Before

The drought ended after one of the wettest winters ever recorded, but the front lawn had passed the point of no return. After five years of restricted watering, seeding the bare patches and heavy soaking failed to rejuvenate the grass over the summer.

The bigger question is what to do after the dead grass was torn out. Some neighbors believe the predictions that California's drought is semi-permanent and have gone the cactus-and-concrete route.

Well, I'm an optimist who likes to keep his options open....