My yard is rather magical. It’s wooded and deep and has a very hamlet-like feel to it. But hamlet my neighborhood is not. I have an unusually large chunk of property about 6 miles from the heart of the second largest city in Michigan, and the street I live on is one of two major thoroughfares to go from the northeast side of Grand Rapids to the northwest. This far out it's not too heavily traveled, but rarely is it completely free of traffic.
There is no part of my yard untouched by shade at some point during the day.
I called a tree service to cut down the dying apple (it had been struck by lightening last summer) and the youngest silver maple. They were both in my back yard, which is the area that I use for my veggie garden. By removing these two trees, I have more sun back here (yes, I’m writing while perched atop a fallen trunk) than anywhere else in my yard. It’s not truly full sun, as it is still shaded at some point by various trees, but I’ll probably get a good 8 hours.
This is so exciting! I think it’s going to get it fenced in to keep the animal out. Then, I’m going to plant. I’m thinking a lovely mix of flowers and veggies, annuals and perennials, to get a nice little secret garden. Given the one true downside – that I can now see more of the houses around me – I’m thinking climbers and taller plants at the edges. Maybe I’ll add a mini water feature, some garden furniture, and pathways. 
Now this is my kind of comfort food. When I was a kid, my mom made it all the time. But, oddly, there aren’t a whole lot of recipes out there for this delish potato creation. Actually, it’s probably because it takes so damn long. But it’s so, so worth it! 
