Great Memories of Our Old Backyard



The other day I was on Pinterest and this picture popped up that someone had pinned from the HGTV site.  (I had originally uploaded it to the RMS site)   How exciting to see our backyard!  It was our old one that we put years and years into making our own.  We moved from there a few years ago, but have great memories of the place.

Here it was when we moved in in 2000.  Yes, a bit rough!!  :)

When we first redid this area, we had a swing set, as our kids were in grade school. They loved that thing! After they outgrew it, we put our firepit up there.  It was such a great place to relax!




This is actually after we had cleaned it up quite a bit.  I remember lots and lots of 2x6's stacked against the fence, rotting....  I think the prior owner's plan was to build raised beds.  Because the soil is clay, clay, and more clay, a lot of people do make raised beds.  We decided to rototill truckloads of compost in instead. 

Max would play for hours, chasing racquetballs. When he'd get tired, he knew exactly where to cool off. He would lay in the second level with the cool water flowing on his back. He would set his racquetball down and it would stay right there until he was ready to play some more. :)   HGTV also had this picture on their site for Pets in the Yard.  Max was a star!  :)

Thanks for your visit!

Pam

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Rest in Peace Sweet Boy

As many of you who read my blog know, Max has been a huge part of our lives for the past 12 years.  We went on vacation last week and while we were gone he took a terrible turn for the worse.  We were so fortunate that the vet who was caring for him was so kind.  She thought he would be better with some medications, but then she found a tumor on his pancreas which was too much for him to recover from.  While she held up the phone and I talked to him one last time, she said he looked up and wagged his tail hearing my voice.  She and I cried and cried as we came to the decision that it was not fair to keep him going while he was in such pain.  Obviously we are heartbroken.  Coming home to an empty house, seeing his stuff everywhere in the house and yard and knowing he's gone is so tremendously hard.  But, we also remember how much we loved him from the minute we brought him home in 2000. 

This is in our old backyard.  He was smart enough to claim that spot in the pond as his.  This picture of him even made it on the HGTV site!  :)

We built this pond for him when we moved in this house.  The part he is laying in will always be known as "Max Beach". 

We are better people for having him in our lives and will never forget him. 

Thank you for your visit.

Pam

Flowers Coming Alive and a Happy Dog

We are having gorgeous weather here!  It's supposed to be in the 80's for the next several days.  I am so happy, especially since it's the weekend too.  Not too much is blooming yet, but the things that are, are beautiful!

This is my view out my kitchen window.  I love the ground cover trailing down the rocks.

This flowering almond isn't very big or lush yet, but the flowers are so pretty! 

 A short walk around the park required a good cooling off.  It was funny that a few fish were right underneath him, but got out of the way.  He is one happy dog!

Thanks for coming by.  I hope you have a beautiful weekend too!

Pam

A Dog Needs a Great Place to Cool Off

Our chocolate lab, Max, used to LOVE the pond in our old backyard.  He would chase the ball forever, then go cool off in the second level of the pond.  HGTV has his picture on their site today!   HERE is the link.

When we moved here, the summers were much hotter and he was getting a bit older.  We wanted a water feature in this yard and knew we needed a place for him to stay cool. We didn't have the slope in this backyard to make a multi-level pond, but we were able to make something that we love and he loves.



We built this pond a couple of years ago.    HERE is the link  

 We had to add this mesh so he wouldn't get in the deep side.  It's funny that the fish swim right up to him.  We call his area "Max Beach".   Yes, he is spoiled.  :)

Thanks to HGTV for posting his picture!  Thanks for your visit.

Pam

The Last Gasp of Summer

I absolutely love summer weather, gardening, being outside, etc.  It's been in the high 80's here for several weeks now, but they are forecasting 46 degrees and snow in the mountains for tomorrow.  Can I just say NO?!    :)

Most of my perennials have come and gone for the season, so thank goodness for very late blooming Rose of Sharon (you start blooming in late September?  What's up with that?)  and my favorite annual of all--Cosmos!

The warm weather required some serious cooling off!  The screen is there so Max stays on his side and doesn't do any damage to the deeper part of the pond.  The fish love to swim right up to him while he's laying in there.

 

  I'm sure going to miss the good weather! 

 Thanks for coming by!  

Pam

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