down the (newly) beaten path

Thursday was a good day.  Riggs and I both woke up, smiling at each other as we realized we had both slept through the entire night.  I had some computer time while eating breakfast, looking at chicken coop designs and surfing craigslist a bit, then decided it was time to just get outside and get some work done.

Thanks to my dad, we have a burly gas lawn mower that despite being well used, works very well.  I really put it to the test, since I don't have a weed trimmer yet.  I spent about 4 hours in all behind the lawn mower, patiently going back and forth at lower and lower heights until I got the yard about how I wanted it.

I have always loved it when large (not that ours is that large but I'm just saying) properties have paths worn down around them, weaving here and there and maybe even bordered with stones or wood of some sort.  So I also worked on getting a nice path beaten down around the fenced area of the yard, leading from the front yard to the back door.  The people who lived here had four wheelers that they drove around and so there are a few remnants of those trails in some places.  

Anyway it might not look like much, but it was a lot of work!  We are camping this weekend (yay!) otherwise I would have spent the weekend getting more done with Steve's help, like getting the materials gathered and cut for the chicken coop so that I can finish that during the week.  But that will all have to wait until next weekend I guess.  I wish I knew how to use power tools better, then I could just do everything myself.  I feel bad burdening Steve with these projects, since he only has those two (and often only one) days off to relax and kick back.  But he doesn't seem to mind, and I'm sure he's happy to spend time outside on our beautiful property with me and Riggy.  

I started out by trimming down a lot of the overgrown weeds flowers - either pulling them out or cutting them with a blade by hand.  It made the existing path look a little more tidy:

Then I went to work with the mower, cutting the grass to make my wide path back to the gate (I also laid down a few logs I found as trim.  There are some dead trees around the property I'm going to get Steve to take down so that I can limb them and use them for the rest of the border):

The fenced yard area looks a lot different now, but there's still a lot of work that I'll have to do to clear spots for raised beds and add on a chicken area:

I just love my little path, and can't wait to get the rest of it bordered!  What do you think?  Are there any little projects you've done like that to make your outdoor space seem more homey?