Looks like I need to get out the rake

What happened to our balmy weather?  One day we were basking in the sun an enjoying unseasonable warmth.  Then - Blam! - fall came out of nowhere, and you know what that means.

It's cold season.

Mine started off with just an occasional tickle of the throat and runny nose.  Now I've got a full-blown sneezing, coughing, unable-to-breathe, head-full-of-mucous super cold on my hands.  Add to that, I've also come down with strep throat and I'm not exactly the most pleasant person to be around right now.

The onset of fall also means no more mowing the lawn, no more pulling weeds, and no more digging holes.  Gardening season is over folks, and I couldn't be more happy about it.  For some odd reason, I've grown to have a strong aversion to everything landscaping/gardening-related (most likely due to a childhood of long summers of forced labor at the family homestead).  Luckily, my girlfriend finally got my butt in gear.

Those gnarly old tree stumps are now gone and the holes filled and turfed-over.

We also mulched and planted a new garden along the fence.  These emerald green arborvitae (all 15 of them) should grow to about 8 feet tall and give our yard a bit more privacy.

Not much was done on the front garden, but we did fill those two empty planters with stonecrop.

You wouldn't believe the amount of weeding that I did.  This area behind the shed was previously filled with poison ivy, to which I am now allergic (that was a fun lesson to learn).

I've also set up an area for the lovely hammock that my girlfriend gave me for our 6 year anniversary.  These trees were perfectly spaced and all it took was two eye-hooks and carabiners.  Next summer, this is going to be my main hangout.  Nothing is more perfect than laying out in the sun with a cold drink and something on the grill.

Still to go:
*Paint shed
*Remove old, broken brick
*Spray for weeds
*Re-seed lawn
*Level patio
*Plant vegetable garden