Not all Moles are Beauty Marks

 Plans and progress can only do so much... not every outcome can be accounted for or even expected.  It's been a long Winter and with a Spring that isn't standing its ground it is easy to get discouraged.  One unforeseen consequence of having such an abundant cover of snow this year is the survival rate of the Moles. Those little critters must have rested pretty easy this winter.  My yard is checkered with their underground pathways, and they've been busy.  

 In the past I've been one to leave them to their digging, what real harm can they do under that soil.  Turns out grape vines can be tasty, and my Valiant grape plant lost a not so valiant battle with the stealthy critter.  All that is left is a grape twig tied up against its stake, no roots, no connection to the earth.  It's wasn't even uprooted, just de-rooted.  Something must be done.

 I've been on a metaphorical mission of taking back my yard.  It being a yard of a neglect, decades of dilapidation, not because of a lack of love but a lack of time.  I've pledged myself to my yard and plan on bringing it to its former glory and beyond.  But that mission may have to be put on hold as I must literally take back my yard from these underground invaders.  They mustn't be allowed to continue their rampage, the moles will have to face the my wrath for what they did to my grapes.  "I know this... a man got to do what he got to do."

Cloudy days make for Cloudy minds

I have always been someone who plans more than he does.  This isn't saying I don't do things, its more that I spend much more time thinking and planning things.  I have the desire for many things, but am so concerned about doing everything the right way that sometimes it does not get done at all.  This is a constant battle within myself.
My gardening is a great example of these struggles.  I believe I've already begun to make progress, my first example would be my grape vines.  I've been living in my home for three plus years, but was renting for the first two.  As a renter I didn't feel as connected to the property or home to make any physical improvements.  I was renting a place to live and keep my things, but the insecurity of a lease prevented me from tackling issues of the house and yard.  Why would I plant a vine which would take three to four years to bear fruit if I was going to end up somewhere else before that even happened?  Just last year I solidified the purchase of the property and the home is now mine.  Now I have the yard to do all the things I've ever dreamed of in.  My work schedule competes with the free time necessary to devote with yard work.  I became frustrated because I had a yard, I had grape plants, yet I didn't have a trellis to plant them on.  I decided to plant the vines, and tackle the trellis another time.  Sure it felt as though it may be the wrong order, but the vines can wait for the trellis, I on the other hand couldn't wait any longer for progress.  Perhaps sometimes doing things the wrong way is better than not doing things at all.  At least its a start.

This cool, cloudy spring weather really messes with my ambitions for outdoor projects.  I haven't felt the urge to get started on the many things to do in my yard.  The projects within the house have also been quite the distraction, takes a while to paint a room when you only dedicate two to three hours every other day or two.

But I figured I'd put together a list of yard projects that I'd like to see some progress on:

Garlic: Needs Mulch and Irrigation
Fish Pond: Finish the creek between the two pools & release the goldfish for the summer
Build Chicken Coop: Chicks arrive May 14th (though they wont need the coop for a few weeks as chicks)
Deer fence: Additional deer pressure, must protect the tomatoes... June.
Vegetable Garden: I like to supplement my summer cooking with food from the yard.
Hops: I've got three varieties in pots waiting for their place in the sun.
Over-arching Landscape Design: First need to start with a site map of the property.
The Dug-out: This is just what I refer to as the line-up of trees and other plants that are on my list but have yet to find their way into my yard.
Pruning Trees: I started working on the trees in my yard this winter, but they'll need much more work.
Tree Climbing: I've got the gear necessary, I've just got to work on my knots before I start swinging from branches.  This ties into the previous item, best way to prune is secured to the tree.
Perennial Garden: This one will be extensive, mostly shade but it'll be big enough for some morning sun situations as well.  I'll be designing this in my head for quite the while still.
Grape Trellis: I'll need a trellis for the five I've already planted, perhaps even an arbor.  There are quite a few other varieties of grapes I'd like to find room for in the yard as well.

These are just a few of the things I plan on tackling in the backyard, chronicling the progress will be a great opportunity for me to share my experiences but also keep me on task.  Because these cloudy days keep me in my head and out of my yard.