Backyard Woes

My backyard looks pretty much the same since I purchased it (see photos of our one and only improvement to date here).  And, I honestly have NO idea what to do with it.

View from the sliding glass door

Sad, sad patio

As summer approaches, I realize how much I'd like to have a lovely backyard area for entertaining.  Should I put in pavers, Young House Love style?

I really love the idea of a firepit.  It would likely go somewhere around here (warning - I'm not a photoshop expert to make this look legit):

Alas, I have very tall pine trees (and therefore pine needles) to deal with.  The other morning, I received a note on my mailbox with contact info for a tree removal service.  In this economy, I find that there are a LOT of these types of soliciting materials floating around.  Which is great - it's good to know I can get local people and probably a decent price, but does anyone else feel a little self-conscious (house-conscious?) when these are tagged on your front door?  Ok, I get it.  My lawn is a mess, thank you Mr.-Lawn-Service-Ad guy.  My trees need attention, thank you for letting me know.  My siding could use some work.  Sheesh, I got it!

There simply isn't enough time in the day to take care of everything while I'm still trying to manage the inside of the house (I've got my work cut out for me - see the House Tour for a peek).  Still, I can daydream of a beautiful new gas grill:

Weber 3751001 Genesis E-320 Propane Gas Grill, Black

And a lovely patio set:

Outdoor Patio Home Madaga 2009 Conversation Collection

But, before I get to add, I've got things that need to be removed.  For instance, I have an U-G-L-Y bird fountain thing that the previous owner must have decided was too perfectly matching the ugly state of the house to get rid of.

My solution?  This baby's going on Craigslist, free for anyone willing to haul it away.  I've heard that you can do the same with plants as well, so I'll probably put my overgrown plants (and maybe a bush or two) on there to see if anyone is willing to get rid of it for me.  Free labor!

Has anyone else had success with giving away things on Craigslist?  I'm a bit hestitant to give away too much info, so since we're not at home during the workweek, I'm limiting it to weekend giveaways only.  Any tips?