The fence is done!

I somewhat dramatically insisted that Adam trim the fence posts before we left for Tatamagouche, out of fear that any added height would cause Arthur's winds to topple the whole thing. In the end, the posts are trimmed and the fence is still standing!

More recently, I added simple fence post caps to finish it off. We decided not to stain or seal the fence, at least for now (I've heard mixed reviews about their effectiveness in harsh Nova Scotia winters and I'm not eager to add another annual maintenance task to my list). I also like the grey colour of weathered wood and I think it will look nice with the caps we chose, but we'll see.

Now that the fence is done, we can focus on the landscaping. We need plants! I may have mentioned before that we have a bunch (a ton) of hostas that need to be divided. Hostas and ferns look amazing together and both are great for shade. I can picture it perfectly, but so far that hasn't been motivating enough to actually do the work.

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I did, however, start moving copious amounts of dirt to level the ground beneath the fence. I still have another 4-5 wheelbarrows to go, but the picture below gives you a rough idea of where the plants will go.

The ground back here is a mess, so I think we'll dig up the patchy grass and extend the pea gravel all the way from the patio to the end of the fence. Isn't it funny how one project inevitably leads to another? Funny, and in our case, usually back-breaking.

This rug. I love it so. I've searched high and low for an outdoor rug (to divide the "lounging" half of the patio from the "dining" half and give Hannah a softer place to play), but nothing compares to this one. Then I read this post and ended up buying this rug on a whim. I've wanted to try painting a rug for awhile, so I'm excited to see if I can create something similar to my inspiration with paint. I'm also terrified that it will just end up looking like a terrible painted rug.

I'm still on the hunt for a small end table to use with the lounger, but I haven't stumbled across "the one" yet. Future plans aside, it helps to remember that about a year ago it looked like this back here:

*I'm still learning to always wipe my lens before taking photos!

Crazy, eh?