Summer and Post-Rain Yard Maintenance

In case you don't live here, it's just rained for like three weeks running.  I'm not complaining - last year's drought was the worst on record for Texas, and this year's rains (which are actually "average", if that even means anything anymore) are a welcome, welcome sight.  So is all the green - this time of year everything turns brown and goes semi-dormant for the summer, but grass and trees and plants are all so wonderfully fluffy and green this week. :)

Yesterday was the first day in nearly three weeks it didn't rain, and the entire neighborhood has exploded into lawnmowers, edgers, and people in shorts crawling around on their hands and knees.  For my part, I hit the front yard running as soon as I got home from work last night:

• "mowed" the front yard (with a weedeater - I'm between lawnmowers at the moment)
• and edged the yard and garden beds (also with the weedeater)
• pulled some weeds
• pruned a few shaggy bits off of the oak tree in the front yard
• hoed, raked, and weeded the front garden bed
• also pruned a few new suckers out of the Mexican Orchid Tree in the backyard

Before - shaggy hangy-downy bits                                                  After - not a lollipop anymore! 

I promise my house isn't yellow.  That's the sunset.  It's actually beige I hate yellow.  I hate beige, too, but I hate yellow more. 

Also?  OMG I HAVE GRASS IN THE FRONT YARD FINALLY.  It hasn't been this green in three freeping years!!

Before - shaggy bits, and even a dead shaggy bit! (broken branch)                                After:  visible tree crotch is visible

Ta-da.   Fall down go boom now.  Bit tired after all that.  

.