I guess it's time for the "yes, but's". 1) first of all, thank you for explaining about opening up the view of the house. I took a walk around the neighborhood this morning, and (finally) could actually see the difference between those houses with "opened up" landscaping, and those houses looking "all boxed in". 2) I went to the gardening center this afternoon. Yes, perennials are on sale now, but shrubs are still expensive. I definitely have to do a lot of reading (I went to the library yesterday for some books) to see what plants I can consider. I want to plan carefully first. 3) We're going to move the sand cherry and Japanese yew to the backyard next weekend. 4) Reluctantly I will remove the arborvitaes - I'm guessing we'll just try to dig most of the roots out somehow after the trees are down. However, the ugly roof support columns (with the ugly 1960's metal swirls) will be visible until something manages to grow tall enough to cover them up - ugh. 5) I cannot bring myself to take a picture of the step up from the driveway - it is just too hideously ugly - old carpeting on the uneven concrete porch, ugly railing, ugly driveway, etc. When I can afford to change it, that porch and railing have got to go, but who knows when that will be. 6) I can demolish the buckthorn, but I have to leave a bed there. There is a gas pipe directly under that side of the house, and I can't dig down to get out the buckthorn roots, so we'll just lob it off as close to the ground as we can and put some plants there to hide any little bit of stump still left. 7) Here is a closer shot of that side of the house. The yellow lines show the arborvitaes of the neighbors - tall past the point of no return. The orange line shows their lilac almost touching my roof (which is fine with me, I like lilac). The white line shows my boxwood and the blue line shows yet another arborvitae. If we can get these 2 (the white and the blue) out without the gas pipe giving us a problem, we will do so. But a path has to stay clear on that side of the house so the guy can read the meter, so no, I can't extend the neighbor's flower bed. The green line shows the 3rd arborvitae. We were wondering, seeing as you've drawn in a tree for that side of the house, perhaps that arborvitae should be left in place to satisfy that requirement? Or should the blue, the white, and the green all go? As always, thanks for your continuing help.

My feeders and waterer were thronged as soon as I got the feed out. At the suet feeder both the male and female downy woodpecker, followed by the redbreasted male woodpecker and then a nut hatch and crested titmouse. At the sunflower seed feeder there were both purple and goldfinches, juncos, sparrows, more titmice and a male and female cardinal. And a bluebird came to the waterer. I haven't seen a bluebird for a long time. Being insectivorus, they seldom visit the feeder, but warm water on a frigid day is another matter. Haven't seen the yellowbellied sapsucker this year yet or the ladderbacked woodpecker. Didn't see blackcapped chickadees either. They're usually part of the winter crowd. Let us know if you identify the bird with the reddish breast.

Isn't that pretty!

Sieryn, I dont know if you should be done with your dad over a missed visit and the grandchild being disappointed,maybe you should be done, just for right now....I m so conflicted over this type of situation right now, I cant sleep..I was estranged from my dad (and 3 sisters who took his side) for over 2 years now.......He told my sisters I was mismanaging his money, and was using it for myself....100 per cent not true...My dad has always been an immature, attention seeking person all his life...Always wanted people to feel sorry for him... Anyway, I got angry at the accusation, didnt try to even defend myself, gathered all his money , and dropped a check at my sisters house, as in you go ahead and do better..It was a burden to me anyway...Have not spoken to 3 sisters or dad in 2 years...Got a call June 2 from sister, dad has 3 to 6 weeks to live....So I went to visit him 3 times since, he has apparently forgotten what ever caused the estrangement to begin with,asking me why I m angry at my sisters,now one of the sisters is taking him into her home this week, I doubt I will ever see him again.....He was a good dad , worked very hard to support a huge family, we all went to private school....I am glad I worked up the guts to go see him...I m still angry,but sorry I didnt patch this up sooner...oh, this post is a rambling mess, just dont know what to do, or how to feel.....