even in the rain

We fell in love with this place in the pouring rain. 

Yesterday, in the heavy rains blowing over from whatever hurricane or tropical storm is nearby, I remembered that feeling. 

Eager, anxious, enchanted, and a little intimidated.  

I tried to capture it but rain never really photographs well.  (I mean, at least not for an amateur on my iPhone). 

We're getting new views and new perspective though as we make changes to the house and the landscape gradually.  

In late summer, we did some big projects to change how we use the outdoor space.  Even though playgrounds are opening back up around us, we decided to put in our own playset.  While we were debating where to place it, it dawned on us that the concrete pad and chainlink fence had to GO.  NOW.  It was an expensive demo job, but we hired it out to get it done quickly.  Our friend next door removed a sickly oak tree from the space next, and in just a few days we had an open vista and plenty of space for a custom-built wooden playset for the boys.  

Once it was installed we had (free!) wood chips brought in from a tree service.  With help from the boys I started planting grass seed and planning flowers and bushes to make it prettier, gradually and at our own pace.  

It feels great and I love seeing this new view of our space while we sit and watch the boys play.  Best of all, I can see them play from the kitchen while I'm making dinner or cleaning dishes for the 1000x time today.  That is a major mom goal for me. 

We also added a curved outdoor sofa in our gazebo, a plum tree, and two fig trees (which the deer totally ate).  

It's an end of summer scene, with some late-blooming flowers, plenty of mowing, and a tiny bit of produce still coming in.  Bike and helmets and occasional sweaters are littered all over our yard, and we're remembering some of the projects we really wanted to get done while it was warm (and didn't).  

Inside, I've been organizing (like everyone watching The Home Edit on Netflix!!) and purging and trying to reset for a new season and a little bit of school. 

This place continues to give us new life and new possibilities, even in a pandemic and even in the rain.