I needed a shed. That's how my thought process started: not a massive shed, just a dry place to stash the weed whacker, pool supplies, and fire pit tools. I was first planning to do a lean-to shed in the back corner near our parking spot, but every option that really fit our needs and matched our old house and garage were very expensive.  I considered building one, and even designed a build, but ultimately knew I didn’t want a shed.  I have a garage and should be able to use that for a lot of these things, despite some inconvenience.

Then we removed a few trees at the back of our lot (two were dead ash trees in the alley) and the space we had available was a lot more usable than it had been before.  Now with far less shade than we ever had, it made a lot of sense to use that space somehow.  With a large spot and a lot of gardeners, there was a great opportunity to make a greenhouse work!

I know in my last post I wrote I’d be working on the attic for the One Room Challenge… well, I do intend to get that buttoned up before the snow gets too deep.  Consider the next few posts a pair of side-quests along the way!  There are a few things I need to wrap before the snow flies, and I started with the items that don’t live under the roof.

When we initially set up our backyard entertaining areas, we set our fire pit on gravel, thinking this would be an easy place for maintenance and setting a fire pit…
We were wrong! While we did everything right with a deep base and stone in our circle, there are just too many voracious weeds that enjoy that here. So, we've upgraded it to a 15' circle paver patio. Luckily, the base we used under our stone was also a good choice for our pavers.

Unfortunately, we set out to re-level the situation way back in May… and finally got back to laying the pavers in… October.  It’s been an interesting year, with adventurous five-year-olds and at least one major broken bone.  So, we slowed down for some fun this summer, taking near-daily advantage of the stock tank pool.  Then at the end of August, my husband broke his leg, and our major projects turned into second-priorities.  While he’ll be on crutches for around another weeks, I’ve employed our pair of eleven-year-olds to help with some of the lifting.  We’re all grateful for their young backs.