“When the storm has passed, put your energy into rebuilding your life, don’t waste time looking back.”

Leon Brown

We’ve had some gnarly storms blow thru in the past year that I’ve been here. Last year, the winds were so fierce it took out two panels of my privacy fence. Last week, the rains were so frequent that a water-laden dead tree branch broke off, falling onto the highway. This resulted in the tree being cut down. With all the other storm damage around town, I thought I’d have to wait but the tree company decided mine was emergent and came the next day. The price they quoted was a steal and he explained that he cut me a deal since they were already in town. Not that the cost was prohibitive but it was going to put things a little tight for a couple months in the finances department. BUT. . . God is good!! No sooner did the main trunk of that huge tree hit the ground but my phone dinged advising me that there’d been a deposit in my checking account and there . . .was my stimulus check.

This past Thursday morning, another branch broke from a tree in the backyard. The privacy hedge broke its fall and today I summarily cut up the branch with the chainsaw for city pickup. We’ve spent the past two days raking up small bits and pieces and branches and pulling them up on the curb. We are very fortunate to live in a community that provides removal of yard waste following the storms and then twice a year in the spring and fall. Otherwise we are free to burn leaves and branches in our yards.

With the removal of the tree branch that fell, I also had to cut back the hedges that caught it. While cutting those back, I not only found a small scrub cedar that had taken root (and is now in that pile above) but 10 years worth of built-up leaves along with trails of English Ivy. I raked out the top layer of leaves that were dry and started burning them. As they dry out more, I will finish burning them and then destroy the ivy that spreads worse than COVID-19.

Eventually, we will put down grass seed and then start working on our privacy fence and the cellar doors to match. The cellar doors will be created first to allow us an opportunity to work with the galvanized metal and determine the best way to frame and fasten it. The fence panels will proceed from there. Eventually the yard will be a beautiful, private oasis to enjoy.

I can hardly wait!