I do like the garage. My husband gets half for blacksmithing and I get the other for metal working. I agree that it would be easier for sure to just get a bigger house, although a second story would have been very cool. The apple tree didn't produce any apples our first year here, but then last year it made a bunch of small, soft apples that weren't very healthy. (There is only one apple tree on the side of the house - were there more before?) Listened to them landing on the roof at odd times all Fall, which was funny. I think the tree is ailing with a disease, which is too bad. The backyard is great, I put in some raised beds for tomatoes and peppers and my husband took a corner for his backyard forge - and still have lots of room. I keep imagining putting in a room between the two "wings" of the house and maybe a fireplace, but it isn't my house so it probably won't ever happen. Would make it so much better though. All in all though, it's a good place for my small family. :-)

The backyard neighbors' apricot tree hung over the wall and produced MASSIVE amounts of apricots for a few weeks last year - I couldn't keep up with pies and cobbler! Then, they chopped the branch hanging over our wall down so that's the end of that. There is only the one apple tree, the big shade tree behind the garage and an ornamental Japanese plum tree in the front yard. The drought this year seemed to take a toll on everything though. Well, you know where the house is if you ever want to see it again!