Outside

(Auggie oustide on Squirrel Patrol)

If there was one thing in the world that Auggie loved the most I would say it was outside (as much as I would like to say it was me). The Westie that lives in my house adores nature. He prefers outside over inside any day. I've always said he was a "friend to the animals,"with exceptions to squirrels. The more I live at the White House and have my own plot of earth (however small it is) I too am beginning to see life through his Westie eyes and fall in love with outside

Mary, the woman who called this place home for 25 years before we did must have been a flower fairy. With this said, her title has only been recently rewarded. Over the fall and winter all I saw through my sunroom windows was a backyard that increasingly became overgrown. All I could think about was how and when I was going to pull the greenery out to replace it with grass. The gutting was to be done all for the sake of a more modern and tailored look. Recently though, with the arrival of primavera, I began to see evidence of life and color popping up all over my shaggy backyard.

Everyday when I see the honeysuckle, rose buds or the several other pieces of color that are sprinkled throughout my backyard appear, I get excited. I am relieved that Randy didn't act on all my comments to rip out “whatever” was in the backyard. Instead, my plan has been revised. I want to remove a few hideous plants (the yucas, obviously) and manicure the yard to fit us. I want to incorporate the legacy of the woman who loved this house so dearly. She and her husband left for my family surprises of color. Now, to begin my mission I must simply 1) learn what all these flowers are in my backyard 2) change my nickname from Rebecca the Brown Thumb to Rebecca the Green Thumb.

(Auggie, frazzled but happy, after a long day of being outside)