Shame on me. I'm a bad suburbanite.

Readers of my blog know all about the side grass project we have going on. (I mean readers in the future tense).

In the past couple weeks, it's hit 90 degrees here in Folsom, California. Already. It's only May. So you can imagine what a wonderful summer we're in for this year. Getting back to my point --

Parts of our back lawn decided to die. Go straight-up crispy on us. Sounds like you're walking on snail shells almost. So I've been trying to water diligently and thoughtfully a couple times a week. Hell, we're the only ones who can see our back lawn anyway.

Imagine my horror when I went to mow the front today and 2/3 of the side yard was crispy dead-like, and at least 1/2 of the front swath is on it's way there. Now I know why neighbors have been not waving to us. We're officially "Those Neighbors" now. Great.

What they don't know is our big plans for the front and side yards. Big plans.

I almost want to write a letter that reads something like this and mail it to all the folks in the court behind us that have to see the nasty dead lawn everyday on the way to and from work (or for those who are independently wealthy and get to stay home and enjoy their money, when they go to the opera or whatever it is that rich folks do). Oh yes, the letter:

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Dear Neighbors,

First, let us introduce ourselves. We're Chris and Katie and we live on the corner of your court.

Second, let us apologize. Between a broken sprinkler valve and the rash of 90 degree days we've had recently, much of the turf grass on the south side of our house has died. Straight up gone crispy-like.

We want to assure you that although it may be too late to save the patches of lawn that are dead, we will do our best to keep the other third alive. Like a patchwork of green and yellow.

This coming winter, we had planned on redoing the whole side and front yards of our house with water wise , yet oh-so lush native California plants and rocks and stuff. On the side, we were going to put in a retaining wall and push out our fence some to give us more space in our backyard where we seem to spend much of our time. But we assure you that you will not just be looking at an ugly fence in place of previously 2/3 dead crispy lawn. With our landscape designer, we plan on making the side more enjoyable and interesting that it ever was, even when all the little blades of grass were green.

So, bear with us this summer and we promise you will be rewarded aesthetically.

Also, we don't bite. Come over and say hello sometime.

Chris & Katie
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Too much, right?

Katie