1st Day of Spring

Today is the first day of spring, according to the calendar. We still have some snow on the ground, but it's going quickly. I like spring - it brings warmer weather, birds, flowers, sandals, etc. But there is one reason I don't like spring. This -

This is my backyard. Seven years of having two huge dogs has taken it's toll. We have a huge mud pit for most of the spring. Right now, most of it is covered with ice and snow, but if we get the thunder storms they predicted for tonight, this will be gone soon. And so will my layer of protection. The other fun part, our yard is sand. No matter how much I wipe the dogs feet when they come in, some of that damn sand stays on. It's great when I find it up in our bed - it's fun to sleep on grit! Luckily, sand drains quickly. But not quick enough for me. The tough part is also how to fix this mess. If we plant grass or do sod, we'd have to keep the dogs off of it, so they'd tear up something else. Thank God it's our backyard. I guess if we ever sell the house, it'll have to be in the winter when we have some snow to cover this up! Now to teach the dogs how to walk on air....or to wipe up their own damn paws!