The good, the bad and the getting less ugly

Here's the good:



The blooming of the rhododendrons all over the yard is also bad, because they freaking kill my allergies. They sure are pretty, tho.

And the getting less ugly:


What M turned over and reseeded seems to be coming in. One of the benefits of the monsoons we just lived through.

Can I just tell you that I spent an hour and a half out in the yard last night sucking up leaves, and I feel like I didn't even make a dent? And my hands still feel like they're vibrating from the vacuum (which clogs every two seconds -- aaargh). Sometimes I just want my yard to shrink.