Sunny Day...

We had two straight days of sunshine.  It felt like spring, out there.  So, Mr. P. and I got out and worked on the new beds.

He dug, I got the grass out.  This is clay.  Not the kind I had up in the DFW area.  You can actually do something with this, even when it's a little wet.  I guess there are enough rocks, to cut the stickiness.

Notice our constant companions, laying around in the grove. 

She's probably hoping I'm planting a nice salad bar for her and her friends.  I'm hoping that's not what I'm doing.

I'm itching to get some plants in here.  But, we have more winter to go.  In fact, today has been cloudy and cooler.  Rain is on the way.

But, it won't be long before we'll be getting this planted....with, hopefully, deer resistant plants.

I've come to the knowledge there is no deer proof plant.  They'll try just about anything.

Spring is just around the corner.  I have lots of work to do, to get ready.

One down and LOTS to go.

While we were away.....

...it rained a little.  The rain gauge...we have one of those remote things....said 1.5 inches.  I don't think it read right.  It had to be more than that.  And, it had to be hard and fast.  It washed down the yard...over the side of the drain.

It washed the sand from under the stepping stones, outside the gate. 

Made a nice pile of dirt and sand, don't you think?

Grass clippings and leaves, piled up against the fence and gate.  The dammed up water then flowed between the fence post and gate, washing out the decomposed granite....

...right down to the liner.

It washed grass clippings...probably from the golf course, across the street....up against the fence in the bed.  It made a nice mulch for the freeze damaged Inland Sea Oats.

And, piles of leaves, grass and mulch, piled up against the back gate and fence.

So, I spent our first day home taking out rocks, shoveling sand and dirt and granite, back where it belongs.   Then, putting the rocks back....ugh.   All that time and energy could have been spent on digging the beds I want, inside and outside the fenced yard. 

Of course, it could've all been worse....

It came up on the garage door.  The bottom seal kept it out on this side.  Not so lucky on the other side...it was deeper there.  But, it didn't get that inch higher that would've brought it onto the front porch, and then, maybe, into the house.  So, we were lucky, after all.

Now, if we can figure out how to keep stuff from damming up the Rio, and making it back up into the driveway.  Or maybe, nothing would've stopped it that time.  It must have really poured.   Our neighbor said it rained 'pretty hard'.  I think so.......

VEGAS VIEWS

Well, we’re back from Vegas.  We had a great time….visited with friends, celebrated birthdays and had some fun.

The ‘Girls’ took a ride to The Strip, to see the new City Center complex.  It’s a huge place, with several buildings.  Way too modern for me, but there were some interesting water features.

This wall of water was my favorite.  I hope you can see the scale of it.  There is water running on a constant basis.


But, it slows, then surges again, to give this curtain falling effect.  Grasses and cyclamen are planted in front.

 
The best part of the ‘Strip Trip’, was the Chinese New Year display at the Bellagio.

A garden set up, with the symbols of good luck.

This giant Chinese gentleman, standing on golden coins.

  This is the year of the tiger.

I loved the red lanterns.  Red and yellow are colors of good luck.

These pandas were so cute.  They’re covered with black mondo grass, and something else I couldn’t identify.



What a cute baby, in the bamboo tree.

And, a large one rolling in this grass.

There were orchids everywhere.  I didn’t get good pictures of any but these yellow ones.  Not sure what kind they are.

Very pretty, against a ‘Chinese Red’ bridge.

I wished there were signs to tell you what things were.  These interesting pink and purple flowers, made a lovely display, beside a pond.  They’re not on the same plant.  Does anyone know what they are?

Just around the corner, is a gelato stand.  This chocolate fountain was at the door.  The picture doesn’t do it justice.  It went way up above what is pictured here.

We went down the street to Harrah’s.  No, this is NOT me and Mr. P.

We like to stay downtown.  Less distance between hotels. 

Most have been here for a long time.  The Golden Nugget has been recently remodeled.

Colorful light fixtures are all through the building.

I was quite taken by the pool slide.

It goes right through the fish tank, in a clear tube.  Up close and personal with sharks.  Not my kind of ride.  (Sorry for the blurry pics.)

Back out on Fremont Street, it’s a festival every night, for the Fremont Street Experience.

Every hour, on the hour, there is a musical light show, on the 90 ft. high canopy, that spans several blocks.

It’s a different show every hour.

There are kiosks, selling jewelry, souvenirs, etc.  We stopped to watch this young man do paintings with spray paint.  Spray it on, scrape it off….

He does good work.

We had a nice view from our room.

Bright lights shining, all night.

Good times, with good friends.  What more could you want?

Viva Las Vegas

So, we're off on a trip.  Wish us luck.

There will be birthdays celebrated, visits made.  And, I hope I can come home with lots of $$$ to spend in the garden.  I won't hold my breath, though...haha...

I'll let you know how it went.