After putting in grass last week, today was spent on the fire pit area. Nothing fancy--less than $125 dollars for the chairs and fire bowl, but already the backyard is a gathering space for the kids after homework. Once they can play on the grass that will only increase.
For nearly eight years, the backyard has been a challenge, a trial, and a source of contention between Summer and me. Here are the basics: the backyard is small (15'x50'), with a pretty nasty slope (roughly 2' in drop from the neighbors behind us to our back patio). We've tried several quick fixes, but after a few years, it became obvious that we needed to do full-throttle, cutting into the slope, building a retaining wall, and leveling the yard into two terraces.
So, after years of work, last March we finished the wall and started leveling below it. Today we reached the promised land by putting in ~225' of sod--not a lot, but enough for the kids to run around. Here, then, are some pictures:
From above the wall looking southeast
From the patio looking west--that's one of the two apple trees we planted last spring
From the patio looking south--below the wall are two lilac bushes we planted last month, and above the wall by the fence are hollyhocks
Behind the house looking northwest--that's the other apple tree, and Summer's garden gnome
At the north end of the yard is a sandbox we put in this spring, complete in this photo with Ryan and Evan
And here we get a broader view of the yard looking north, complete with Allyson, who here sniffs a marigold--the dirt area behind her will be home to either another tree or a small patio and fire pitOn Saturday we took the Rail Runner up to Santa Fe again, a trip that we find both fun and relaxing--fun because we get to do cool Santa Fe things and relaxing because we don't have to drive in Santa Fe, one of the worst cities for cars in the nation. Here are some photographic highlights from the trip.
First, Allyson at the ABQ station:
Next, Isaac waiting to board the train:
Here the older kids pass the time on the way north:
The main attraction of the trip was the New Mexico Museum of Art, where a spunky docent took us on a brief tour. We ended at the courtyard, where Summer took a few pictures:
Outside we found plaques commemorating famous artists who have been part of the Santa Few milieu, including on Willa Cather, which made Allyson excited, since she's read Death Comes for the Archbishop:
And finally, outside the door to the museum's St. Francis chapel, the kids enjoy the early-Spring wind (walking back to the trains station, the wind was much less enjoyable):
Summer and I have a getaway planned for mid-May, and we're looking at taking the train to Sana Fe for one day for the two of us. That promises to be loads of fun as well.
