Poop

.... Well, fertilizer, at least. Thanks to youse who expressed sympathy in our loss of four trees this week; and here are some more tidbits about the results: We bought some nitrogen-injected fertilizer yesterday and will mix it in this morning; our local landscaper gal thinks that's the thing. I'd already just planted some sweet little shade-loving annuals under those oaks, and I have to say the Men In Trees were wonderful about avoiding tromping on my blooms when they took down the monsters.

There have been some interesting results of the removal: Now the shade-lovers have lost their shade, to some extent, but there is enough more old-growth in this forest to make the transition less drastic than we expected. And indeed, now that those trees are gone, we have much more light coming into the parlor from the window above the stereo cabinet! The less-wonderful change is that we now have a direct view of Crazy Peter's comings and goings across the street (and he of ours, of course) – so we're seeking prudent counsel on what quick-fix planting we might put at the edge of our driveway, between it and the stand-alone wooden gate on the front patio. We could add a very tall fence addition there, I suppose, but that is expensive. It is a plus that Peter has built a beautiful redwood fence around his newly refurbished deck and festooned it with hanging baskets of colorful flowers, so the view is not exactly ugly. But we would like a little more privacy. Any suggestions?