Before and after

I'm still working on the grass. Today I'll cut the North 40 and the strips of grass outside our back gate and along the road. Those sections should be less work than what I've done so far because the grass isn't as tall and thick as it was in the other sections. Then the first cut will be done. I'll probably have to do it all again in a week, but it will be much, much easier.

Before. The path divides the back yard into the West 40 on the left and the South 40 on the right . The North 40 is in the rear left of the photo, along the north side of the house.

After. I still have the edges to trim. And the path needs to be weeded. One step at a time.

Ken made a first pass in the garden plot with the rototiller. It wasn't easy as the weeds had really taken hold. We talked about how we need to cover the plot with weed-preventive fabric or tarps this fall. Just covering the garden with dead leaves doesn't work all that well.

Before. A section of the South 40 that includes a little curvy path and several shrubs to mow around.

After. The curvy path has filled in with little blue flowers.

I dug up the little planting strip that circles the "real fake well" out back. We have a variety of salvia (sage) growing in pots that I'm planning to put in that spot. I also noticed that one of our apple trees is starting to blossom.

It's apple blossom time.

I took these photos in the early morning, just around sunrise, so the light is a little dim. I worried that the same photos taken in the bright sun with shadows would probably come out too contrasted.