Patchwork Garden

The Greatest Painter...

2012-01-27T09:43:00.000-06:00

After the storms moved through on Wednesday, the skies were cloudy most of the day.

Late in the day, the clouds parted, just in time for a beautiful sunset.

The sun painted the fairway across the street, with shades of gold.

Nature is the Greatest Painter.

Have a Great Weekend...

~~Linda~~

Some People Feel the Rain....

2012-01-25T10:54:00.000-06:00

Others just get wet.

~~Bob Dylan

Well folks, we've been doing a little of both.

We had a little slow, steady rain, yesterday.

Then, last night, we had a lot of rain and some wind...and, a lot of noise.

The creek is flowing, for the first time in over a year.

You can hear the roar of the waterfall from the house.

It's hard to get a picture that does it justice. Lots of wet, slippery rocks. That big rock you see in the center, is probably six feet across. It's at the bottom of the falls...about 25 feet down.

I could maybe get a better shot from across the creek.

But, I'd have to wade through this to get there.

That's just not going to happen.

This pond is where the creek turns. That wall on the left used to go all the way across.

They had to open it up a few years back. It was holding the creek back too much,

and water was getting way up in people's yards. We weren't here then.

I think I might have panicked.

From this point, if I look right, I can see up the creek.

To the left, you see it flowing down to the falls.

It's moving along pretty fast.

It moved fast down the Rio, too. And, this gunk stopped it up.

Grass clippings from the golf course, dirt....what a mess.

That makes this part of the Rio back up into the driveway.

And, that sometimes lets water get into the garage.

I got to sweep water out, this morning....how fun.

But, I won't complain too much. The wind got high, but no damage.

We've had worse water in the garage. Not sure what we're going to do to stop that.

To the east a short way, there was real flooding.

So, we were lucky here.

And, having almost three inches of rain, after none for so long, is

wonderful!

I'm glad I got the weeds out of the veggie garden in time.

Hope you got some lucky rain.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

Monday, Monday....

2012-01-23T09:00:00.002-06:00

It's been really busy around here, for the last couple months.

As you can see, I've sort of let the veggie garden go.

The weeds have taken over.

The Sugar Snap Peas are blooming. Hard to see with the weeds.

I can't remember the name of this weed. I guess it doesn't matter.

You can guess what I'm doing on this Monday, Monday...

Yesterday, these two came walking down the street. By the time a grabbed my camera,

they were a couple houses away.

After a long internet search, I determined they're Egyptian Geese.

They're not native Texans. But, seems Egyptian Geese were imported to be

decorative birds, and some decided they'd just take off on their own.

I read that they like to hang out on park ponds and golf course water hazards.

Mr. P. first saw them on the pond by the clubhouse.

Don't you love those pretty pink leggings, and those burnt orange tails.

Quite the dressers...

Off to get rid of some weeds.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

Decorating with Wine...

2012-01-20T07:00:00.001-06:00

Recently, Ally at Garden Ally, reported on a meeting of
Austin Organic Gardeners, where Lucinda Hutson spoke about recycling wine bottles and corks.
Ally is using wine bottles to edge a flower bed.

We've been using bottles as decorations here for a while.
I was a bit surprised that some people around here, had not heard of bottle trees.
They make a pretty ornament for the garden. And, we can only hope that they live up to legend,
and capture those evil spirits in the glass, to be destroyed by the morning sun.

Sometimes, the bottle tree is the only thing 'blooming' around here.

A while back, Pam at Digging, wrote about visiting Lucinda Hutson's garden. And, she showed
how Lucinda used wine corks as mulch around her bottle tree.

What a good idea. I had a large cookie jar full of corks I'd been saving for years (you just never know when you might need a whole jar of corks), and more being added frequently.
And, the Tree Bed...where the bottle tree is...doesn't allow for much to grow....shallow roots.
And, it's not good to put too much soil on top of those roots.
So...CORKS...how clever.
And, good for the environment...less for the landfill.

So, while you're having that nice glass of wine, you can be collecting decorations for the garden,
and helping out the environment. That's pretty cool.

We'll keep trying to do our part.

Do you use wine bottles or corks in your garden?

Have a Good Weekend...
~~Linda~~

Eating Mistletoe....

2012-01-18T11:59:00.000-06:00

We're having a beautiful day here, today. So, I went outside to practice a bit, with my camera.

There was all this rustling in the big Cedar Elm in back. I used the zoom on the camera,

as binoculars.

The Cedar Waxwings have arrived.

They were really chowing down on the berries on some mistletoe.

It's always interesting to me, that wildlife can eat things we can't.

Mistletoe berries would make us quite sick...if not worse.

But, these guys seem to not be bothered by them. In fact, they're quite content.

I've always thought of Waxwings as harbingers of Spring.

They usually came to the Mulberry trees behind our old place in April.

That was further north....about 200 miles further north.

So, what does it mean that they're here in January?

Hope you're having as beautiful day where you are, as we are here.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

Foliage Follow-Up..January, 2011

2012-01-16T15:16:00.000-06:00

We're having a warm, cloudy day, today.

Time to get out and take some photos of foliage,

and join Pam at Digging, for

Foliage Follow-Up.

This lettuce has given us some color all season. It's pretty tasty, too.

Another edible that we use for decoration...Kale.

Feverfew....again, just for decorations.

These have never bloomed for me. But, they held up last summer, in that awful heat.

And, as you can see...the cold doesn't seem to bother them.

The color is really good, too....really pops on a cloudy day.

Wonder if deer would leave it alone?..hmmm

On the front porch, this Japanese Holly Fern is looking good.

It likes a drink more often than some. But, it's holding up to the cold.

It's protected here, from the cold. And, the deer haven't touched it.

The deer haven't bothered the Squid Agaves, I got back in the fall.

Maybe I can take the large stones...meant to hold them down, so the deer don't pull them out...

and replace them with pebbles for a mulch.

They don't bother the Dusty Miller. They have eaten pretty much everything I've planted with it.

Sometimes, you just have to go with the flow.

This pot looks good with JUST the nice gray foliage of the Dusty Miller.

The Yucca Rostrata, in the redone Island Bed, looks good.

Rosemary is always a good foliage plant in deer country.

And, Prickly Pear....they'll eat it, if they get really hungry.

I keep some agaves covered with 'cages'. They've taken this cage off a couple times.

But, they haven't done anything to the agave.

A couple others, they've tried to pull up, after they removed the cages.

As you see, they can do a job on one. Not being mean or anything....but, I hope this hurt!

It's not dead. Since it's in the Front Bed, I'll replace it with one from somewhere else.

It should come back.

The Veggie Garden has things going on. Brussels Sprouts, Chard and Beets.

Ignore the weeds. I have. But, it's time to get out there and get them out.

They're blooming...which means seeds...which means more weeds...which...you get it.

There is more foliage here. Not much blooming.

And, there is a lot of work to be done.

Guess I better get to it.

Drop on over to Pam's and see some pretty Foliage Follow-Ups.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

Taking a Walk....

2012-01-12T12:25:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I showed you the beautiful moon peeking through the trees, on a cold, crisp morning.

The day ended in the 70s. So, we decided a nice walk was in order.

Come along....

A little off the regular path, I went to see how the Small Pond was looking.

This pond was completely dry, all last summer. But, look! Water!

The small bit of rain we've had over the last couple months has paid off.

Ducks were enjoying the water.
I have several bird books. But, I couldn't find this guy in any of them.

Down the road a bit, you get a pretty good view of Old Baldy.

Now, I'm not sure how this hill with trees can be Old Baldy...but, that's what they tell me it is.

It's also called Prayer Mountain. It's owned by a religious group. They've put in a stairway to the top.

We haven't done that, yet. The view must be wonderful from there.

Along the road, we can get a better view of the sunset, than in our tree covered yard.

It was quite a nice one, even without many clouds.

Back home, and we're greeted by one of our ever present visitors.

Look at how green we are. Funny...this was brown and dry all summer.

Now, winter and a little rain has brought out the grasses.

We had a cold front slam in overnight.

Today is blustery and cold....25-30 degrees colder than yesterday.
Don't you just love good old Texas weather?

Good thing we took that walk yesterday.

Have a Great Day...
~~Linda~~

Clear and Cold...

2012-01-11T10:29:00.000-06:00

Another clear, cold morning.

The moon was still peeking through the trees.

28 degrees, when I got up....the tv showed 43 degrees, at the station in Austin.

Mr. P. says it's that 'Valley Effect'. We're always a bit colder here.

It's supposed to climb into the 70s this afternoon.

Then, Friday the low's predicted to be in the 20s...in town.

Better get those blankets ready to cover some things.

Have a Great Day...

~~Linda~~

Getting Back to Normal...

2012-01-10T11:11:00.000-06:00

Or, at least what counts as 'Normal' here.

I finally got the house DE-Christmased.

Have I told you I collect Santas?

I have quite a few.

You have how many?!?

Well, I'm not sure. I didn't take time to count.

This isn't even all of them.

But, what I wanted to show you, is this one.

He's one of my favorites. Santa taking a time out to watch the birds.

Isn't he cute?

He's all set, with his boots, binoculars and a book to look up the names of birds he spys.

He's so busy watching for birds, he misses those on the chair.

This little guy is taking advantage of that.

Or, is it just that he lets them join him in his comfy chair?

Looks like a fun break.

They're all wrapped up in their tissue and bubble wrap, and stacked to ceiling in the cubby in the garage.

Wonder how many I missed this year. There are always some.....

OK...back to getting back to normal. There's always something else to do.

Have a great day...

~~Linda~~

Road Trip...Painted Churches...

2012-01-06T09:35:00.001-06:00

Saints Cyril & Methodius Church

Shiner, Texas

Last summer, our daughter and her kids came down for a visit.

She took a few days to visit her mother-in-law, Linda, down in Shiner...

yes, mother AND mother-in-law are Lindas...

Linda took them to see The Painted Churches.

They were quite impressed.

So, Mr. P and I decided we'd take a drive over the Christmas holiday,

and see some of these churches.

St. Mary's Church of the Assumption

Praha, Texas

The Painted Churches were built by Czech and German settlers.

A bit of research, told us there are more than 20 painted churches across Texas.

We visited three.

We stopped at the visitor center in Schulenburg first, and got a map.

We highly recommend that. Most of the small towns are not on the Texas map.

Praha is south of I-10, between Flatonia and Engle.

There you'll find St. Mary's Church of the Assumption.

St. Mary's is one of the oldest of these churches...built in 1895.

As you can see by all the scaffolding, it's getting a bit of a face lift.

St. Mary's

Praha, Texas

These small farming communities were not wealthy. They couldn't afford to decorate their churches with marble and fancy architecture...so, they painted it on.

Here they've painted arch detail and moldings on the wooden lath ceiling.

The altar is fairly simple here. Angels are painted on the ceiling above.

Freehand floral paintings make a garden out of the ceiling.

I bet this organ is quite impressive in this small sanctuary.

The cemetery here is fairly large.

The first paved cemetery I ever saw, was in Fredericksburg, TX.

It's much larger, and much more paved.

Here we have another one. I suppose it's to make it easier to care for them.

There were quite a few children's graves. Most early 20th century...a LOT in 1915.

Makes you wonder what happened that year.

If they made it to adulthood, many lived a long time. We saw many who lived 90 years or more.

OK....enough about graveyards.

Saints Cyrus and Methodius is in Shiner, TX.

Shiner is best known in these parts for its brewery. That'll be for another trip.

This is a larger church, in a much larger town. According to a historical marker outside, the sanctuary here was built in 1920 by volunteers.

The outside is very nicely done in brick patterns.

The altar was a bit larger with a large painting on the ceiling above.

Here, more painted 'molding' and faux painted marble columns.

Each church had a Nativity scene set up for the Christmas season.

Lots of beautiful stained glass windows.

I saved our favorite, for last.

St. Mary's in High Hill, Texas
High Hill is just north of Schulenburg.

St. Mary's was built in 1906.

This sanctuary has a lot of the painting.

You can see the faux marble finish and the faux copper above.

Beautiful decorative painting, and stencil work.

I read that the artists did most of this painting on canvases. Then, those were glued to the wood.

The altar is beautiful.

Again, the Nativity for the season.

Each window is stained glass.

Each one has a name at the bottom.
Whether for memorials or the names of donors, I'm not sure.
Maybe for both.

We've lived in Texas all our lives, and we never heard of these churches.
How'd that happen?
There's always something new to learn.

We'll be checking out the other Painted Churches.
They're worth the road trip.

Have a Good Weekend...
~~Linda~~

Take Down....

2012-01-04T12:12:00.001-06:00

The big problem with being an over-achiever with decorating for Christmas...

sooner or later you have to take it all down...

pack it all up...

and put it all away 'til next year.

OK...whining is over. Back to it.

~~Focus, Linda~~

What's the Word?....

2012-01-03T11:10:00.003-06:00

Sweet gift from neighbors at our old place

I've been seeing around the internet the idea of NOT making those lists of 'New Year's Resolutions',

but, usuing one word...maybe two or three...to sum up those resolutions.

One word that will make things happen.

It makes sense to me. I can surely remember ONE WORD, more easily than a whole list.

So, my word of 2012 is

FOCUS.

I'm the kind of person who can easily get side tracked, no matter what I'm doing.

I have SO MANY projects around here that got started, but never finished.

Hey...just cleaning out a closet is sometimes hard for me to get all the way through.

I get sidetracked looking through old photos, or magazines, or....

you get the picture.

I almost made my word FINISH.

But, I've known me a long time. I know if I'm going to FINISH something,

I'm going to have to

FOCUS.

I'm going to FOCUS, and get around to finishing the projects that are already started.

Like remodeling projects I started when we moved here,

THREE YEARS AGO!...

before I start something new.

I'm going to FOCUS on getting around to exercising more...

like walking in this great neighborhood of ours.

I'm going to FOCUS on getting around to...

well...looks like I have one of those lists, after all.

I'll just sum it up with saying..

I'm going to FOCUS on GETTING AROUND TO IT.

HEY!

I already have one of those!

Thanks, Rose.

So....what's the word? What will you use to make your 2012 a good year?

FOCUS

~~Linda~~

I'm linking up with The Lettered Cottage...
join us...

Looking Back on 2011...

2012-01-01T18:19:00.000-06:00

January...Deer Grove

One really nice thing about having a blog, is that you can look back at former posts, and see what happened and when it happened.

Technically, I think you're supposed to look back at the year, on the LAST day.

But, that didn't happen, here.

2011 was a busy year.
Trips with friends and family.
Visits from friends and family.
Withstanding the extreme cold, then the extreme heat.
And, the drought...always, the drought.

*******
January

After a tropical storm in October, it seemed like it didn't rain at all, for months.
It was dry...but, it was winter. We did have some damp days.
But, not many.

*******
February

We had a very cold spell.
It didn't get above 24 degrees here for four days. Then...
We had a snow day!
Now, we didn't have MUCH of a snow day.
But, in Central Texas, if there is ANY snow...it's a big EVENT.

The other big event for February, was the
Big Trip.
A cruise, with friends, to the Panama Canal.

*******
March

I spent a lot of time in March, cleaning out the Rio.
It was full of old leaves, and dirt.

Never did get around to cleaning out the Rio outside of the fence.
But, since rain storms were few and far between, it didn't matter much.

*******
April

Worked on the beds in the fenced yard...reworking and replanting.
We lost a lot during the hard cold spell in winter.

During April, I celebrated the second anniversary of my
Patchwork Garden blog. It was fun looking back over the two years.
Things had changed quite a bit.

We also took the
Texas Hill Country Wine and Wildflower Trail tour
with our friends Mike and Jorj.
We had such a great time, we just might do it again this year.

*******
May

By May, I had the veggie garden going.
We did a little remodel, and got it a bit more tidy and easier to work in.

The days were especially warm for May. So, I was working hard to get things ready for a hot summer.

There also was my annual 'Girls' Trip' coming up.
That didn't go too well.
Seems I had pneumonia, and had to come home. The rest of the month was a bust.

*******
June

I was still not doing much in June. That pneumonia stuff is a tough one to shake.

But, Life is Good.
I had a new swing. We'd had a little rain.

We had lots of wildlife for entertainment.

We still haven't replaced the 'lightly trimmed' shrubs the 'Tree Experts' cut down.
Need to do that soon.

By the middle of the month, Texas had been deemed
Exceptional.
Not something to be happy about. It's the worse drought designation there is.
Not a good thing. We needed rain!

With help from the rain barrels and faucet, things were blooming, though.

I got the veggie garden weeded and things were looking good out there.

*******
July

We'd had quite a few triple digit days of HOT by July...with more to come.

We did have some light rain.
Not much. But, beggars can't be choosers.

Our daughter and her two little ones, came from North Dakota
to visit at the end of June, and stayed half way through July.
We had a wonderful time seeing her and having fun with the grands.
Miss them a lot.

Little else was going on, but keeping things alive and trying to stay cool.

*******
August

August arrived with more heat and no rain. Things weren't looking too good.

The two ponds in our neighborhood were dried up. There was barely a trickle, under the bridge at the low water crossing on Cypress Creek. We made sure to put out water for the wildlife.
Food was hard for them to come by.

Regardless of how hot..or how cold..it might be, we spend some time on the porch.
I did change my spot and sat under the fan. Much better.

It did change my point of view.

But, it was still hot.
We'd hat 69 days of triple digits by then.
With more to come.

*******
September

Now, September around here, means pumpkins and football.

This year, it meant dead, dry grasses and trees...and wild fires.
It was very scary around Texas for a while. We're still not out of the woods.

We ended up with over 90 days of triple digit temperatures. That's the official count.
I think we may have beat even that, here at Patchwork Garden.
Glad to see those go.

*******
October

October, the weather started changing a bit. We were having some rain.
Not much.
But, some's better than none.

Things always seem to pick up speed, in October. Life gets busier and busier.

October had been deemed Support Your Independent Nursery Month by Pam at Digging.
We were singing the praises of our local nurseries.
I featured King Feed, here in Wimberley.

At the end of the month, we finally got over to Hamilton Pool Preserve.
It's something I've wanted to do for years. I think we'll be going back.

*******
November

I finally got around to doing a post on my hometown,
Wimberley, Texas.

Then, Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

I have a lot to be thankful for.
So, I took the challenge.
It's not easy posting every day for thirty days.

*******
December

Closing in on the end of the year.
We finally got the Island Bed redone. Got that ground cover out, and new plants in.
I had won a give away back in October...and, I used some of those plants.

It looks SO much better.

Still more to do...but, that'll have to come later.

We had some cold, cold mornings...in the low 20s.
And, several days of rain. Again, not much. But, we don't have to make up
two whole feet of deficit rainfall, now.

We went to The Trail of Lights, here in Wimberley.
It was a cold night, but we had fun.

I finished the quilts for Christmas.

I was well-gifted with garden goodies (say that three times fast).

We took a little road trip and a nice hike...I'll be telling you about those later.

*******

Things have greened up. The deer are looking better.
There's water in the ponds. And, we haven't heard of any
big fires for quite a while.

All in all...2011 was a pretty good year for us here at Patchwork Garden.

Hope you had a good one, too.

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~

Happy New Year....

2011-12-31T17:11:00.000-06:00

Source: Bing

Here's wishing everyone

Health, Happiness, and Good Fortune

for the coming year.

Happy New Year...

~~Linda~~

Christmas Quilts...

2011-12-30T11:30:00.000-06:00

Pieced Batiks

I mentioned a while back, that I was working on some quilts

for Christmas gifts. Well, I got them finished...but, let me tell you...

I hope I never cut it that close again. Five quilts, in ten weeks,

is not that much fun to do.

Pieced Novelty Cottons

They turned out pretty good.

Pieced fleece

Everyone seemed pleased.

Pieced Novelty Cotton and Fleece

Nice warm throws to cuddle in.

I'd really like to get back to a hand-made Christmas. It seems more personal.

And, the smiles they evoked, made all the work worthwhile.

Stay Warm...

~~Linda~~

Trail of Lights...

2011-12-28T08:09:00.000-06:00

Tropical Santa

We went to the Trail of Lights at Emily Ann Theater the other night.

It was cold and windy....just the right atmosphere, for a Christmas outing.

It's a small town event, but really pretty good.
We missed last year, and were surprised at how much it's grown.

It's a walk-through show, and a bit hilly.
Free to the public, but they appreciate a donation.
Emily Ann Theater survives with the help of donations and volunteers.

Each display is sponsored, designed and put together by a local business, community group, or family.

At the top of the hill, the wind was really brisk...whipping the flags around.
The Veterans Memorial Plaza is a permanent feature, with flags to honor each branch of the military.

There is a lighted 'tree' to spin under. Not quite as big as the Zilker tree in Austin.
But, you can see it from miles around.

Down by the Yule Log, you'll find the hot cocoa stand. You can also get a marshmallow to toast over the fire. All free of charge. If you want a hot dog, it'll be $1.00.

The Yule Log usually has some caroling going on. There's a new stage for entertainers, as well.

It was a good time, on a cold night.

There's still time to go. They're open through December 31.

Stay Warm...
~~Linda~~

Cold, But Sunny....

2011-12-27T09:56:00.000-06:00

It was 26 degrees this morning, when I got up.

Frost is on the fairway. It looks pretty, sparkling in the sun.

It's warming up pretty quickly. Die hard golfers are already out there.

If it was not so muddy out there, it would be a great day to work in the garden.

I have a good crop of weeds growing in the veggie garden.

It'll have to wait. But, when I get out there, I'll have new 'toys' to play with.

Can you tell my family knows that I like to garden?

And then, come in and put my feet up in warm slippers...

Our son says that liquid seaweed and fertilizer may be the strangest things I've ever asked for.

He forgets about the time I asked for manure.

Gardeners will understand these things.

Hope you got what you wanted.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

Merry Christmas...

2011-12-24T21:00:00.004-06:00

Peace on Earth

Good Will Toward Men...

and, Women.

Merry Christmas, Everyone...

~~Linda~~

It's Looking a Lot Like Christmas...

2011-12-23T17:36:00.000-06:00

It's the Eve of the Eve.

The shopping is done, the sewing is done, the wrapping is done.

Now, some cooking and finishing up. I think it gets busier, every year.

Hope things are going well where you are.

Happy Friday...

~~Linda~~

A Little This and That....

2011-12-17T09:52:00.000-06:00

It's that busy time of year.

You may have noticed already.

Shopping, decorating, cooking..and, in my case, sewing....

It's been cold and wet....and, warm and wet.

Those leaves I thought were done apparently are not.

I'm not complaining. We need all the rain we can get.

I did get this package of wildflower seeds scattered. It was a gift from a dear friend.

If they come up, they might be deer food. But, that's better than just sitting in the bag.

There's some nice color out there, to brighten up these cloudy days.

Color that doesn't mind some cold, cold mornings.

Some Christmasy things that will work in the ground, later.

The Christmas Cactus...that usually blooms AFTER Christmas...is putting on a nice show.

And, the grove is greener than it was, even back in the spring.

It's chilly. But, we're prepared.

Gotta get back to busy-ness.

Hope you're having a fun winter weekend.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

P.S.....

Congratulations to our Wimberley High School football team.

They are

Class 3A, Division 11 STATE CHAMPIONS!!

Way to go TEXANS!!

And...

Congratulations to Lake Travis High School football.

They won their historic FIFTH

Class 4A, Division 1 Championship!!

Way to go CAVS!!

Yep....we like football here.

Voted Off the Island....

2011-12-08T09:17:00.000-06:00

Island, as in the bed between the circular drive, and the street.

Not exactly the most welcoming place around.

All that brown stuff is Vinca Minor...ground cover that has never looked all that good.

The old, rotten railroad ties had to go.

There needed to be some interest, for the first thing people see when they arrive.

So, all that ugly stuff was voted off the Island!

So...we had the vinca removed. And, then we had a ton...literally...of

chopped stone delivered.

And soon, things were looking better.

We hauled around some big stones, and built up a mound

with decomposed granite and soil.

In went the Yucca rostrata I got with my gift certificate

from Shoal Creek Nursery.

We put down some stepping stones to the birdbath.

Takes up room AND doesn't need to be watered.

So now, this view from the front porch, is transformed....

...to this.

From the street...

You get this.

At the south end...

...we put in a cold hardy palm.

The Salvia greggii, Hot Lips, went in the front...more will be added.

An Artemisia Powis Castle, was moved from another area.

Agave lophanthas were moved in, too.

I'm thinking more plants will go in next spring....

some grasses, maybe?

The palm gets tucked in under blankets each night.

Cold hardy or not...it hasn't been in the ground very long.

And, we've had lows in the 20s for several nights now.

Since the leaves on those Cedar Elms are finished falling,

we'll be putting down mulch soon.

Then, we need to get started on this. Another welcoming bed for the front.

It's the Never Ending Story...

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 30...

2011-11-30T10:27:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 30!~~

Today is the final day of the
30 day challenge of thanksgiving.

Thanks Cat, for challenging us to stop and take notice
of the things that make our lives full and happy.

I will admit, it has been a challenge to post every day.

It's not the final day of giving thanks, however.
Every day is a day for thanks-giving.

I have so many blessings:

I'm married to a good man,
with a good sense of humor.

I have some really great kids.

I have six beautiful grandchildren.

I have a loving family.

I have fun, loving friends.

I live in a beautiful place.

I get to enjoy God's beauty & God's love.

Life is truly good...

I recently saw a quote:

"What if you woke up today
with only the things
you thanked
God
for yesterday?"

I did...
~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 29...

2011-11-29T10:02:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 29~~

Today, I'm thankful to be fortunate enough to travel.

For us, Life really is a Trip.

Alaskan Cruise, 2008

South Padre Island, 2009

It's especially nice with family...

Riviera Maya, 2010

...and, friends.

Mount Rushmore, 2010

We're very fortunate to be able to see many interesting places.

Panama Canal Cruise, 2011

We know how lucky we are, to have such a great family and such great friends.

For that, we are so thankful.

~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 28...

2011-11-28T09:44:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.

A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 28~~

Today, I'm thankful for a cover-up.

When I saw that our several thermometers said it was 28 degrees at 10:30 last night,

I got out there and covered up our newest plant.

Glad I did.

The day dawned crisp and clear....and, COLD....22 degrees!

Heavy frost covered the fairway across the street.

We had moved several containers into the garage during the day.

Cold winds aren't the best thing for our tropicals.

I saved the remains of the Bougainvillea.

Thankful I did...

~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 27...

2011-11-27T10:42:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 27~~

Today, I'm thankful for a sunny, quiet Sunday.

It's always good to have a day off....especially, after a busy, busy week.

Yesterday was rainy...we got almost an inch and a half of rain....and, cooled off.
In fact, today, it's cold and windy...a great day to stay inside and get inside things going.

November is winding down and the busy, busy time of December is looming.

It's good to have a day to take a deep breath and recharge.

Hope you're getting to do just what you want, today.

~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 26...

2011-11-26T10:18:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.

A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 26~~

Today, I'm thankful to live in a small town.

It makes it easier to

Shop Local~~Shop Small.

Today is Small Business Saturday.

Buy just one thing from one of your local small businesses.

I have LOTS of shops I can visit, here in Wimberley.

Every little bit helps keep money in your community

and helps small businesses stay alive.

Hope you find just what you're looking for

at your favorite small business.

~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 25...

2011-11-25T11:16:00.001-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 25~~

Today, I'm thankful we got to witness history.

source
To those who are not sports fans...or, at least, not from Texas....
you might not know about the big rivalry between

The University of Texas
and
Texas A&M University.

This rivalry is so strong, both schools' fight songs mention the other school.

They've been playing a football game at Thanksgiving for a long time.
Last night was game #118....and, maybe the last.

Petty differrences have caused A&M to leave their conference and move on.
Maybe cooler heads will prevail, and they'll work a game into the schedule.
But, not for many years....schedules are set years in advance.

So, for the coming years...maybe, forever...
the Aggies
will have to live with the final score, of possibly the final game.

Texas 27~~A&M 25

SO...

Texas Fight, Texas Fight
and goodbye to A&M

I'm thankful we won.
~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 24....

2011-11-24T09:35:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 24~~

~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 23...

2011-11-23T09:13:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 23~~

Today...a day early...I'm thankful
to be married
to my best friend.

Corny, I know.
But, we really are friends.

And, we've been married since
November 24, 1965.

That's a long time...

So...

Happy Anniversary, Mr. P.
~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 22...

2011-11-22T14:09:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 22~~

Today, I'm thankful for my yard swing.

It was a surprise for me, back in the spring.

It's a nice quiet place to sit....to start the day, with a cup of coffee...
or to end the day, with a glass of wine.

Sit, and swing, and think....

We have several places to sit and enjoy this place.
Each gives a different viewpoint.
There're all good views to us.

~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 21...

2011-11-21T09:23:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 21~~

Today, I'm thankful for our rain barrels.

It doesn't take a lot of rain, to fill a rain barrel. That's good....we haven't had a lot of rain, lately.

We're going to add more of these. It makes a big difference having this extra water,
when you're trying to keep things alive.

And, they make a comfy place to hang out.

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 20...

2011-11-20T10:07:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.

A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 20~~

Today, I'm thankful that work has started on the 'Island Bed'.

The bed in the island that the circular drive makes.

Perhaps, you can tell the groundcover...vinca minor...didn't come through the summer too well.

It actually greened up a bit, with the recent light rains.

But, even green, it is boring and the groundcover is only green when it feels like it.

So, the groundcover has been taken out and redoing is in progress.

I'll show you how it comes out soon.

Of course, it probably won't be finished.

Is there a place in the garden that is ever 'FINISHED'?

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 19....

2011-11-19T11:54:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 19~~

Today, I'm thankful for my new oven.

This is what we had, when we moved in.
I took this picture on one of our tours through the house, prior to buying.
No push buttons here. Turn a knob for the microwave. Hope the oven gets warm in time.

We redid a lot of things here.
I stripped the cabinets. Ones you can't see here, were green.
I stripped wallpaper off, and textured and painted.
I put in a new tile backsplash.
We had granite countertops, a new sink and a new cooktop installed.

But, the micro/oven worked. So, we waited.
We decided we could just use this vintage model.

This week...we had this installed.

You'll notice it's shorter than the old one. Gives me a shelf under it.
We just need to finish it out.
The new technology doesn't require as thick insulation.

New and shiny...we've moved into the twenty-first century.
Just in time for the holidays.

There'll be some bakin' goin' here!
Everybody's thankful.

~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 18...

2011-11-18T08:21:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 18~~

Today, I'm thankful for my kids.

We have two kids....a girl and a boy.

They're great kids. They married two other great kids.
Together, they all gave us six grandkids....who are also great!

Our boy is the oldest.

Today is his birthday.

Happy Birthday, Rob
~~Mother~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 17...

2011-11-17T08:48:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 17~~

Today, I'm thankful for our trees.

I worried all summer about the trees. It was so hot, and so dry.
Our water restrictions still won't let us use sprinklers or lay soaker hoses on the grass.
So, even the ones in our yard don't get any drinks.

But, they're hanging in there....the Cedar Elms, giving us some fall color.

Of course, that 'fall color' is all over the deck....
and the porch...and the driveway.

I sweep them up everyday, and haul them over to the compost bin.
I don't like blowers. But, I have one. They're about the only way to get leaves
out of rock.

It's some extra work in the fall. And then, the Live Oaks drop their leaves in the spring.
But, I wouldn't want to get rid of one single tree.

Besides....it's good exercise. Right?

~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 16....Foliage Follow-Up Nov...

2011-11-16T09:01:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 16~~

I'm thankful today for foliage.

Every month...on the 16th... Pam at Digging. hosts
Foliage Follow-Up
where we all show off our foliage.

lettuce bowl

I love flowers, but foliage is my favorite. It's always dependable.

The Daniella has held up well, even with the freezes we've had.

Powis Castle artemisia is always dependable.

Agave lophantha

Agaves and yuccas are doing well. There will be more of these.

Can't wait to get my new Yucca rostrata in the ground.

Dusty Miller holds up well to heat or cold. And, I've never noticed the deer eating it.

They cleared out some Dead Nettle planted with it, in this pot....so much for

another 'deer resistant plant'.

I'm not sure I could garden without Aztec grass...

..and, Liriope. This green liriope held up well to last winter's frigid temperatures...

and this summer's extreme heat and drought.

But, it all has to stay inside the fence. Deer love it.

The radishes look good..above the ground.

I've never had luck with radishes or beets. Great foliage...not so great fruit.

But, I won't give up.

You may have noticed we have a few leaves.

That's life beneath the Cedar Elms.

But, I'm thankful for those trees.

Happy Foliage Follow-Up

~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 15...GBBD NOV...

2011-11-15T10:22:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 15~~

I'm thankful for today.

It's dark and stormy out there. Rain is coming down gently, but a good amount.
It'll take many more of these days to really make a dent in the drought.
But, again...we'll take what we can get.

I'm also thankful I got out yesterday to take photos.

marigold

After three freezes...two hard freezes...there's not much blooming.
But, there is a little.

chrysanthemum

chrysanthemum pacifica
I like this one more for the foliage.

Mealy Blue Sage

Thryallis

salvia greggii

bougainvillea
About to be trimmed and moved inside for the winter.

my new Snapdragons

plumbago, pansies, snapdragons

My new pansies have pretty faces....

Hope you're having a great day, and the weather is giving you what you want.

Happy Bloomday...
~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDays 14...

2011-11-14T09:15:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 14~~

Today, I'm thankful we live close enough
to attend grandkid activities.

Our Freshman girl plays basketball.

They've won their first two games.

Our sixth grader broke her wrist in soccer practice, before the season started.

But, she was soon back out there on the field.

We have to miss out on our North Dakota kids' activities.
They came for a visit this summer, and we enjoyed it SO much.
Looks like they'll be moving closer to us soon. Only an eight hour drive....but, doable.

We're never without entertainment around here.

The kids keep us young.

For that, we're thankful.

~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDays 13...

2011-11-13T10:31:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.

A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 13~~

Can I be thankful for the same things twice?

I told you on Day 10 about winning a gift certificate from Shoal Creek Nursery.

I've been asked what I got.

So, today I'm thankful... all over again...for what I got.

The above three gallon size Yucca rostrata.

Another three gallon of Salvia greggii, Hot Lips..I think. No tag on this one.

And, this tray of goodies. Pansies, snapdragons, lamb's ear and a gallon sized foxtail fern.

The three gallon plants will go in the soon-to-be remodeled front 'Island Bed'....the bed inside the curve of the front driveway. I'll need much more...but that will come later.

I've been promised the ground cover in that bed will be gone by Thanksgiving.

The tray of goodies will be spread around in containers.

The lamb's ear will replace some lost this summer.

So, it's time to get out there and get the containers planted....the lamb's ear in the ground.

I'm thankful today is going to be a good day to garden.

Hope you're having a great day, too.

~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 12...

2011-11-12T07:00:00.002-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 12~~

White Crowned Sparrow

I'm thankful for birds.

We have so many birds. It's another of the many entertainments we have here.

Birds travel through here on their migrations. Many more are here year round.
The wooded areas around us, give them cover and we supply water and seed.

It's just one more thing that makes this such a nice place for us to live.

~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 11....

2011-11-11T09:09:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 11~~

Veteran's Day

Today, I'm thankful for the brave men and women
who have fought for us.

Veteran's Day is when we honor those brave soldiers who have served our country...
in times of war and peace,
over all the years of our history.

Thank you...

~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 10....

2011-11-10T09:53:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 10~~

I'm thankful to be a winner.

Last month, several Austin garden bloggers hosted give aways.....gift certificates to Austin independent garden centers. Rock Rose hosted a gift from Shoal Creek Nursery.

And, I won!

Yesterday, I finally got up there and cashed it in. I'd never been there before. I was quite impressed.
Lots of healthy plants, good displays and friendly people.

I got some good stuff. Of course, I couldn't get out of there with just the amount of the certificate.
Too much good stuff. But, the certificate certainly helped.

Thanks to Jenny @ Rock Rose for hosting.
And, thanks to Shoal Creek Nursery for offering the gift certificate.
I'm sure I'll make the trip back up there again.

I'm thankful for any day spent among plants and plant people.

~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 9....

2011-11-09T08:24:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 9~~

Today...and, everyday...I'm thankful for modern medicine.

Almost four years ago, I was told that a brown spot on my face was malignant melanoma.
It is not something you want to hear.

I'm of the generation who greased down with baby oil, and fried in the sun.
I was trying to become a Golden Goddess.
I didn't achieve either...not very golden..and surely not a goddess.
My only excuse was, we didn't know then what we know now....
that the sun can actually kill you.

I was very lucky. It was small and in situ...which means localized. They got it all.
I was also lucky to have a wonderful surgeon. The scar is barely visible.

So, now, I never leave the house without sunscreen. I wear a large brimmed hat to garden....another one for other outdoor activities. I'll be seeing a dermatologist every six months, for the rest of my life.

So, here comes the sermon...
Wear sunscreen.
Protect yourself from the sun.
Have yourself checked by a dermatologist.
Save your life.

You'll be thankful you did.

~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 8....

2011-11-08T08:32:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 8~~

Today, I'm thankful for our wildlife.

Yes, you heard me right.
Most of the time, I'm whining about the deer.

But, after having weekend guests two weekends in a row, we begin to see the deer in the same light we did when we first arrived here.....beautiful creatures.
We get used to them, and annoyed by them, most of the time.
They are destructive.

But, they are also beautiful.

The bucks are busy chasing and fighting over the ladies, this time of year.
We've seen more with wounds from those fights this year.

All that means there will be more of these running around next spring.
More mouths to feed.

So, we're thankful to live in a place where we can have free entertainment...some a little risque....
and, be surrounded by Nature's beauty.

~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDays 6 & 7....

2011-11-07T10:04:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

Somehow, I got behind...again. Today is the 7th...so thanksgiving...

~~Days 6 & 7~~

Yesterday, we got a little bit of rain. Today, there is more on the way.

We're always thankful for any rain we can get. Central Texas is still in Exceptional Drought stage.
The cooler weather and some greening up out there tend to fool us into thinking it's over.
But, the dry conditions continue.

But, for now.....so thankful for the rain.

~~Linda~~

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 5....

2011-11-06T10:49:00.000-06:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 5~~

I'm thankful today, for our Texas Longhorns win, yesterday.

It's always good to rack up one more in the win category....
whether it's the right plant in the right spot,
being in the right place for the time in your life,
or a winning performance from your favorite college team.

Life is good
And, I'm thankful for it.

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 4....

2011-11-05T06:00:00.001-05:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 4~~

I'm thankful to live in a place I love.

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 3...

2011-11-04T08:42:00.000-05:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 3~~

I'm thankful for friends who come to visit often.

We're about to have a fun weekend. Hope you do, too.

~~Linda~~

p.s....It was 24 degrees here this morning!!! Too early for this!!

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDays 1 & 2...

2011-11-03T10:51:00.001-05:00

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving. A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

Time is at a premium around here this time of year. But, I think I'll give it a try.

I'm starting a day late....how typical!

Each and everyday, I'm thankful for my healthy, happy grandchildren.

I think they're pretty beautiful, too.

Welcome to Wimberley....

2011-11-02T13:22:00.000-05:00

It's been brought to my attention that I haven't taken you around town.

Welcome to Wimberley....A Little Bit of Heaven.

The quote comes from an article written in the New York Times a few years ago. The author described Wimberley as a little bit of heaven in the Texas Hill Country.

We discovered Wimberley years ago, when our son brought us down here. He knows how I love quaint little towns.

There are lots of shops and restaurants here.

Quaint little shops and boutiques....artist galleries and cafes.

Good breakfast places....

Ino'z

and casual outside dining, along Cypress Creek.

This courtyard is a showroom of sorts for an artist who makes animals from metal and 'found items'. Very interesting.

There are more displays outside The Old Mill Store. Inside, you'll find more art, in the form of pottery, furniture, rugs...on and on.

Stores display lots of things outside.

Look at this antique heaven, along the creek.

These are just a sampling of the shopping opportunities.

There are bed and breakfasts all over the Valley, and lots of other lodging.

There are several waterways here in Wimberley.

Above is a fall photo of the Blanco River in 2009. You can swim, fish or tube along the river.
Or rent a place and just sit and watch the water go by.
This year, the river is very low. But there's still water.

We need rain.

Photo from visitwimberley.com

Another is Cypress Creek. Cypress Creek is fed by Jacob's Well...an underground cave, formed and fed by a spring. It's a famous and popular swimming hole.

High water 2009

The creek winds through our Woodcreek neighborhood and on to town.

Blue Hole is a popular swimming hole on the creek.

Giant cypress trees grow along the creek...hence, it's name...here behind Ino'z.

Those are our North Dakota grandkids, in town for a visit last summer.

Cypress Creek flows into the Blanco River.

I've shown you our nursery center...King's Feed.

Fourth of July parade.

Wimberley is a great place to live. A small town, in a beautiful place.

There is always something to do.

Lots of parades and festivals

Market Day
is the first Saturday of each month.
Vendors set up their wares in a wooded venue. More than a flea market, Market Day has lots of arts and crafts....metal, wood, pottery...and plants, too.

Emily Ann Theater
hosts a holiday Trail of Lights.

This year it's open from November 26 to December 31.
Free and fun....not sure they'll be allowed to fire up the Yule Log. But, singing carols and hot cocoa will still probably be part of the evenings.

In summer, they have outdoor theater. Pretty good stage productions and Shakespeare under the stars.

The Corral Theater
is an outdoor movie venue, open in summer.
Bring your chairs or use theirs for first run movies....again...under the stars.

Wimberley Glassworks
is south of town.
You can watch artists produce beautiful blown glass.

Driftwood Estate Winery
is north of town.

Just a small sampling of things to do and see.

Or, just sit outside at Ino'z...sip a beverage of your choice..and listen to live music.
One of many live music venues in town.

Come visit Wimberley, Texas.

To us, it really is

A Little Bit of Heaven

Hamilton Pool Preserve...

2011-10-28T13:40:00.000-05:00

So...yesterday was my birthday. Mr P asked what I'd like to do. I surprised him and said I'd like to go on a nature hike.
Even though we've been coming to the Hill Country for years, and years....and, we've lived here for three years...we'd never been to Hamilton Pool.

It's just about four miles from our son's home. He goes there so often to hike that he has a car pass.

So, we recruited him to be our guide. Our daughter-in-law came along, too.

The trail down is pretty natural in most spots....but, well defined.

There are natural steps, and some man-made ones.

When you get to the creek side, the trail is even marked with some stepping stones.

The walking here is easy.

River fern...I think

Woodland plants grow alongside the trail.

Maidenhair fern

The creek is lined with age old cypress trees.

The colors are changing with the season.

Hamilton Pool is a collapsed grotto, with limestone walls, eaten away from years of wear by the flowing waters of Hamilton Creek.

In the 1860s the land was owned by Morgan Hamilton. In the 1880s he sold the land to the Reimer family, who raised sheep and cattle. The Reimers rediscovered the pool and opened it to the public around the turn of the century. By the 1960s it was a very popular place for Austinites to go to swim.
The cattle and humans did a lot of damage to the natural landscape.
In the 1980s, Travis County bought 232 acres from the Reimers and began to work to bring the area back to its natural state.

When you finally arrive at the pool, you see why it's been so popular for so many years.
Still open to swimmers, but watched carefully to preserve wild things here.
The water level is a bit low because of the drought.

Tree growing upside down from the roof.

Stalactites, formed by water dripping down the limestone, cling to the roof.

Moss covered rocks.

The roof is peppered with swallow's nests.

Fascinating little mud huts.

Looking out from inside...kind of like looking out from inside a Jack-o-lantern.

The trail gets a bit narrow in the back.

Looking across the pool. See Mr P and son on the other side? Those two bright spots.
Shows just how large this is.

Pretty fall reflections.

Not a lot of water coming over the falls. But, with so little rain lately, any water is amazing.

Handrails for safety

So much plant life along the trail.

Is this palm grass growing out of this stump?

Asters

Turk's Cap

Beauty Berry

Boneset?

Something unknown

Another unknown

And, this beauty...

Does anyone know what this is?

Fall color of Virginia Creeper

We walked past the trail back up, and a little way down the river trail. The creek and trail go down and meet up with the
Pedernales River.

Piles of big rocks have peep holes to the creek.

It was a nice nature hike, to a beautiful place on a cool fall day.

What a nice way to celebrate.

Arriving back home...more natural beauty in an arrangement sent by my daughter and her family.

Mexican food for dinner.....a great day all round.

Another busy weekend coming up. Family weekend guests...the Longhorn game...

Life is Good.

Have a great weekend, too.

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~

Support Your Independent Nursery Month: King Feed Garden and Hardware

2011-10-26T07:41:00.000-05:00

October has been deemed Support Your Independent Nursery Month by Pam at Digging.
Nothing like showing up at the last minute.

Here in Wimberley, our main place for all things garden is
King Feed Garden and Hardware.

This place has been here for a long time. Back in the 1950s, this site was a cedar yard and sawmill, with a small store that sold hardware, feed and ranching supplies.

It's changed hands over the years, but still carries a large line of different feeds...from food for dogs and cats, to those deer creatures we all love.

They are also a True Value Hardware store.

But, my main interest is for the garden.
They carry veggie transplants...

and herbs.

They carry a nice variety of native succulents and bedding plants.

Grasses...

Trees and shrubs.

They have a nice supply of bagged soils and composts. They carry the popular Lady Bug brands.

Their bedding plants are healthy. And, they have an assortment of the colorful Mexican pottery that I like.

Their supply right now is lower than usual. Maybe a sign of the times.

There are other garden accessories. Windchimes and birdhouses, and feeders.

A focal point of the nursery is the ruins of the fireplace left from the home of the original owners.

All dressed up for the Halloween season.

They did a good job of black and orange arrangements.

There's a nice greenhouse, for tropicals and houseplants.

We've had some cold mornings, here in Wimberley Valley. So, the cold tender plants are safe inside.

Hmmm....I just might have to have some of these colorful tomato cages and shepherds hooks.

Inside, you'll find a nice array of natural plant foods and pest control. You'll find the other kind, too.
But, they seem to focus more on the natural products.

There's a small, but good variety of seeds.

You can find garden tools, irrigation supplies, gloves....almost anything you need for the garden.
Plus other tools, paint, plumbing needs, etc.

Outside again, they have a new addition of these little guys.
They didn't have any baby chickens, but there are usually some inside by the cashier stand.
And, don't forget that feed for whatever critter you might be feeding.

King's is a nice place to visit, whether you need something or not. I don't usually leave empty handed.
It helps that's it's only a couple miles from my front door. On the other hand...maybe not for the budget.

So, when in Wimberley, drop by King's. It has that old fashioned, small town feel.

They're friendly and knowledgeable...they answer questions about what might or might not work for certain spots and they usually point out that 'deer resistant' doesn't necessarily mean MY neighborhood.
(Did I mention we have LOTS of deer in my neighborhood?)

Wimberley is worth the trip.

Be sure to visit Pam at Digging to see some other great independent nurseries.

'til next time..

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~

Hawks....

2011-10-24T11:36:00.000-05:00

We have quite a few hawks around here. You can hear them cry out almost everyday.

The little birds head for cover, when one swoops in.

Last year, about this time, these two came around.

I think they're Red Shouldered Hawks. They're very pretty.

They're big birds....about 18 inches.

Two years ago, we were in another drought. This Broad-winged Hawk came by for a drink.

It was late in the day, so my photo wasn't so good.

These are a bit smaller hawks....15 inches. I like his polka dotted pantaloons.

This guy is around here a lot.

He's a Sharp-shinned Hawk. He's not so big....about 11 inches...the size of a White Winged Dove.

I finally got a photo of him.

We have lots of birds around here. They've been emptying the feeders daily. There are no seeds in the fields for them.

But, those feeders that help the little birds, make an easy target for the big birds.

I guess that's just nature.

'Til next time...

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

Another Week Flew By....

2011-10-20T13:25:00.000-05:00

Is it me? Or, did this last week fly by?

Lots of sunshine made the new green even greener....very nice.

Instead of getting outside in the great weather, I spent time at the sewing machine,

putting together some quilts.

Just have to do the quilting now. More time inside....

We had a foggy morning Sunday. These two bucks were playing some ~~rein~~deer games....butting heads and rubbing their antlers together.

They stopped long enough to pose for me.

One of the trees beside the veggie garden looks like it was getting into the Halloween mood.

I missed Garden Blogger's Bloomday.

And, Foliage Follow-Up.

We had a cold front blow in...literally. High winds and colder temps.

It has been mid 30s here the last two mornings.

I got some cuttings potted up.

And, we moved the tender plants to the porch.

I like the cooler weather. There is lots to do, outside and in.

Seems like this month is busy, busy.

But, looks like Fall is really here.

Fall is my favorite season.

Hope you're having a fun month, too.

'Til next time..

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

Seeing Green....

2011-10-14T11:31:00.000-05:00

We had rain last weekend....glorious, delicious RAIN.

Each day, we've gotten a little more GREEN.

More and more of these showing up. That's Horse Herb. It's a native ground cover.

And, grass.

Green, green everywhere.

Remember the last post? I showed you the back of the house. Brown, brown.

By yesterday, it was looking a bit greener.

And, this morning...greener still.

You can almost watch it grow. That water from Heaven can really make a difference.

We're not out of the woods, yet. But, all this green gives some hope.

I have tons of things to do outside. With the cooler temperatures, they just might get done.

Have a great weekend.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

Rain...Glorious Rain!!...

2011-10-10T10:52:00.000-05:00

We finally got some good rain. The most since June.

We got almost three inches here. Most of it was in the middle of the night. So, although I did get up to look at it, there were no photos of the glorious water falling from the sky.

It rained VERY hard, for about thirty minutes. Then eased off to a nice steady rain.

You can almost hear the trees sigh in relief.

It will take much more than one good rain, to bring things back from this. Some of it will not be coming back. More hardscape is in the plans for the future.

But, for now, we'll rejoice in what we got.

I hope you got what you needed, too.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood....

2011-10-07T15:01:00.001-05:00

This has been a good week. The temperatures have actually been 'Fall-like'.

This morning, we had a couple brief...very brief...rain showers. They settled the dust a little bit.

The air is clear. The sky is blue.

It's been nice to get out and work in the garden. It's hard to pull out plants that are blooming.

But, need to get the veggie bed ready for fall planting. Yes, I know...a little late...but, we'll see how it goes.

We took advantage of the cooler weather to cut out some shrubs that just didn't manage to make it through the hot, dry summer. They were OLD Eleagnus.

We replaced them with Oleanders. We know they're a bit tropical and not native.

But, the ones around the neighborhood made it through last winter. And, these are on the southwest side of the house....hot and sunny. I think they'll work and fill in this space.

And...the deer don't eat them.

And, they're pretty.

We still have a lot of hummers around. They're still dive bombing the woodpeckers for food.

It's that transition time, when chrysanthemums bloom beside coleus.

I moved the one Narrow Leaf Zinnia that came up in the veggie garden, to the fenced yard. I hope it makes it until frost. I've been saving seed for next year.

So, it's a beautiful day in our neighborhood. A little rain, a lot of sunshine

and finally some cooler temperatures.

And, we have rain in the forecast!

Have a good weekend.

Happy Gardening...

Oh, and this is

Texas/OU weekend.

So...

HOOK 'EM HORNS!!!

A Little Relief....

2011-09-30T09:46:00.000-05:00

We lucked out yesterday. We got a little more than a quarter inch of glorious rain.

The last storm that blew through only gave us noise, lightning and wind.

Dry lightning has been blamed for yet another large wildfire. We don't need that.

Today it feels a bit more like fall. A 'cold' front has blown in.

The weather forecasters say this could mean the end of the triple digit temperatures. Let's all hope they've got it right.

Three full months of this heat has been ENOUGH!

I hope some of you got rain, too....although it was a bit patchy.

Maybe things are looking up.

Have a great weekend.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

Finally...Fall....

2011-09-22T21:34:00.002-05:00

The first day of Fall.

We made it through the summer. Not that the temperatures show it.

But, hopefully they will soon. We're SO ready for summer to be done.

Now...as for the photo.....Fall is the biggest of our 'leaf seasons'.

The Cedar Elms drop their leaves in the fall. LOTS of leaves....LOTS of sweeping.

On the up-side....they make good compost and mulch.

Have a good weekend....and

Happy First Day of Fall.

Stay safe...pray for rain.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

Foliage Follow-Up, September, 2011...

2011-09-16T11:06:00.001-05:00

Ground Orchid

This has been the most challenging summer ever, in my memory.

Record heat....Record drought.

Not the easiest time to garden.

Sweet Potato

So, we depend on foliage to pull us through.

I replaced quite a few freeze-dried plants this spring, hoping to protect the new ones better.

This Daniella will need some freeze protection...assuming we cool off sometime.

It's supposed to have little sun.
It's gotten more than expected, because the trees canopy has been more sparse this year, with the drought.

I don't know what the vine is. But, it's pretty, so it stayed.

Lamb's ear is supposed to be able to take the heat and dryness. But, this is the last piece I have left.

This Chrysanthemum Pacifica holds up to everything.
It's leggy, but stays green, heat or cold. The bloom is not much to get excited about. But, the foliage is nice.

We still have one coleus hanging in there. They take too much water to be a return plant, next year.

Cuban Oregano is one I really like. It holds up to the fierce sun really well. Last year's froze. I need to take some cuttings soon. They root easily.

Although they haven't bloomed in a while, the bronze and green stripe-leaf cannas still are good for their foliage. That pretty stripe has bleached out some. Hopefully, it will show back up.

They'll die down in the winter. And, who knows which spot they'll show up next spring. My experience with cannas is that they like to come up around the last spot, no AT the last spot.

Over in the Rock Bed, the Mexican Feather grass is still looking good. The Prickly Pear is holding it's own. The ones in the Deer Grove have withered a bit. They'll perk back up, if we ever get rain again.

The Rosemary is growing nicely. The agaves that I rescued from neighbor Elli's clean-out haven't done anything. But, they don't look dead.

This bed gets a good soaking about once a month. And, it's in the hottest, sunniest part of the yard.

In front, the asparagus fern is putting on new growth. It lived in the garage, on and off last winter.

This container with Soft Leaf Yucca in the Island Bed, is a tough plant.

This whole bed is going to be redone. The ground cover hasn't perked up, even with occasional soakings......mostly for the tree roots.

The Nandina has put on some berries.

It's hard to tell from this photo, but the deer have chomped the Nandina leaves as high up as they can reach. They've never touched it before. But, this is an extreme year.

Back around to the Porch, this Oyster plant, a ground cover, is doing well in a pot.

I don't know how we could garden, without all the beautiful foliage out there.

If you want to see more foliage, go visit Pam at Digging.
She's hosting Foliage Follow-Up.

Stay safe...pray for rain.

Happy Gardening
~~Linda~~

Bloomday for September, 2011...

2011-09-15T20:15:00.000-05:00

Here we are again. The middle of the month. This time, September. This year is moving fast.

It's still summer type temperatures here in Texas. And, the drought is still going strong.

But, we don't give up. So, we join Carol at May Dreams Garden for Bloomday.

Ladybug plant stake...glows in the dark.

It's been depressing around here, with all the dead grass and stressed out trees. So, when I went out to take photos, I was a bit surprised how many I got.

The pot, above, with the Ladybug stakes, has been a regular bloomer.

Bougainvillea still going strong.

This morning glory shows up every year. It hitchhiked down from our old garden, with some other plant.

The cannas have been slow about blooming. This one finally put on some blooms this week.

You can depend on this cleome "Senorita Margarita".

And, Mexican Petunia...ruellia

And, a taller, pink version of Ruellia

This Coral Nymph salvia coccinea came back from the dead, after last winter's freezes.

Ah....winter....

The Hyacinth Bean is blooming.

The Thryallis hasn't grown very tall, but it's blooming nicely.

The Knockout rose is putting on some new blooms.

The Purple Heart has a small bloom, but it adds to the appeal of this old fashioned favorite.

Over in the veggie garden, there are more volunteer flowers than veggies.

This cosmos reseeded this summer....blooming away, and reseeded some more.

The same with this orange Zinnia.

And, there was no celosia ever planted in here.

Must have come in with some compost. Looks good, though.

I'm grabbing seeds whenever I can from this Narrow leaf zinnia.

I hope I can have them in several places next year. They're very good performers.

After a very slow start, the Coral Vine is finally putting on some blooms.

The most dependable 'bloomer' is the bottle tree.

Let's hope this drought breaks soon, or this might be my only bloomer.

So, what's blooming in your garden?

Stay safe...pray for rain.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

2011-09-14T10:24:00.000-05:00

She shows up all the time.

She's a Golden-fronted Woodpecker.

This one is the female. The male has a little red cap on his head.

The whole family shows up. Momma, Daddy, and Baby. They all have a sweet tooth.

They're big, and they're noisy. And, a bit clumsy. You don't want to have a feeder close to a window....

They come to all the feeders.

And, the hummers don't like it.

The hummers dive bomb the woodpeckers. But, it doesn't faze them.

They just keep on sippin'.

We seldom see any other types of Woodpeckers. Occasionally, we see a Hairy Woodpecker.

But, they're fast, and I'm not. So, no pictures of those.

The heat goes on here. Keeping water and food out for the 'livestock' is just one of the daily chores.

Fall will come, right? Let's hope soon.

Pray for rain...

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

Where Were You?...

2011-09-11T09:04:00.000-05:00

September 11, 2001

That's the question we ask each other. Mostly, we ask that when some tragic event happens.

Pearl Harbor

The assassination of President Kennedy

The start of any war

I wasn't watching the news that morning. Mr. P had gone to work. I was getting the day started, and had a quilting program on the television.

Our daughter called. She was watching Good Morning America. "Are you watching tv?", she asked.

Well, yes....what's going on?

I switched channels.....in time for us to chatter on about what that first plane hitting the

World Trade Center in New York City was all about.

Then, shock.....another airliner hit the second tower.

Oh my God! What is going on?

Then, the scenes on the television switch to the Pentagon. Smoke rising, people running.

Another plane had flown into the nation's military headquarters.

Oh my God! What is going on?

Then later, we learn of the crash of Flight 93.

We wouldn't know until much later that the brave passengers had manage to bring it down,

saving many more lives.

By then, we knew what was going on.

The day unfolded with more and more horrific scenes.

In today's world, we can watch horrible things happening....live, in real time.

People trapped in burning buildings.

Firefighters and police running TO those buildings.

People running away in terror.

Then, the buildings fell.....

It seemed that all of America gasped.....and then, fell silent.

That was ten years ago, today.

For the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives that day, their lives were changed forever.

For the rest of us, our lives changed, too....though in different ways.

Two wars

New security rules...everywhere.

The wonder if evil people in this world could ever do this again.

We all go on with our lives. That's what people do...adjust or die.

There's always that hope for the most precious of dreams...

Peace on Earth

So, today we'll stop and think about that day....about all those people who lost their lives.

About the brave people helping one another to survive.

About the men and women who have lost their lives, or been injured, in the wars to avenge this.

And, we'll remember when someone asks...

Where were you?

May God bless each of us.

And, may God Bless America.

~~Linda~~

Scorched Earth.....

2011-09-07T12:27:00.000-05:00

dry wild grasses from 2010

By now, you've probably heard that Texas is burning.

We knew it was a probability. Here in Central Texas, the woodlands and pastures have been without significant rainfall for almost a year. Combine that with record high temperatures, for records days, and you have a tinderbox, ready to go up in flames. Then, bring in a cold front, with 35 mph winds... it's a set up for a 'perfect storm'.

Over the weekend, that's exactly what happened. These weren't the first fires in Texas this year. They've been in all four corners and areas in between. It's just that so many blew up all at once, right here in Central Texas.

The worse is in Bastrop county. In just this fire, almost 38,000 acres are burned, almost 800 homes destroyed, and at least two people killed. The beautiful stands of pines make fast burning fuel.

And, it's still burning.

Several other fires surrounded the Austin area. People evacuated their homes and neighborhoods, not knowing when they'd go back, or what they'd find. Many lost all they had but what they could gather and escape with. Some were away at holiday events, not getting a chance to save even that much.

Our son and his family live close to one of the large fires in far west Travis county. They got word to evacuate Monday. We helped them gather up photos and mementos, clothes and computers, and carry them away. They later got word they could return.

They lost a home to fire a few years ago. We know how painful that is.

The firefighters have bravely fought these fires for days. The winds have settled down, and the temperatures are lower. That helps some. But, these brave firefighters have to be stretched to their limits. Many of them are volunteer firefighters.

A pall of smoke hangs over the area. Winds would blow it away, but winds that spread the fires even faster, are not what the firefighters need.

Another cold front is forecast for the week's end. That will mean more heavy winds. Winds that could push away any chance of rain from storms forming in the Gulf. Rain we desperately need....and,

winds we desperately don't.

Keep a thought for the people who have lost their homes, and some, even their loved ones.

Be thoughtful of any flame or spark in this tinder dry region.

Please be careful.....stay safe.

~~Linda~~

Patchwork Garden

The Greatest Painter...

Some People Feel the Rain....

Monday, Monday....

Decorating with Wine...

Eating Mistletoe....

Foliage Follow-Up..January, 2011

Taking a Walk....

Clear and Cold...

Getting Back to Normal...

Road Trip...Painted Churches...

Take Down....

What's the Word?....

Looking Back on 2011...

Happy New Year....

Christmas Quilts...

Trail of Lights...

Cold, But Sunny....

Merry Christmas...

It's Looking a Lot Like Christmas...

A Little This and That....

Voted Off the Island....

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 30...

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 29...

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 28...

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 27...

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 26...

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 25...

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 24....

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 23...

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 22...

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 21...

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 20...

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 19....

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 18...

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 17...

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 16....Foliage Follow-Up Nov...

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 15...GBBD NOV...

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Days 14...

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Days 13...

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 12...

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 11....

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 10....

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 9....

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 8....

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Days 6 & 7....

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 5....

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 4....

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 3...

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Days 1 & 2...

Welcome to Wimberley....

Hamilton Pool Preserve...

Support Your Independent Nursery Month: King Feed Garden and Hardware

Hawks....

Another Week Flew By....

Seeing Green....

Rain...Glorious Rain!!...

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood....

A Little Relief....

Finally...Fall....

Foliage Follow-Up, September, 2011...

Bloomday for September, 2011...

Where Were You?...

Scorched Earth.....

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 30...

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 29...

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 28...

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 27...

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 26...

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 25...

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 24....

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 23...

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 22...

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 21...

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 20...

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 19....

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 18...

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 17...

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 16....Foliage Follow-Up Nov...

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 15...GBBD NOV...

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDays 14...

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDays 13...

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 12...

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 11....

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 10....

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 9....

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 8....

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDays 6 & 7....

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 5....

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 4....

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDay 3...

30 Day ChallengeThanksgivingDays 1 & 2...