KarinL, you've given me tons to think about. Here are some thoughts in response to parts of it: Your questions about how I want to move through and be in the space are well taken. I'd add another consideration, though, which is how the house speaks to the street. I'd like it to say: "this bit is my yard, but please do come in! Because of the walk, the porch steps, and the deep front porch, the way in for visitors - and the way I'll walk in and where I'll put down groceries - are very well defined. Here are a couple of pics that show more of the front yard: Because of the way the holly tree (which I love) sits on the west side of the front yard, there's a real imbalance between very strong and rectilinear visuals on the west side and open and scraggly boundaries on the east, the more so with with fence coming down on the east side. I'm cool with the openness on the east and the more closed, divided feeling on the west, because I love my east-side neighbors and not so much the west-side one! That said, I do feel like there's a need for some visual interest and definition at the property line on the east side - something just a little sheltering to reach out from the side of the house towards the sidewalk and embrace visitors without overwhelming them. Which leads to your next point about... Planting along boundaries: The caveat against the beginner's mistake makes sense to me, because of course in interiors the comparable mistake is to line up everything absolutely straight against the walls. In this case, though, having lived in the house only a short time, I can clearly see the need for some definition along the property line but don't yet fully know how I'll want to move in the space. Since whatever goes along the side and back of the yard will be visible over whatever eventually goes in the middle, is there any harm in planting shrubs near the outside edges of the space and making decisions about the middle in a future season? On the hedgy stuff in front of the porch, I do have some useful info, and I think you're right that most of it has to go. There are several different things going on there. The low thing out in front that's trimmed like a hedge is a group of azaleas! Now, I like azaleas, but these flower in the worst possible shade of magenta for all the other color that's going on here. The largest thing is a red-tip photinia and most unfortunately it's falling victim to that leaf spot disease. Poking up between the azaleas and the photinia are a couple of very happy rhododendrons, which could stay and become part of a new grouping. I'd love to look out over something pretty when I sit on the front porch, but I don't need something that screens the porch as much as the current ailing photinia does.

That's a great photo of your baby crow, Marg. Sharon, butterfly looks like it is the Northern Pearl Crescent. Thanks. I googled some other photos and the colors were a bit brighter than on the Alberta Insect site. I think the ladybug is the Three-banded lady beetle, though. Check it out...there seems to be white outlines around his black markings. Thanks for that link. Here is a link that might be useful: Three-banded Lady beetle

The male pine grosbeaks are such beauties, aren't they? Lately I've noticed that the 4 males visiting my yard seem brighter, or redder. They must be getting geared up for a date and a bit of nookie! I had no idea that grouse went up into the trees. But I guess it makes sense - when everything on the ground is so snow covered, what else would they eat. We had nuthatches early in the winter - white breasted here at home and red breasted at work - but I haven't seen them since. DH saw an owl just outside of town a yesterday and from his description it sounds like a Great Grey. I want to go hunt him down, but it's been snowing pretty good since I got off work yesterday. Great photos, everyone.

Great pics. Don't grackles look huge when they are trying to use a feeder? I have the tube type feeders, and they find the short perches very uncomfortable, but they are determined to eat. Never mind they could be ground feeding.