Our backyard neighbor just sold their house… yes, it’s a Rummer too (1 of 4 in our neighborhood.) They put it on the market Friday and it went pending Sunday (with multiple offers.) We did get a chance to go to the open house. Amazing. And the yard was so tidy… trees trimmed, fresh bark spread. All very nice. Then we come home to our yard. What a mess.

Motivated, we launch into pruning the overgrown front yard. The focal point is a very old Japanese Maple, but it just looks like a big red bush. Steve crawled under the tree to assess its health and his trimming strategy. From under the tree he starts talking to me (in an almighty tone)… I swear it was just like the burning bush scene in the movie, The Ten Commandments!

There was about a cord of old, dead branches under there. And don’t tell Haley, but I have NO idea what to cut and where. I was totally faking it, but I guess it turned out just fine. -Steve

Steve cuts out the dead branches and then trims up the limbs to create an umbrella. We can finally see the trunk. Very cool twists and turns. It is at least 30 years old. It still needs some thinning and shaping, but overall it looks much better and will work for now. We have so much yard… and ivy everywhere. The debris piles are growing!

I wish I would have taken a shot with my face showing here. I think it looks like the world’s biggest toupe. that would have been funny. -Steve

Much nicer, yes? -Steve