Happy New Year!

Wishing everyone a healthy, happy, and prosperous

2015.

See you next year.

~~Linda~~

Merry Christmas 2014!!....

May you have a blessed

Christmas,

&

a healthy & happy

New Year.

~~Linda~~

Light Up the Night...

Yesterday was our Annual Family Christmas Party.

The day we get together with my nieces, their families,

and their dad & step-mother.

It's a good time to catch up with those members we don't 

see very often.

And, meet any new members, we haven't had a chance to meet before.

This year, it was in Granbury, at my niece's home.

We traveled on Hwy. 281, and came right by Johnson City on our way home.

Their light display is a good one.

The courthouse is lit on all four sides.

There are lots of light displays.

Santa here, in a covered wagon.

 The shops and restaurants around the square, get in on the action.

There is music, and you can get a ride in a wagon pulled by a tractor,

or the regular house and carriage.

A couple blocks south of the square, the

Pedernales Electric Co-op Headquarters,

puts on quite a light show.

I don't usually like just blue lights, but this is amazing.

Now THOSE are lights.

If you're in the area, it's worth the stop.

I gotta go finish up the decorations....and, wrap some gifts.

I get slower every year.

Hope you're enjoying the season.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

This and That....

It's been busy around here.

 Getting ready for Christmas.

Every year, I say I'm going to start early.

Every year, I don't.

Hmmm....I'm sure some expert would have some answer

for why that happens.

The weather's been nice.  This was yesterday's morning sky.

The day before was colder and the moon looked crisp and cold, in the morning sky.

 I've been spending a lot of time inside....getting the decorations put up.

We put down some stepping stones, in the New Front Bed.

Maybe a little too straight.   But, they're there.

.

I finally got the pansies planted.

I'm good at buying bedding plants.

Not as good at getting them planted.

Of course, the ever-present deer are still here.

They look so nice, don't they.

Yeah...don't believe it.

So....

We still have shopping to do.

We still have some decorating to finish.

And, we have family and friend events to attend.

I think maybe Santa (above) has the right idea.

Let's all run away to the beach.

That's what's going on here.

Hope things are coming together for all of you.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

Happy Thanksgiving 2014....

The table is set.

Let the cooking begin.

We have SO much to be thankful for.

Hope your Thanksgiving is a happy one.

Happy Thanksgiving...

~~Linda~~

'Tis the Season....

Leaf Season.

There is a lot of beautiful fall color here, this year.

Maybe it's because of the early cold weather we've had.

This Oak is out by the Veggie Garden.

The sun through the leaves yesterday, made me grab my

camera and make this my 

365 Project Photo of the Day.

I think it's a Spanish Oak.

Then, there's this.

I love the trees, but.....

Keep in mind....I swept these up yesterday...twice.

Looks like it'll be twice today, too.

I have to do that, so the inside of the house doesn't look like this.

And, the driveway is just as bad.

half a pile

We're past the 'seed stage'.  So, I can put these in the flower beds, for mulch.

Some 'people' just like to lay around,

watching other people do all the work.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

November Foliage Follow-Up.....

Here we are in the MIDDLE of 

NOVEMBER!

Wow....time is flying by.

Time to join 

Pam at Digging,
for Foliage Follow-Up.

It's pretty much the same old, same old here.
Agaves, yucca, cactus....

We did get a couple new Mediterranean Palms,
and got them planted before the Arctic Blast.
(one in front bed, just right of right side tree)

And, I moved some Red Yucca from beside that Rosemary,
to fill in where the deer had made a mess of the
Color Guard Yucca.

I potted up two of them for the Fenced Yard, and caged the third one in the Back Bed.

They had chomped and pulled them up, over & over.
They did a job on them....grrrrr.

It looks better now.
And, since the deer have left that Red Yucca alone so far,
maybe we're safe.
For a while.....

At least they haven't eaten the metal Prickly Pear.

They did try to eat the 'silk' chrysanthemums on the front porch.

Yes folks, I've resorted to FAKE flowers on the porch.
And, the deer even tried them.

If you want to see more Foliage Follow-Up,
be sure to visit Pam.

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~

Thank You....

Custer National Cemetery, Montana

Happy Veterans Day

A Different Foliage Follow-Up....

Late...as usual.

But, thought I'd join 

Pam at Digging,
for Foliage Follow-up.

Since I have the same old, same old....
chomped yucca, agaves, etc...
and, I know you're tired of hearing my
whining about the deer, the drought, my disappointment
with my garden,
I'll take you way north.

Last month, we were in
Glacier National Park,
in Montana.

It's a beautiful place anytime.
But, we were lucky enough to be there in Autumn.

Enjoy....

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~

Back Home...

We've been on a trip.

A 5,042 mile trip.

Montana

I took LOTS of photos....sometimes through a not-so-clean windshield.

Wyoming

We drove through areas where snow gets pretty deep.

The above natural 'snow fences', are prettier than the giant wooden ones

along much of the highways up there.

While we were gone, there was some rain.

And, some wind.  

The top of one tree fell onto limbs of another and they came

crashing down.  How it missed the bottle tree, I don't know.

The tree guy came out and took care of it.

This is the tree that was hit by lightning a few years ago.

It needed some trimming back at the top.

We were going to have this done when we got back.

It's a 'trash tree'...a Chinaberry...but, it helps shade the porch.

We trust this tree guy.  He thinks it'll be ok.

The new fenced area really grew.

The Lantana really took off.  And, took over this bed.

Hmmm....maybe I need more room.

The Hyacinth Bean on the veggie fence really took off, too.

Maybe that's why nothing much else than weeds, are doing

well there.  Between the vines and the ever growing

Live Oaks on the other side, there is more and more shade.

There is a lot of clean-up to do.

We missed the 'sawdust' pollen fall of the Cedar Elms.

Well....there was that clean-up.

Now, we have the seed fall.

Leaves will be right behind.

We had a busy weekend.

Out of town guests, football and soccer games 

and, a concert in San Antonio.

St. Mary's Lake, Glacier NP

So, I'm just going to sit at my computer and edit photos.

The clean-up will still be there, when I get to it.

Those pesky garden fairies never show up.

I'll show you some more beautiful scenery soon.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

The Last Week....

The last week of August.

In my mind, the last week of Summer.

Yes, I know...even though the official last of summer is

Labor Day Weekend,

in Texas, the heat will continue.

These guys will still be hungry, and chomping my plants.

But, there's hope in the air.

Well...maybe not today.  It's forecast to be 102.

But, soon.

Actually, we've had MUCH worse summers lately.

But, age and other incurable conditions, have made me more and more

heat intolerant.  Just can't hack it as well I used to.

But, a gardener's gotta garden.

So, I hauled (with muscle from Mr P) some rocks from the creek.

I had an artemisia Powis Castle up and die.

So, decided to replace it with an agave Lophantha.

About the only thing you can plant this time of year is cactus, agaves,

and ROCKS.

I put extra ones around this to hold it down.

Things get pulled up here, if not anchored.

Speaking of pests.

Yep...Leaf Footed Bugs on the prickly pear.

Research says the best way to get rid of them is pick them off.

Sorry....not on a cactus.

This is the only cactus they're on.

I haven't seen any on any other one....big or little.

We still have some tomatoes getting ripe.

They set long ago.

No bugs on them, and the squirrels have left them alone this year.

Even though I haven't been too happy with the way the garden looks, 

all in all, it's been a good summer.

We sit on the porch every evening, once the heat lets up.

Fans help.

But, I'm ready for fall to show up.

Just hoping to keep things alive until then.

Stay cool....

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~