Slumming

My buddies Ian, Ivan, and Samuel were back today to tear up the front yard. Here's what the "front yard" looks like:

It is, in short, the worst-looking front garden on the lovely long block of Cherryvalley Park. As long as it stays this way, the neighbours will think the people who bought the house have no aesthetic sense. I'd love to post a photo of one of the neighbours' lovely gardens, however I don't want to take photos w/o permission and I just don't have time to go up to someone's door, explain about the blog, and ask permission for a photo.
Here's our front step, again, not making a great first impression.

The bricks on the right were Ian's attempt to explain how it will look when he's done. The macadam has been paved over and over again so that vents into the foundation of the house are covered. He will excavate down about a foot to address this, put in a herringbone drain to get water away from the house, create a gravel drive, and create a lawn. I can't wait to see it all done!
5-18