WOW and One Spoiler Waaaay Down the Page

Wow. It's about all I can say about the patio and back yard after my landscapers finished yesterday afternoon. Just WOW! I'm very happy with the end result and even though they'll be back today to pick up the last of their equipment and tamp in one more layer of sand, it's essentially finished for the time being. After the shed is erected at the end of October, we'll have the guys out once more for a final grade and a layer of black dirt. That may not happen until the spring, though.

In photos - here we go.

Their bobcats and some other equipment are waiting at the end of
my driveway. They'll pick it all up today. The front lawn is toast, but
that's already on next year's agenda - some regrading and new sod.
But that's in the future. 

The pathway left by the CAT machines is deep gouges in my grass. It
looks like an Army tank chose my yard for field maneuvers. 

The other side of the driveway has a shovel as well as palettes from
the paver stones. I think we still have paver stones left, but I'm also
sure DH has some diabolical plan in place for those. He'll be working
on the yard for the next few days since he has the rest of the week
off from work. 

The actual patio looks fantastic. It's huge and almost perfect. They did discover
that the edge was curved when they were tamping yesterday and it wasn't
easy for them to get things aligned properly, but they managed and
it looks great! They did a super job cutting and placing around our
castle wall curves. 

From the side, here's what my new patio looks like. That curved space is
where our round metal umbrella patio table and chairs will go, or maybe
we'll put the grill in there and keep the table more centered on the
brickway. 

Looking toward the creek, the bed for the storage shed has been prepped
and leveled. DH says he'll still make some minor tweaks to make sure
it is as level as possible before the shed is erected in a month. The more
level it is, the more stable the structure and the longer it will last. 

The pathway from the lower yard to the upper yard is now a sea of dirt (and,
if it is raining, a sea of mud). They'll do some repair on this too, but I think we'll
actually come to an understanding and have them do that in the spring. 

The herringbone pattern in the multi-colored soft toned bricks is just
stunning. I'm really looking forward to using my new patio in
the spring and summer of next year. 

So, the backyard still isn't actually done - there is still black dirt, a shed, the wood shed construction and other things that have to happen, but the major portion for this year is now complete and I'm very pleased. It's beautiful.

SPOILER ALERT BELOW

Last night was the finale of the current season of MasterChef. I don't kid myself - I'm no chef. Hell, I'm barely a cook. But I love the show and watch it faithfully. Last night Jason Wang, Eboni Henry and Dino Angelo Luciano faced off for the last time in the finale, each chef preparing a complete three course meal for the judges. Each chef had their highs and lows, and it was neck and neck as the judges deliberated, but the winner was ... DINO! I was SO happy. I've been a supporter of Dino in the MasterChef kitchen for most of the season and he pulled it off. I couldn't be happier for him and his family.

Congratulations to former ballet dancer and genuine nice guy, Dino
Angelo Luciano, the winner of the title of MasterChef, the crystal trophy
and a check for $250,000. Well done, young man! 

So there you go - heavy on photos, light on words today. Have a great Thursday and I'll be back with the Project Runway synopsis tomorrow morning. Reality TV - so much fun! I'm heading off to get in a good swim before starting my day.