A Little Breathing Room

So last night in the crazy wind and chilly temperatures we decided it was time to remove a few of the overgrown trees that appeared to be taking over the house.  It is my hope that all of the pine trees will be removed and new ones will be planted a bit further from the house so as to still provide some privacy but not impede on the home.  For those that know me well, you know how much I love trees.  The shade they provide, the rich green color they add, and the beauty in the fall bring all peace to my heart.   To remove all of them is a bit stressful.  Craig likes the privacy they provide, but I have a claustrophobic feeling when sitting on the deck.  Not to mention all of the pine needles that drop on my lawn cushions.  We have yet to come to complete agreement, but we were able to agree on the removal of a few of them.  Starting slow to get a feel for the openness is a great beginning. No need to rush into anything too drastic--for Craig's sake that is! I love you honey, but we both know that change has never been your thing!

Anyway here's a peek at what we removed last night.

The pine tree right by the front door was a tree we knew we wanted to remove pretty quickly.  It was growing really close to the roof and posed potential issues as it got bigger.  Not to mention it was so dark and gloomy.

Before

After

We also removed some bushes from the opposite side.  These were two that we had planned on removing because we didn't care for them. So it wasn't too painful.

 Before

 

 After

Our new view from the deck.  We decided to keep the lilac bush, but trimmed it down so it doesn't affect the view when you are sitting in the chairs.

It's too bad we couldn't have waited to cut it in December.  The top of this tree would have made a great Christmas Tree.  I didn't think cutting the tree in the dead of winter would be too much fun though! Oh well...it should make for some great firewood one day!

The other three pine trees are still up for discussion.  I really want to remove the two that are side by side and open up that part of the deck to extend it.  This would provide much  more entertaining space and allow for the closed in feeling to be alleviated.  But marriage is about compromise, so I know I need to listen to Craig's point of view of the great privacy they provide, as well.  I am not sure what the outcome of this will look like, but I will surely keep you posted!

In the meantime, we have just added another project to the list...repair more rotting deck boards and replace the swiss chalet pickets with  updated ones. No to mention stripping and repainting.  Ahhh...don't you just love a good project to tackle?!!