Here is the backyard mid-May. Some signs of life. We seeded and planted a few shrubs and perennials. We're particularly proud of the new sidewalk that runs from the garage to the patio. We pounded out the old one by hand with a 16 lb sledge hammer, used the cement chunks to edge our flower beds (beautifying the yard and recycling at the same time... "eco-gardening"?), and then hauled and mixed and poured 2400 lbs of cement by hand under my dad's guidance and help on long Friday.