Exterior things are happening

So many big changes have taken place in my little house since we moved in in June.

The living room went from looking like this

to looking like this:

The full bath went from looking like this:

to looking like this:

But while all of these things have changed inside, very little has changed outside. Until recently.

Really the turning point was the decision to remove one of  the two large rhododendrons in front of the house. It was a surprisingly emotional decision for me, I really loved the pink flowers that exploded in spring when I first bought the house, and it is clear from the size of these plants that they have been here as long as the house itself.

Initially we talked about ways we could save the plants, maybe dig them up and move them to elsewhere in the yard? The truth is, with a plant this big, pretty major equipment would be needed for that, the roots go so deep it just would not be possible. So I made the decision to keep the one on the left, but cut down the one that fully blocks the front door. 

After cutting it down, we had a local arborist come prune the remaining rhodie, and grind the stump of the one we took out. Oh, and removing it allowed us the space to start working on a front path up to the door!

My next tasks are weeding/planting and improving the front yard, finishing the path as well as....


Painting the exterior! Which I have to say, I'm pretty excited about.

Here's a sneak peek, including a couple of the creatures that apparently live on my house...