backyard someday, we cut up concrete in 2016 for projects that weren't going to get tackled until 2017.

Greg was pretty happy and surprised when he got home from work and found what the kids did.

Mostly by themselves too. I will admit to swinging a 30 lb sledgehammer a few times to persuade concrete to do what we wanted it to do.

But the kids did the rest of it.
So Greg got to work connecting the sidewalk to the driveway.

 That last row is a test to see if I like it. The last staggered row of only 4 pavers. 

Not really liking it, but I couldn't come up with an answer as to how to use the last 6 we had, so I'll get it figured out hopefully soon. Finishing the sidewalk means the garden bed by the house is now longer.

Bonus! I also plan (someday) to have a fence right where the sidewalk meets the driveway.

So looking below there will be a fence and another garden bed on the left hand side of the sidewalk.

It will run parallel to the driveway.

Blitz found a new lounging spot. Taking out the old concrete meant we had large holes to fill with dirt. So we took it from behind the privacy screen on the shady side of the yard and Blitz really liked laying in the dirt after it had been spread out. For some strange reason.

See proof below.

Greg had to make him move each time he came back with a wheelbarrow full of more dirt.

He did this like 5 or 6 times.

Weird dog!

The other project we started was adding industrial lights to the outside. 

 Greg also drilled holes on the front of the garage, so now we will have lights flanking the garage door.

Which were not there before, so I am excited about those! I have always wanted lights on the garage but figured it could wait.

Well I got each of these lights for twenty bucks a piece at Costco. They are dusk to dawn with an auto shut off.

I could not pass them up for that price! Plus this is Greg's favorite style of light.

 The new lights meant new containers in front of the garage, so you know I had to buy two new containers and fill those babies!

I am going to have to review where we are at and decide what's next for the backyard. We still need two major things; the rock for the patio base itself and a new screen door. Plus trim around the garage door.

After that, I am not sure. I must be getting tired!