27
Sep
Still the Scary House on the Block
Topic: Home Improvement
I mentioned in an earlier post that we had all the old, overgrown shrubs and trees on our property razed to the ground. Since then I’ve mulched the garden areas (we’ll start planting things in the spring) and I’m tremendously impressed with myself for growing some nice, thick grass in the spots that needed it. But we’re still the scary house on the block. One afternoon someone came by and stuck a Democratic Party flyer in our door. That evening I was out in the street playing with Kai and some of the neighborhood kids. A canvasser was working his way down the street, stopping at each of the houses where the flyers had been placed, and following up with the residents. I watched him as he approached our house. He stopped on the sidewalk in front, looked down at his clipboard, then up at the house, paused, looked down and then up again, paused again, and then walked right on by.
So the house looks better than it did a year ago, but we’re not there yet 
In a couple weeks we’re having the front door and the back door replaced. I’ve acquired many home improvement skills over the years - from tile work, to laying floors, to electrical work. But I’ve never gotten the knack of hanging doors (I think my problem is that, unlike most other home improvement skills, it’s an art, not a science). So I’m leaving that job to the pros (we’ve been lucky to find a very good contractor - it’ll be the same guy who did our kitchen windows).
I’ve realized in all this time I haven’t posted any exterior shots of the house yet (actually, I have, but you’d have to hunt for them: they’re tucked away in my Route 50 travelogue). So here’s a shot from when we moved in last year, and then a couple showing the recent yardwork.
What the house looked like when we moved in last year:
What it looks like now - we’ve removed the shrubs, and replaced the windows and roof:
Since taking this picture I’ve mulched the garden area and planted grass:
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