Gardening season begins

It was too nice today to stay inside. So I forgot all about painting, laundry, cooking and writing. I decided to start ripping up the old bricks in our back yard instead, because they have annoyed me since we moved in. Above is what it turned into.

To the left of the little steps (where a small, slanted, overgrown brick patio once was) there will eventually be a little garden surrounded by rocks. The concrete patio will be covered with a wooden deck, which will hopefully extend into the corner on the left to maximize our space.

While I was out digging in the garden, a lady named Dot came by, walking her cat on a blue leish right through my yard.

"I like what you're doing here," she said, as the black cat started rolling around in the dry dirt on our patio.

I had been waiting for this opportunity, curiously peeking up and down the row of condo yards for any sign of a neighbor.

"I'm not quite sure what we're allowed to do," I said. "We just moved in last fall."

"What do you want to do?" Pat asked. "I am on the board of directors. I might be able to help."

We may be able to extend the deck the width of our condo, Pat said, pending approval of the condo board. We cannot bring the deck out any further into the yard, and we cannot cut any trees on the hill across from us. The grass area has to be kept clear for mowing purposes, and the tree roots are needed to suck up excess water coming down the hill, she said.

My idea of planting lilies of the valley on the hill under the trees, however, met with approval.

"I think that would work just fine," she said.

She wished me luck, tugged on the leish for Copper to keep walking and then slowly wandered off with the black cat in tow. Meanwhile, Sophie and Pip were sitting inside my screen door yowling at their mean mommy who won't let them go outside.

They are, after all, indoor cats. They just don't know it.