Wrestling The Tree and Red Lemons

We really have been enjoying hanging out in our backyard. It was one of the key reasons we moved, so I am glad we are getting so much use out of it.

When we moved in, the yard was a disaster, and so I've been hard at work making little improvements here and there in my spare moments. Haha! The latest project I did involved taking out an old chain link fence that was in the middle of the yard. There was just a fence, right there in the middle of the yard...for no apparent reason! Who puts a fence in the middle of the yard?!

Before:



The hard part with removing the fence was that a big tree and bush had grown into and around the fence, making it nearly impossible to get the fence out. I had pruning shears, but those did nothing. I had a machete, but that was useless, as well.

I probably should have used a saw, but instead I just dug in there and wrestled the tree until it let go of the fence. Literally wrestled the tree. The tree almost won, and I have the scratches to prove it!

I think my neighbors (who can see into our backyard from their second story windows) must have thought I was odd, wrestling a tree and tearing down a fence with my bare hands - actually, I was wearing gloves. So, tearing down the fence with my gloved hands.

The result was pretty great- not that the pictures tell much. Now we have a pretty tree, more yard, and I'm not stuck looking at a chain link fence in the middle of the yard!

After:



While I've been doing my improvements to our yard and house, Paprika has also been hard at work doing her own improvements.

Recent painting sessions resulted in not only great artwork

here:



and here:



but also...

Here!



And, trees can always use a bit of added color to their leaves, am I right or am I right?

Like Here:



Not to mention...when life gives you lemons, why not paint one red?

Like Here:



Oh, Paprika. I love the artist in you! Mwahhhh!