Backyard Bliss

Dear Emily and Kopy, this one's for you. Gotta start somewhere, and this is what was on my mind.

I've always preferred summer. When the weather is such that you feel a warm relief stepping outside from the air conditioning, it's just right for me.

In my constant pursuit of that warm summer air, I stay outdoors as much as possible. As you can imagine, a nice outdoor environment was important to me when Charlie and I were looking for a place to live four years ago. Nice light? Check. Backyard and patio? Check. Great view of the mountains? Check. What our little place lacked was that special something. No flowers, a torn up and gravelly patio, an ugly chain-link fence, and the most "ghetto" patio furniture you've ever seen.

For a while we didn't have the time or budget to focus on it. Today, it's my little urban backyard haven (with the exception of the cocker spaniel staring at me through the fence and occasionally barking to request her release). I spend every second I can out there.

Honeysuckle vines and grasses we planted last year are slowly covering the fence. Our landlord finally repaved the patio. Thanks to Charlie's job, we were able to score a great deal on a new patio set. Our generous friends and family set us up with some nice grilling tools and a fire pit as wedding gifts. And we're growing a variety of flowers, plus carrots, herbs, tomatoes, and cucumbers. The space isn't perfect by any means, but we're proud of how far it has come.