This year the season is hitting us particularly hard with pollen counts that are killing me. I am even giving up having more than a single beer—gasp—in an effort to keep myself from becoming a slobbery mess.

The problem is that I have absolutely no desire to stop getting outside and enjoying the weather despite the dusty yellow film that seems to coat everything—the car, the sidewalks, the dog (as if she wasn’t allergenic enough).

So in honor of spring, and Earth Day, I’d like to list a few recent outdoor conquests:

• Biked the kids to school… check
• Biked to work… lovin’ the Xtracycle still
• Walked into town for a nice lunch with the wife… check (excellent recuperation for her recent concussion)
• Walked the dog… not as often as I should
• Built garden beds… all done but the final layer of dirt and planting, which is planned for this weekend
• Helped out at a baseball practice… check
• Took my daughter on her first “park ride”… check

In honor of that last accomplishment, here are a couple of photos.

My goal by the end of this summer is to have a highly productive front lawn. The first step in that plan is the walkway seen in this photo.

Next is a rock retaining wall so that I can level things out and start planting.