Helping out Mother Nature

My home computer still has a virus -- so thus continues my blogging without attached photos. Sorry. I like seeing pictures on other peoples blogs too. :)



Anyway, following Friday's April Fool's Day snowstorm (worst joke EVER Mother Nature!), this weekend has been in the 50's and sunny. Our tree guys couldn't make it on Friday since it was really coming down and we got a few inches here. Most of that has now melted, but the giant piles of snow surrounding the house from where it all fell after the roof was shoveled still remains. Since I really really want to see my spring flowers and since I really really want to have an actual egg hunt for Lucas' birthday party in 2 weeks, I decided to help Mother Nature out.





It's actually a continuous process that I've been doing every weekend for the past several weeks -- I get out the shovel and shovel off the bushes and garden beds. It's not as easy as it sounds since you can't shovel ice. Our poor bushes have been flattened by the glaciers sitting on top of them. I'm not kidding when I say that in some instances there have been 1-2 FEET of ice on the bushes! I would climb up onto the snow pile, insert the blade of the shovel and push down. In some cases I could cleave the snow/ice off and then pick up the big chunks and throw them in the yard or onto the driveway where they would melt. We still have a couple of strands of Christmas lights on the bushes where we can't get to them yet. The bushes are literally horizontal to the ground. Poor things -- I'm not sure if they'll be able to bounce back. My poor hydrangeas really got it bad too. Lots of breakage and I'm going to have to do some serious pruning so it doesn't look quite so sad.



Standing on one of the felled trees in the back yard!



The good news though is that once we clear an area, it's looking much better and the ice we shovel off is melting quickly. It's much warmer/sunnier around the house now considering that the back yard has been clear cut! It is looking great although at this point still covered with giant logs and there are at least 3 more trees that they need to finish cutting. Following that they will finish trimming the trees in the front, and then will go grind out the stumps in the back yard. We will have a landscaper come in and level and grade the yard, followed by grass seeding. I'm so excited!

Zach has been in his sandbox the past couple of days. He can't help himself and he loves it so much! I imagine that sand must be cold, but he hasn't complained. Lucas has been out a bit as well, just for walks with us in either the wagon or the stroller. He also loves being outside and just looks all around and doesn't complain at all. He kicks his little feet and legs and takes it all in. I'm definitely looking forward to this summer when I can get both of the boys outside in the warm sun to play and enjoy our yard.