This is the back of the house when we first moved in.  The cedar shingles had just been redone and is the reason for the yellow color.  They turn gray over time just like us!

We love the back yard and wanted to make it comfortable before we started on the interior of the house.  Plus it was a lot easier finding a landscaper than it is to find a contractor here!  The first thing we did was add gutters to the house, then a split-rail fence around the property, and finally the brick patio.  I dug up old bricks from the original walkway and around the property, which we used for our own DIY project--a walkway on the front of the house.  We were happy to discover that the company that made them was still in business. The new patio is made from the same bricks, which are still handmade in wood forms!

The yellow has already mellowed a bit!