Yesterday and today were gorgeous so today we spent the entire morning outside (from 9a-12n). Greg took tires to be recycled and ran a couple errands while I and the boys disassembled a sparse, twiggy rhododendron by our garage. Then I began thinning the hostas that every summer overgrow the walkway and driveway. I thinned them by 75% and completely removed 3 that just didn't work anymore in their locations. Those three I put in the backyard to live or die by their own will; the other pieces I put by the road with a FREE sign. A neighbor promptly took about half of them, rejoicing that she now didn't have to buy any.

While I dug hostas, Kyle and Eric played with in the driveway dirt (we have a low spot that collects sand and silt). Greg came home and attacked the trunks of the rhododendron and then the boys and I went on a walk while Greg "summerized" the snowblower and got the lawnmower ready for use. One diaper change later and we were back outside.

I finished the hostas and then we all attacked the rock pile that was beside our old deck. Probably the remains of a rock garden from the previous owners. We had enough rocks to surround the large oak in the back and the two trees in our front yard by the driveway. A particularly large rock went beside the driveway to protect the lawn, and one very long narrow piece of "sedimentary granite" (I know, there's no such thing) became Art when I shoved it into the ground as a mini-menhir. Kyle particularly liked moving small rocks (and some not-so-small) and Eric did his fair share of rock moving too. The only difference is that Eric put rocks where we told him and Kyle removed them. Kyle the Destructor is his current nickname.

We're all tired but well satisfied with our work outside.