Wall-Dork

Sometimes I feel I’m the only man in the family with any sense in him. (Mama, of course, is not a man.) Let me explain.

Our backyard has an open area that has evolved quite a bit over the years. At first, it was an orchard with peaches, apples, and so on, but oak root fungus ended that over ten years ago. So Papa posed the question, what shall we do with the backyard?

At the time, Kyle and I both wanted a lawn. We promised that we would take care of it. That turned into more work than we bargained for.

Trying to sharpen the lawnmower.

Resorting to the scythe; works well, but it's still hard work.

Kyle and I catching our breath. Yeah, we were joking around for the camera, but it was hard work, though.

Eventually, the grass stopped getting trimmed in a timely fashion and got clumpy. We also stopped watering it, so last year it mostly dried up. Since that time, we tried making a hill with dirt and doing some stuff with rocks and benches, but we were still unsatisfied.

We tossed around some other ideas—brick/concrete patio, a fire pit, a pond or a swimming pool—but nothing stuck. Until two weeks ago, when Kyle decided he wanted to build a copy of The Wall in our own backyard. What’s “The Wall,” you ask?

If you watched our lengthy (but informative) Beach Tradition video (part two), you know that we often like to bike down to the beach, do yoga and t’ai chi, jump in the ocean, and then eat a packed breakfast (which usually consists of hot chocolate and a pastry). Our favorite spot for breakfast is a place we call, The Wall:

We started going to The Wall during the colder season, because it: a) was on the way home, b) blocked the wind quite well, and c) retained heat from the morning sunlight. Soon, it became our “go-to” spot, even in warmer weather, because it felt “homey.” It’s been the cap to many a wonderful morning.

This is what Kyle wanted to build in the backyard. I just laughed at the idea. Papa, however, used an approach he has used often in our upbringing. He didn’t block or criticise the idea. He simply told Kyle to think it through, plan it out, and see whether it really made sense or not. So last week, that’s what he did. I took this picture from the roof outside my bedroom window.

(The wood plank is from before, I guess he’s planning on using that as the top of the wall, with  the telephone pole at one end.)

Then, a little while later, I saw that Papa out there with him. Apparently, he didn’t think it was a bad idea; he’d never have thought of it on his own, but he’s supporting Kyle’s desire to build it.

Now, I’m not real emotionally attached to the backyard—probably why the lawn didn’t survive—but come on! Is this really the best we can do?

God help us.

UPDATE: Please note this article’s date of publication.