Out Your Back Door

[BobHufford]

I know some of you have really nice back yards (or gardens). I would show you my yard from in town, but it is in sad shape (looking like something out of "Jumanji"). I'm spending most of my yard work time at the "farm". This was an old farmstead and mill (located deep in Douglas Co. Missouri) back before the turn of the last century and is now surrounded by the Mark Twain National Forest and a private 1,500 acre game preserve. My wife's Granddad bought the 67 acres in 1960 and built the house in 1968. We took it over five years ago. This is how it looks right out the back door this afternoon (with our small garden off to the left).

The front yard has even more to mow, so I spend a lot of time on the ol' John Deere.

Let's see your back yard!

 

[Atticus Finch]

The little dirt road to my house approaches from the rear, so this is a photo from my back door. A couple of my neighbors and I had to purchase that fifty-acre pasture a few years ago to prevent it from becoming an open-pit sand mine. It sure wasn't something I was planning to do, but its turned out to be some of the best money I've ever spent.



AF

 

[BobHufford]

A couple of my neighbors and I had to purchase that fifty-acre pasture a few years ago to prevent it from becoming an open-pit sand mine.

 

[Atticus Finch]

I love it! That song could have been written about us. It was a year long struggle. We petitioned for public a hearing before the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the hearing was granted. Then, a week before the hearing, we got the local news media involved and they ran a story heavily tilted in our favor. One day before the hearing, the property owner suddenly offered us the land for the price he had paid plus his testing expenses...but we had to be able to close in two weeks. It was quite an effort, but we closed in ten days.

AF

 

[Stearmen]

If I can ever build on my land, the top photo will be the view out the back door, and the bottom out the front door.

 

[GHT]

In London, you are lucky if you have more than a pocket handkerchief of space. We were more fortunate in that we had gardens both front and rear, as well as a driveway to the side of the property. All land is a premium in the world's major cities.
In The New Forest, where we now reside, we have the River Avon running close by, it's one of four rivers bearing that name and to distinguish it we refer to it as The Hampshire Avon. Waterfront properties fetch asking prices way beyond the value of the houses, yet they also have the highest flood risk when water levels rise. We chose to live in an elevated area, not far from the river, but high enough not to worry about flooding. You can see the elevation from this photo, you can also see my neighbour's waterfront house.
We might not look out directly over the river but we still get the vista, and without the risk or the insurance cost, of Mother nature on a bad day.

 

[Fading Fast]

In London, you are lucky if you have more than a pocket handkerchief of space. We were more fortunate in that we had gardens both front and rear, as well as a driveway to the side of the property. All land is a premium in the world's major cities.
In The New Forest, where we now reside, we have the River Avon running close by, it's one of four rivers bearing that name and to distinguish it we refer to it as The Hampshire Avon. Waterfront properties fetch asking prices way beyond the value of the houses, yet they also have the highest flood risk when water levels rise. We chose to live in an elevated area, not far from the river, but high enough not to worry about flooding. You can see the elevation from this photo, you can also see my neighbour's waterfront house.
We might not look out directly over the river but we still get the vista, and without the risk or the insurance cost, of Mother nature on a bad day.
View attachment 53319

Gorgeous view and I would make the same tradeoff - I do not want to live with the fear of flooding as a few of my friends do (all suffered during Super Storm Sandy several years back). To each his own, but I personally would not enjoy living on pins and needles every time there was a heavy rain.

 

[Fading Fast]

Living in NYC, in an apartment building means I have no back door, but I do have back windows and the following are the very not-like-the-rest-of-your (in this thread) beautiful views, but they do have a somewhat Hopper-like cityscape character to them.

From left to right - a nondescript '60s Era apartment house


I love the water tower in the distance


The church steeple you see is to a 1912 Hungarian Church built by a famous city architect, Emery Roth, back when the neighborhood had a large Hungarian population. It is his only church commission as he mainly built apartment buildings, but he took this on as he, too, was Hungarian and was ask to as a favor by the community. On Sunday morning, when they ring the bells - they practically blast me out of my apartment, but I still love that they do it.


Owing to our quirky lot size (which is twenty feet wider than the standard NYC lot), we have a small garden before the townhouses that face the other way start. These next two pictures show the tops of the trees from our garden that I also see. I love that they are able to grow in such a tight space.



That is my crazy "out you backdoor [window]" city view.

 

[2jakes]

My backyard.

After the rain.

Polo checking out how much to charge me for trimming the yard.

 

[BobHufford]

This was on the back door this morning. 3"+ wingspan.

 

[2jakes]

This was on the back door this morning. 3"+ wingspan.

Cool !
You know it could’ve been worse....like a nest of yellow jackets.


Earlier today.
Going out the back kitchen to bring in Polo from the 93º weather.

I noticed this on the outside of the door.

They usually appear around this time and by the end of August,
they are gone along with the chirping sounds.

The backyard is still green.

 

[Doctor Strange]

I live atop a mountain at the northern edge of the Hudson Highlands, at over a thousand feet elevation. My view out the back includes the distant Catskill mountains when it's clear:

 

[1mach1]

Once we move back in, I will have to post a pic. Don't get too excited. We live in Arlington, VA, just a few miles West of DC on a 1/4 acre lot. Most of my back yard view is my 2 1/2 car garage, a rarity for Arlington, since most of the older houses get bulldozed to make room for 6000 square foot mansions. Ugh. That's OK, it makes our property value soar. The house is our retirement.

 

[Bushman]

Wow, and I thought I had a nice backyard. Yours are all so gorgeous compared to mine:

 

[BobHufford]

I'd hang there Bushman!

This is out the front door...

 

[1mach1]

Wow, and I thought I had a nice backyard. Yours are all so gorgeous compared to mine:

You are doing better than me! [emoji14]

 

[1mach1]

I'd hang there Bushman!

This is out the front door...

Don't tempt me, Bob!

 

[greatestescaper]

The view from my back door, looking out into the Davis Mountains of West Texas:

 

[SurfGent]

My house in a undisclosed location in western Arizona, Mojave desert. We moved hear 2 years ago full time. Sold my place in Hawaii and San Francisco and I couldn't be happier

 

[SurfGent]

Out front