Welcome to your new home. I hope that you find as much love and happiness as we have found in this sweet little house. She is solidly built: we have opened up a couple of walls and all the studs are dimensional 2x6 heartwood. Not to sound cliche, but they do not build them like this anymore.
My favorite room in this house has to be the back yard and it is the hardest thing to leave. It is truly a slice of paradise in your own backyard. There is no better way to start a day than to sip a cup of coffee and watch all the birds feeing in the morning. You know you've already had wonderful moments in your day.
Being so close to the Chickahominy River, we get a ton of different types of birds. This year we had down woodpeckers, a red headed flicker woodpecker at our feeders regularly. In addition we've had chickadees, sparrows, wrens, mockingbirds, robins, cardinals, blue birds, tufted titmice, and even more I don't know the names of. We have even seen hawks and eagles and have had herons stalking the goldfish in the pond. I hope you get a good backyard bird book. We've had lots and lots of fun watching them. Please, feed them. I have left the feeders and the sunflower seeds.
The veggie and herb gardens are also lots of fun and full of satisfaction. Nothing is cooler than cooking up veggies you grew yourself. I didn't plant a whole lot this year as I knew we were moving. You should be able to harvest tomatoes upon moving in. You also have eight pepper plants (four jalepeno and four habanero), and two crookneck squash. I planted those late so the should be producing by the time you move in.
The two trees to the east of the garden, by the shed are a cherry tree and an apricot. Last year Bobby (your new next door neighbor) and I stood around that tree and ate cherries right off of it. This year however, the mockingbird got all of them. Last year, I was all set for a bumper crop of apricots, but the squirrels got every one of them. Oh well, that what happens when you share your yard with critters.
In the herb garden, you have a monster rosemary (cut large chunks off and use for skewering shrimp on the BBQ, yum!), tons of oregano, lemonbalm, mint, parsley, and thyme. That rosemary was given to be as a cutting in a four inch pot from a friend's garden. Now, it's a monster, but I love the smell.
The best place to get away in your own back yard is the hammock beyond the garden. I love to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon with a book and rock myself to sleep.
This is a great party yard too. We've hosted tons of parties back here. Sunday BBQs, pumpkin carving parties, birthday parties, and whatever else we can think of. The firepit has been a wonderful part of that entertaining tradition. We use is so much in the spring, fall and even into the winter. We've had crowds of people bundled up in twenty degree weather roasting marshmallows and talking long into the night.
I guess my favorite part of the backyard however is how it changes over the seasons. So many gorgeous flowers in the spring and all through the summer, the rich colors in the fall, the different birds in the winter, and then new growth in the spring.
In the end, I just hope you love this house and it loves you back in the same way that it has for us. It is a great house and I know you'll be happy here.
Best of luck to you and yours.
Love,
The former caretakers of 137 Lee Ave.
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