The End of An Era

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The Backyard Babysitter
Our Previous Residence

After 12 years of faithful service, the swing set met its end. Now tweens, the girls only sparingly use the swings, never use the sandbox or slide, and I grew ever more irritated at having to mow around every few days during the height of grass-mowing in the summer. Ugh.

It was time for it to come down, and I was only a little sad to see it go.

Since the swing set A-frame was the perfect size for an adult-sized swing, we re-purposed it against a straight-mature tree out back to a decidedly more adult version.

With a little stain for the frame (and, to match, the picnic table) and some new paint for the swing, it became the answer to many-a break from the noise of the air-conditioned indoors. Even in the high 90’s, the temp in the canopy shade always feels just right.

Outdoor Living Room

Even the rock wall found a new use. The kids no longer need a buddy to haul them up to the top of the zip-line; the rock wall makes it juuuust tall enough.

Whee!

And oh, the space it opened up! Perhaps the kids might need to learn how to play badminton. Or volleyball. Or fly airplanes.

A Blank Canvas

Of course the repair job for the bare soil was no more than a few plugs and lots and lots of grass clippings laid down liberally. Grass feeds itself from the bacteria that break down its own leaf litter, so come fall, the otherwise sandy, compact earth will be completely covered with St. Augustine — our turf grass. And like the big pool spot from a couple of years back, there will remain no evidence it was ever there before. Organic matter is all that’s needed to heal soil, people.

All the 4×4 posts from the set will be cut and quick-set in place for structure along an espalier orchard and ‘green fence’ that is already planted (citrus and pomegranate) and expanding in the west side-yard. As soon as the temps drop back into the low-90’s, the digging will commence and I will be able to share photos of the (finally) finished look.

Now, if we could just find a home or purpose for that bright yellow slide.

Any ideas?