YES!!!

Exciting things are happening at the casita de AZ.  Rich, my new best carpenter friend is refinishing the kitchen cabinets.  He is turning them from their fugly yellowed, no longer natural oak state into a dark espresso finish.  The new color next to the Dakota granite counter tops is stunning.  Rich is making our kitchen look rich!
I need Rich to stick around and build the deck floor for the pergola out back next.  I told him to just do it the simplest, cheapest way. Gary had in mind of doing it like a parquet look using short boards, but Rich's time is not free like Gary's so I need him to just go fast and get 'er done.  Rich comes to me by way of Seth, a Backyard Products builder who is working up in Sacramento now so Seth pretty much ditched me and foisted me onto Rich.  Rich is definitely a good guy though. He's originally from Valencia, CA and I'm glad I found him.

The other super exciting development  is....

Navajo Brown rock is being wheeled into the backyard as I write this!!  It is a thrilling moment indeed!  The fine powdery dust that seeps into the house via the screens and doors is finally being covered up.  I will be able to let Robbie go out to perform his daily ritual sun worshiping without having to beat his hide of dust and and wipe/brush him down before he is allowed inside.  Unbelievably, this house has never had any landscaping in the backyard in its 12 years of existence.  As usual, Gary and I chose a house where we are having to compensate for previous owners' lack of care and completeness.

I have the makings of an asian meditation garden in the backyard next to the pergola structure. Next step is to locate some Buddah figures and a pagoda or two to complete the look. I am going to make one of those rakes that you rake the little pea gravel into swirls and designs to symbolize the movement of water. Its a form of meditation.
Stepping stones, when I can afford them, then, a bridge and planting vegetables and herbs in the two garden spots will occur as soon as I get the soil prepped.  The cold weather crops are in the garden centers waiting to be purchased, but I have to buy chicken wire to keep the RABBITS >:o/  out.

I wish that Gary could see it.  He wouldn't say much probably, but would have been gratified that it is on its way to being a pleasant place to gaze out the window at, instead of the hot dry dusty dirt patch we kept the shades pulled on for so many months. Gary truly thought he would be the one to build the backyard structures and gardens.  He planned the watering system and had all the materials lined up.  His goals will be achieved by others but I know he would be happy with the results.