When Nature Does The Landscaping...

We recently drove out to California, to catch a ship to Hawaii.

We like road trips.

Just outside Tucson, AZ, is Saguaro National Park.

Nature does the landscape job there.

And, a good job it is.

Enjoy...

I love Ocotillo.

Wonder just how old these guys are.  It takes years, before they put on an arm.

PURPLE Cholla!

We should have stood beside this guy, for scale.  It's six feet tall....

So pretty...don't know what it is.

If you get the chance, it's worth seeing this 'garden'.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

The Battle of the Anoles....

Last night, Mr P was sitting on the porch.

Yep...that's usual.

But, a battle on that porch, was not a usual thing.

These two Anoles were really going at it.

Photos by Mr P.  A bit blurry, but he got the action.

At one point, one threw the other one off.  But, he came back for more.

 Mr. P finally had enough, and broke them up.  After all...they're supposed to kill bugs, 

not each other.

The Hummingbird said 'Thank you'.

***********

'Til later...

Take care...

~~Linda~~

April....Already?....

We moved out of March.

March was busy, here.

Beautiful days.

Which means....no rain.

Glad to have plants that can handle some dry.

We enjoyed a visit to the winery, to pick up our 'shipment'.

If you join Driftwood Estate Winery's Spur Club,

you promise to buy a package of wine, every quarter.

Tough job....but, someone has to do it.

Miss Maggie made it to the beauty parlor.

We found a new groomer, and we really like her.

A dog needs to look good, when she's chasing squirrels.

We had a visit from these guys, again.

Another deer down.

We took a break from cleaning up, pruning back, and hauling rocks, dirt, and mulch,

to meet up with some friends, in Mississippi.

And, came home to more work.

Leaves!

Lots and lots of leaves.

The Live Oaks dropped most of their leaves, while we were gone.

So, raking and hauling ensued.

With more to come.

The weatherman says we have a good chance for rain, this weekend.

I sure hope he's right, this time.

So, I'll be donning my Spring fashions,

and getting more work done in the garden.

A garden is never 'done'.

***********

'Til later...

Take Care...

~~Linda~~

Nature is Not Always Pretty....

Things happen in Nature that make us happy.  

Then, there are things that happen in Nature that make us sad.

Yesterday, I noticed a large number of Black Vultures, in the thicket on the other side of Elli's meadow.  

I knew there must be a deer there.

These birds are very efficient in their job.  

It's not pretty, but their job is to clean up when an animal dies.

From the time I saw them around noon, until about 6:00 PM...

they had pretty much finished the job.

We think it might have been I-lean.  I-lean was the doe with the bad leg.  

She'd become one of our favorites.  

I-lean made it through the hard summer.  There were a lot who didn't.

But, although she'd put back on some weight,  she was having a harder time getting around. 

A harder time getting to food....a harder time getting up from the ground. 

That bad leg was taking it's toll.  

We're not sure it was her.  There's another doe around, with a bent leg.  

Not as bad as I-lean's, though.

I know you hear me complain about the deer....a lot.  

But, they're part of what made this place special to us.

It's sad....but, that's the way of Nature.

And, you have to take the unpretty things, with the pretty ones.

~~Linda~~

The Greatest Painter...

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~~

Hamilton Pool Preserve...

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~~