The fence is mostly up! Hooray! And the whole yard has this amazing aroma of cedar. After talking with Tom (our super handyman) this morning, I learned that he used western red cedar for the pickets. The horizontal cap (also western red cedar) should be going up today or tomorrow. This is untreated cedar, so as much as I'm feeling impatient, we won't be able to stain it until the fall.
I am honestly thrilled with our progress, though I cannot help but see all the things that still need to be done to make the backyard more enjoyable. So in true Butterfield fashion, here is my working list of changes I'd still like to make to the backyard:
• Extend the patio (currently sized at 10' x 10')
• Purchase a patio set
• Create two levels to the backyard, to eliminate the slope and help water drain away from the house
• Plant a low-water, native Texas garden (with a small area dedicated to turf -- mostly for the dogs' benefit)
• Move the shed, so it's not the first thing you see when looking out into the backyard
• Repaint the shed
And back to the subject of the fence for a minute. When we asked Tom to work on it, I really thought I'd have some time to help him work on it. I love learning carpentry and construction, and thought it would be great to learn from someone way more experienced than me. However, between work, school, and life, I've only spent a few hours outside during this project (during the destructo phase, when we were ripping out all the "trash trees").
Needless to say, I'm a little sad I didn't get to see him put up the fence (though I do get a ton of enjoyment when I get home each night and see the progress that's been made). Here's hoping I have a little more free time for future projects!
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