" ~~~ I ~~~ C A N ~ ~ ~ N * O * T ~~ B*E*L*I*E*V*E ~ IT ! ! ! I'm just.............................................. _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ what's this.... SusieSunshine SPEECHLESS ! ? ? ? No way.... But it's true..... This Cork Wine House... Is Out OF this World.. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREAT JOB MR> KirK and Ms Lovely Lady Carol ! ! ! These little houses.... that YA'll have been creating for MS TOOOOOOOMUCHGLASS........... are just D \- vine !!!! These could be in the Bird/ Craft magazine BOOK Or Country Living... OR>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> H G T V ! ! ! ! ! Ya'll could be amoung the $$$ RICH & ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Famous ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ NM Girl.... Yours \= Outstanding L@@@ks like YOU !!! MsSusieRose ... DARLING !! ! Like YOU & HUBS..... Counterprincess..... W O W !!! and Gee.............. My mind just went totally BLANK>>>>>>>>>>> I'm just in \*\*\* AWE\*\*\*\* and I'm sooooooooo Glad Ms Karen has made an ALBUM That's My PurpleMoon Girl !!!!!!!!!!! what a Lady..... well.... sorry for the others I forgot... but... I am just tickled \* P I N K \* to know YA'LL and get to see with my own eyes... and experience.... this.... Well................ like I say... " I'M Just plain SPEECHLESS ! ! !! " God Bless YOUr Little Hearts !!!! SusieSunshine \*\*\* I am honored !!! to know YA'LL !!!

We have a little kitchen in the back yard that is a work in progress. We found a kitchen counter top at the dump- our dump is well known for having good things to find. The top is one with the sink molded into it, and drain boards on either side of the sink. It is about 6' long. DH built a cabinet for it to set on, and piped water to it, so we have running water to wash vegetables or whatever. The drain runs to the flowerbeds, so we don't waste the water. DH grills, but I also have a small apartment sized stove out there, that runs on propane right now. As soon as DH can get the gas lines run out there, it will run on Natural gas, as will the grill. I can put my canning jars on that stove, or bake a cake in that oven, and not heat my kitchen up- I love it. No refridgerator out there yet, but we use a double wash tub on legs for chilling drinks. Just put a stopper in it, and fill it with ice and drinks. We do plan to put in a nice stone clad kitchen one of these days, but for now, it works very well. We painted the wall of the shop a bright blue, with hot pink trim, and laid a brick floor. We like it. Something else in my back yard that I just love is the outdoor shower. It is surprising how often I use it, and it is great for people (like the grands) who want to go in the hot tub. Janie

Obviously, but obviously not everyone agrees with you either and we were asked for opinions. The question was not can I use wood chips and create a nice yard, The question was would more buyers like to see grass and do I need to do some work on this yard for resale. I reply to both in the affirmative, but have also suggested other options to grass -- though grass works great for me with two active med-large dogs. It is possible to use any combination of materials in a good looking garden. If you've like wood chips in your yard, I'm not trying to talk you out of them, but I've seen dogs with leg injuries because of wood chip yards at a dog park. I have also observed that far fewer people pick up after their dogs with wood chips and found it more difficult to do myself. I want a yard I can walk in, so , not to pick on you or the OP, I will not chose wood chips. And if wood chips were going to be a part of the yard, I would make sure they are a contrast to other colors and textures -- which isn't happening here, and that there is a clean, defined walkway between the steps and gate. Also not happening. This yard is not appealing and too many buyers see landscaping as expensive, hard work and don't know where to begin. An appealing yard, with or without wood chips, will help the house sell. If the OP has a few years before selling, it can be left until time to market or changes can be made now and enjoyed in the meantime.

John - first, congratulations on selecting this excellent property. second - I would follow the wise advice from kentc, to live in the house for a while before making any major changes. I like the advice from NHB, and would like to see the hedge or continuous growth along the drive remain, just transplant some of those rounded mounds behind it in order to spoil the formality of the repetition. For anyone to help you with the backyard, they would need to know who will be living in the house, how you plan to entertain visitors, if you will be conducting business within these walls. What activities each member of the family hopes to perform in this new setting, with ample room for sport courts, swimming, exercise equipment, dining areas, cookouts, vegetable & herb gardens, small greenhouse, dog yard, horse barn. Take your time. Analyze first then plan. The master plan that you prepare will be implemented in stages over the years, based on the available budget and the children's age. For instance, a preschooler will need a sandbox and swing-set within view of the kitchen and the office or study. In a few years this will be replaced by a lawn area for lawn sports like badminton, volleyball, croquet, corn-hole and the like. You are ambitions and will do an excellent job, all in good time. You might add a finer gravel to solidify the existing stone drive, and add asphalt as budget permits. Keeping the slopes to 10 percent or less will allow comfortable walking and bicycling up the hillside. A couple stone columns down at the drive entrance would be appropriate, along with a post lamp and the house number and maybe you will add a nickname in the future. I refer to my home as Hill House as it is in the town of Round Hill, which I enjoy when my GPS says "you are arriving at Hill House". Happy New Year, John, you have a lot to be thankful for.