Happy New Year!!! 2016...

Wishing you a very

Happy New Year!!

~~Linda~~

Merry Christmas....

Wishing everyone a 

Very Merry Christmas!

~~Linda~~

November 24, 1965....

November 24th. 1965 was a Wednesday.

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

That's the day we vowed to love and to cherish one another.

Next day, we flew off to Florida,

to have Thanksgiving dinner with Mr. P's brother and sister-in-law,

and then Friday, we left on our first cruise together.

A three day cruise to Nassau.

This year, we celebrated our 50 years on a 15 day cruise to Hawaii.

There will be more years and more cruises.

*****

Happy Anniversary to my best friend and my love.

Today we celebrate our first 50 years.

Now onto the next 50.

Life is Good...

~~Linda~~

What is it With Halloween?....

I love the way the creek looks, and sounds, when the water is flowing.

The problem is, sometimes that will only happen

if we have a TON

of rain.

Just like two years ago on Halloween,

we had a lot of water come through here.

We had taken a quick trip. So we weren't home.

Our neighbor showed us a video she took, and the 

amount of water was mind boggling.

We have these water barriers. You fill them with water,

and they settle down like sand bags.

Well, too much water can pick it up and toss it to the side.

And, twist it like balloon art.

And, allow that water to get into the garage.

It only came up half way on the front porch. 

Didn't get through the door.

It piled up debris against the fence and gate.

Which backed it up against the garage wall.

I've taken ten cart loads of this out of just this area.

It washed out mulch, dug up a couple of new plants, 

and knocked down the wall in the Grass Bed.

The power of water is just amazing.

But, the land is already responding.

We had rain the weekend before, too.

It doesn't take long to turn dry and crispy into green.

Not to mention this always seems to happen right after they 

overseed the golf course for winter.

So, more grass to pull up.

The trampled and almost washed away wild onions, are already sprouting.

They must have strong toes.

Each time this happens, it changes the bed of the creek.

Look closely...see the deer watching?

We'll clean up and keep going.  

After all...it's still a beautiful place.

Foggy mornings are pretty here.

It's mostly quiet and calm.

And, we like the view.

Even through the bathroom window.

We just need to watch out for scary Halloween weather.

Hope you're safe and happy, where you are.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

This is Fall?....

The calendar says Fall.

But here in Central Texas, 

the thermometer still says Summer.

We're still hot...upper 90s...

and SO dry.

Still no rain here....

for almost FOUR months!

 across the Grove to Elli's Meadow

All the rain we had in the spring caused the

grasses to really grow.

The Grove

Now, all that grass is just fuel for fire.

It's a bit scary.

The Texas Sage keeps on blooming.

As the story goes, when the sage is in bloom, rain is close behind.

Well...as a friend says...we should rename it

Liar's Bush!

But, a few other things are blooming, too.

A few of my favorites....

Lion's Tail.

Leonotis leonurus

Mexican Bush Sage

Salvia leucantha

Big Muhly

Muhlenberia lindheimeri

And, I've been doing some more clean-up.

Here's a before, during and after.

Yes...I finally got the Veggie Garden cleaned up.

I'll be fighting those grass seeds for the rest of my life.

But, for now, it's good.

I hope you're having a beautiful Fall.

We're hoping for cool, WET weather here, soon.

Maybe the Liar's Bush will come through, after all.

Now, I have to go sweep up leaves.

Yes....it's that season....again.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

We're Still Here....

I haven't been keeping up with this blog too well lately,

it seems

We've had some health issues around here this summer.

So, not much gardening has been going on.

In fact, we're way behind finishing even some Spring projects.

But, we've kept most things alive. 

After the wet spring, the rain faucet was completely turned off.

We've had a third of an inch of rain, since June.

But, things aren't too bad.

On this side of the yard, anyway.

Even a few things blooming.

The Hummers love the Firecracker Fern.

Pots of succulents are pretty easy.

There are signs of fall.

Seed heads turning on the Inland Seaoats.

Sedum blooming.

Even a new pumpkin showed up.

She's pretty, coming and going.

Then, there are the leaves. 

Yep...it's that time again.

And, with that tiny bit of rain we had, stains have set into our nice, clean

power washed driveway and deck.

It's always something.

But....life is good.

Hope all is good where you are.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

A Good Spot...

A pad fell off one of the Bunny's Ear cactus plants,

that sits on the deck rail.

Somehow it landed just right in a crack in the

cedar cross post, on the fence.

Must be a comfortable place.

It set up residence.

Stay cool.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

These Guys Broke the Mold...

We had a lot of rain this spring.

Days of rain and clouds, and very little sunshine, to dry things out.

Everything became green...

including the driveway, the deck....everything.

The driveway developed a thick slime.

And, after I slid and bruised my tailbone on Father's Day,

going out for the paper,

our daughter and son-in-law came to power wash.

We have a circular drive.

So...dear son-in-law...who has no 'off' button...spent over 

SIX HOURS

washing away the slime.

The slime was thick, and it was slow-going. 

But now, it almost looks like a new driveway.

If I fall now, it'll have to be blamed on something else.

They left the powerwasher for Mr P to use on the deck.  

It was pretty black and moldy.

Amazing how just water can wash that away.

I thought the porch wasn't quite that bad.

But, up against the clean, you can see it had to be done, too.

The older generation doesn't work as fast, but it's finally done.

We just have to seal the wood now, and it should be good for a while.

Sitting here this morning with my coffee, I'm loving the clean.

And, as an extra bonus....it smells so much better.

Life is good today....

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~