May 05, 2008

Gratuitous Domestic Posting (TM)

Our spring project at Orgle Manor this year is to clean up the side yard to the west of the house, which over the years has become a wasteland of mud, exposed roots and scraggly weeds owing to its utter domination by a large but crooked maple.

Step one is to get rid of the tree, after which we are having a landscaper come in to lay some sod and cut a couple new beds against the wall of the house. (I'm also going to have him put an arbor over the gate to the back yard, but shhh!! - don't tell the Missus, as it's a surprise.) Along with the tree in question, we are also having a major limb lopped off a tree in our neighbor's yard. It leans way out over our property, contributing to the cimmerian gloom and also threatening to come crashing down on the garage during the next major ice storm or hurricane.

In fact, the tree guys are out at the house right now. I just got a call from their chief. Our neighbor, of course, knew and approved of our lopping of their limb, but the female member of the duo was out fussing a while ago because nobody had told her how much it was going to cost and she didn't want any cutting done before she saw the bill. (It's a couple hundred bucks.)

Well, either I am the biggest sap in history or else I am properly applying the Golden Rule, but since we're the ones spear-heading this project, I never dreamed of making any kind of demand that the neighbors pony up. I told the chief to tell her we had it covered. Hopefully, this will bring a little sunshine (ha! get it?) into her Monday. If they insist on pressing a check on us, of course, we won't say no. But I'm not going to force the thing.

We're also having the tree guys cut back a pair of thirty foot tall hollies that flank the end of the driveway. The chief reports that they look really nice now, having been lowered and shaped for the first time in years. I can't wait to see them. (Of course, I'll have to wait to see them because I catch a flight straight from the office this afternoon and won't be back in town until @#($*#(&!!! Thursday night.)

Posted by Robert at May 5, 2008 12:36 PM | TrackBack
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