3rd Time's for Charm

It's our 3rd date with the concrete mixer!

Let the face-lift begin! My Martin Acres pop-top is slowly making its way skyward. Yesterday marked the 3rd visit from the concrete truck and I would say, the first visit that added charm to what appears to be a very homely looking little pile of construction debris. 

Now that the foundation is done, the (almost) last piece of the concrete puzzle was to pour the front patio and the floor to the crawlspace under that back room : AKA the swimming pool.

The plan was to smooth the top of the patio, preparing it for the day when I have nothing else going on and can etch it with acid then stain it to somewhat match the flagstone that my imagination sees in the front yard. Well obviously that is not anytime soon – time and budget and priorities being what they are these days. But one day….

In the meantime, the obligatory pictures of the latest happenings at 285 Martin Drive: 

Among the debris and fill dirt, despite the lack of irrigation and constant pollution, life and beauty sustains itself. Side by side, my youthful peach tree and it’s colorful sidekick, a single red tulip have a front row seat to the ongoing project that is my Martin Acres pop-top. Together they have endured the snow, the wind, the dust and those 80 degree winter days in March, not to mention a flurry of construction vehicles and people. Now more than ever, I’m committed to watching them flower again next year.

The back yard. Well, the first thing you probably won’t notice, is Storm Mountain is gone. Don’t worry, it took me a while to figure it out too. Odd, right? An 5′ high pile of orange dirt that is taking up the entire yard is moved out and I have trouble determining what is missing! Most of it went to fill a hole somewhere far, far away, but a little bit is left in case I need it for landscaping.

I’m starting to plan and for the first time in forever am quite excited about the blank slate that is my yard. Yeah, I’ve been here before and it was tough physical labor to turn a mess into a beautiful garden, but I know I can do it again and that is all I need right now. I have a couple of months to hit the books and the internet for ideas and “how to” tutorials. It will probably take another year, but at some point in the future our dream house will also have a dream garden!

To finish out this week, the team is working on flooring joists for this back room. What? Building has begun? Uh-huh.  🙂