Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Spring Travels and Travails

Can you find the owl in this picture? I found this little guy setting up house in a tree in the backyard.


We were getting ready to leave for our annual trip to Arkansas to see Hubby's family.
It's always hard to leave when the garden is busy, but more so in the Spring when it is just waking. I was afraid I would miss so many things that were ripe with buds ready to burst forth.

The Indian Paintbrush was just starting to unfurl.


As was this shy little cosmos.



But, oh my! Everything was awash in blossom and color when we reached our destination.



Can anyone tell me--is this cross vine?



I would kill for this Clematis--and my Sister-in-Law didn't know she had it!


Can you see the sweet little freckles on this azalea?




Their backyard was a paradise for all the birds, rabbits, and raccoons that I saw.




...and squirrels...



Nephew was very proficient in the science of the center of mass.

We had such a lovely restful time visiting family, but it was good to get home and see what had been going on in the garden ...and at home.



While things were popping outside, things were not so happy inside. Before we left for Arkansas, we started having Internet connection problems. We had a technician come out to fix it, so Hubby thought he would hit the ground running as soon as we were home since he had so many unproductive days before we left due to the problems getting online.


Not so! Even though the company had left a message that the problem had been fixed, we still couldn't get online.

Technician #2 to the rescue...he found the problem was a split in the connection outside." We'll get right to it"...Days later, Hubby calls to find out why we still can't get online. Company said they had no history of any work being done--or for that matter, a problem being reported!
ARRRRRGGGGGG!!!



Bring in Technician #3. "Yup, ya got a split in yer connection. We're gonna have to tear up the street in front of yer house, but first we gotta get 10 thousand work permits from the city before we can even begin to tear up the street."

Okay, okay, I'm exaggerating... it's probably only one thousand work permits. But, that is where we stand right now. Waiting for the work permits, still have spotty Internet connection, and one very frustrated Hubby.

I think I'll go out in the garden and get my hands dirty.




Is it too late to give the roses a little compost before I put down some mulch?

The Iris have put on a spectacular show this year--but they are just about done. Do I need to dead head them, or leave them like I do the Daffs?

There are so many things that need to be done in the garden now, I think it's a good thing I can't get online often.













































































































































Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The Crossing on Chisholm Trail

Last Friday, the weather was too beautiful to stay home, so Loudon and I went to Sprouts to get a snack for a picnic in the park, and then to the Chisholm Trail Park.



Eeeee-haw! Ride 'em, cowboy!

Git along little dogie.


Oooooo, DIRT!



Even better--a stick to whack everything!




Snack time!




On to the waterfall, downstream from the low-water crossing.





This old turtle knew how to enjoy a warm Spring morning.




Woah! They sure were big back in the old days!




Spring-time in Texas








Thursday, April 8, 2010

April Fool


I am a fool for April. The weather has been gorgeous. We have had a cool front come in. The weather is cool, the sky is clear blue, the birds are singing, and I find myself either sitting with my eyes closed and just feeling, or lying back on the newly emerging grass gazing up at that sky. I am just loving being out in the garden.


Baby Blue Eyes are still going strong.



The ruffled tulips bloomed just in time for Easter.




Hmmmmm, looks like Bocephus and I are enjoying the day much the same.



We left for Houston on Friday for the weekend. After dinner we walked through the park to our hotel, and caught an amazing fireworks display. I was standing in front of a refection pool. You can see the lights reflecting in the water.



This was an interactive sculpture in the park. You sit in the seat and whisper



...to the person sitting in the other one. The pictures were blurred because I was laughing so hard as I took these pictures.

The Glads given to me by Nola from Alamo North are in bloom.



We saw precious few Bluebonnets on our trip to Houston this year. I have to look to my own garden for any pictures this year. Click here: http://round-rock-morning-glories.blogspot.com/2009/04/bluebonnets.html to see last years Bluebonnet pictures. So sad that the drought has caused the bluebonnet fields to decline, but that's easily fixed with Bluebonnet seeds from the Wildseed Farm.



Senorita Rosarita Cleome
Isn't she a beauty? She (or one like her) was tested by Pam over at Digging last year. The Austin Bloggers Group are so good about passing on information. When I got the email that Home Depot had them in stock, I wasted no time getting one for myself. I chose one with lots of buds, but few blooms and it is already blooming away--happy to be out of that pot, I am sure!