I was at my uncle's house for a family BBQ and couldn't resist taking some pictures of his place. He lives in a very small town a few miles from me called Mapleton. This town is just absolutely beautiful... It's rural as can be, but only a few miles from the bustle of the bigger cities here. The homes there are all just magnificent, some of them so huge that it boggles the mind, while others are just small houses that have been there forever surrounded by the most beautiful hills and farmland. Virtually all of them, big and small, have the most beautiful yards that one can imagine.

My uncles house is one of the latter. Well, actually his house is good size, but by no means a mansion. It's a warm, welcoming, humble abode that just makes people want to stay there forever. Its set on about 5 acres of what used to be his little farm, but has now been converted into a slice of heaven on earth. When I was a kid, I would ride horses, play on the hay stack, and help milk cows. They no longer have horses, cows, or pigs.... Their kids are all grown, and farming isn't what it used to be. About 25 years ago, they slowly started their project, and its been a continuing endeavor for them ever since.

My aunt and uncle have spent un-countable hours making their place somewhere for us all to gather and enjoy. They are retired, and have been for quite a while now... both of them are getting up there in years, and still spend most of their entire day out working in their yard, with no other goal in mind than having someplace nice for us all to come and relax. Most of his 5 acres are now lawn, garden, a strategically placed/designed forest, and play ground for the young and old. He has set up a little minutare golf course, he has playground equipment that includes: swings, slides, merry-go-round, trampoline, sandbox, teeter-totters, monkey bars, play houses, and much more. There are 3 tire swings of differing heights that hang from trees, a tree house that could make most home-owners envious, a volleyball net, basketball court, an archery range, and tetherball. He has his vegatable garden and fruit trees, but the most amazing garden is the flower garden. Its a huge flower garden with little trails paved with wood chips, that go all around/through it, so you can stroll through looking at the most amazing flowers, pools, fountains, and even a little train that runs through it all on numerous tracks, going through tunnels, over bridges, and all around the garden and pools.

There are just huge sections of lawn for everyone to enjoy by just basking in the sun, setting up the slip-n-slide and wading pools, or playing a game of flag football. The "forest" he has set up is designed for the extended family to use.... you can be in the middle of it and almost totally forget you are in someones yard. He has power and water running into it discreetly so when we have our family reunions people can pull thier campers and trailers in there. There are spots for tents, a eating area with grills, drinking fountains, hammocks and couch swings for just being lazy, and tables placed about, all of which are shaded almost the entire time the sun is up. There is a large open area in the middle of the forest where there is a fire pit and enough room for a 100 people or more to gather... and still, with his trees how they are, it is shaded all except for an hour or two and thats even only in certain spots. These trees have taken decades for him to grow, and he is constantly planting new ones early enough so they will be tall when it's time to cut down an old one. The work they have done here is just more than most people would ever imagine, let alone do. If it is possible to have a slice of heaven here on earth, it is absolutely found at my uncle's place.