The last phase of our infamous backyard landscaping project is underway. The pond is about 3/4 of the way finished. By this weekend, we will be able to test the pump and fill the pond with water. If all goes well, there will be goldfish in by early next week. Woohoo! We are also in negotiations with our neighbors behind us to replace the back fence which is in a state of utter decrepitude. The only thing that was holding it up was our neighbors’ out-of-control ivy that they finally finished cutting back the other day. Once the ivy was gone, it was clear that the fence needed to go. Without the ivy to hold it up, the fence sags and droops in places it shouldn’t, and generally just looks shabby. I’m glad it happened before we were finished with the pond and deck – this way everything will look nice and new at the same time. We need patio furniture, too, but will deal with that later (patio furniture is obscenely expensive, considering it’s patio furniture).

Oh, and for anybody who has pondered how Mia is taking to the new world of a patio-based backyard, she’s doing great and pooping up a storm right on the patio, the shameless hussy. And Chuck thought she needed grass! Not our girl – when she’s gotta go, she’s gotta go!