Adding a Little Oxygen to the Air!!!

The 31 trees we had ordered back in April arrived last week.

I just want to take you back to April 2010 when we first began construction at our property.  Pretty much the only thing that hasn't changed is the gorgeous mountain view that spans just about 180' around us.

Then our house was constructed and it looked like this all winter.

We have spent many evenings hauling top soil to create these raised tree beds.  It is hard to tell in the photos but these beds are actually 4 ft tall in the center.

This is to the left of the house.

And the front beds.

My hands suffered a little from all the raking involved in forming the soft mounds.

And in goes the first of 31 trees.

A good portion of the trees went into these beds on the left side of the house.

With a few added to the front.  These beds in the front will mostly be filled with shrubs and perennials.

And just as we got the trees planted, two dump truck loads of this stuff arrived.  Bark Mulch.

And this is how it looks now.  Slowly we are blending house and landscaping.

Wondering about the status of our rock retaining wall?  It is complete.  Well, the placing of the rocks is complete.  Now we have some grading of the land to finish so we can add top soil and more trees, shrubs, and grass.

That's Duke, our white boxer, guarding the steps.

How much more do we hope to accomplish this summer?  To be totally honest, the budget has run out for this season.  We did find a great deal on some trees that we are hoping to take advantage of, but I think the plan is to enjoy the rest of the summer with the kids at the lake.  There definitely is a lot of time involved in watering the trees we have planted now, and we hope to finish up all the little odds and ends of construction on the exterior of the house. And, back to saving for the next season.