last gardenia of summer

A last gardenia to enjoy this year. One of the real joys of living in the deep South is having these beautiful fragrant flowers thru late spring and into summer. The fragrance wafting through the air brings to mind high school proms and summer vacations. We have many planted all over the garden in several varieties--the dwarf ones form a border across the front of the house and larger ones are specimen plants under the live oaks. When blooming they envelop the house in sweet clouds of scent that are captured under the umbrella of the oaks.

The last bloom was a surprise, and I picked it to extend the sweet memories of spring and summer.

a walk in a Louisiana marsh

Recent cold fronts have made walking in the marsh and swamp more comfortable again. Record heat and a large crop of mosquitos and gnats chased us from there this summer. Teeming with wildlife and composed of vast marshy wetlands , it can be a real adventure made safe by the wooden walkways and cleared paths.

The cooler weather had also made the alligators and snakes dormant. When we last visited in the spring the place was crawling with them. This time we were content with common moorhens and American coots.

Birthday in the New Orleans French Quarter

We had a delicious jazz brunch at the Court of the Two Sisters. Then browsed the quarter listening to street musicians that seem to be on every corner. I always visit the St. Louis Cathedral and usually light a candle for my family though I am not Catholic or very religious. Before we left we made a stop at Central Grocery, an Italian deli that has been there for decades, and bought muffelettas to take home.

Happy Birthday to me!

early morning, a photo by andromeda2006 on Flickr.

It's a big one!

The above is a picture of one of our magnificent oaks with the sun rising behind it on a foggy morning.

looking out the front window

looking out the front window, a photo by andromeda2006 on Flickr.

I am trying a new way to upload photos to blogger. Everything I have done lately has been futile. Since I live in a rural area and have limited access to the internet uploading photos is problematic. The satellite service cuts us off if we view any videos or try to upload any photos.

This fawn has been in our garden for weeks. We haven't seen a mother lately, and she may be an orphan. However, mother deer rarely stay with their babies through the day. It's been quite entertaining to watch it amble around the yard--ok as long as it doesn't nibble roses.

Monarch butterflies

Sunny October days become even more beautiful when the Monarch butterflies migrate through the countryside. The fields of golden rod, purple asters, and yellow sunflowers are alive with the movement of the orange butterflies as they drop down to nectar. Driving along the highways becomes hazardous as I hate to crush the fragile creatures and dodging them is out of the question.

Wildseed Farms

On a visit recently to central Texas we visited one of my favorite places, Wildseed Farms. It specializes in wildseed mixtures that are specific to different regions of the United States and various flowers that look good in large plantings. The growing season is winding down now, but this field of zinnias was breathtaking on the bright autumn day. Migrating Monarch butterflies were floating through nectaring on the rainbow sea of flowers. It was heavenly.

A Visit to the Five and Dime

In a small central Texas town we stumbled upon this piece of the past---a five and dime. The wooden floors creaked as we walked through. All the products were separated by glass partitions, and there were lots of small inexpensive toy selections--the kind of stuff that made it so much fun for me when I was a child because I was always able to find something that I could afford.

aloe---resurrected!

Today I repotted a few plants. One was an aloe that has sat bare root and neglected in a bucket in the green house corner for a few years now. When I last repotted the big aloe these were the broken and trimmed pieces that fell off. Since I couldn't make myself throw them away they sat in a bucket without water or soil in extreme temperatures for several years.
Glancing down and seeing that they were still struggling to survive and figuring that I could use another medicinal aloe --I quickly potted them and gave them a shot of water--they perked up almost immmediately!
No wonder it has the reputation for being a healing plant!

Prickly Poppy

A prickly poppy glows in the early morning sun. The petals are crinkled and ruffled like the fabric of a fine party dress.

It grows on sandy or gravelly soil. All parts of the plant contain alkaloids that are poisonous, and it is common throughout the west because even cattle will not eat it. It is sometimes called Thistle Poppy or Cowboy's Fried Egg.

cooling off

With temperatures soaring near 100 everyday the wildlife have used every opportunity to cool themselves. A pair of squirrels have discovered that splaying themselves flat on the concrete porch is an effective strategy.

winter with a touch of color

After one brutal cold front after another --and with more on the way--I decided I could make a few rounds on my walking path. The landscape is brown and bare, and a huge oak that fell over in one of the wind storms makes things look really bleak.

The striking red camellia gives me hope that things are about to get better. Daffodil buds are poised to bloom and violets are peeking from under brown dead leaves.

Gluck's

I found this old napkin while going through some keepsakes that belonged to my parents.

Glucks was a restaurant on Royal Street in New Orleans. It was one of my grandfather's "hangouts". He was retired and living with my Uncle Cecil's family, and I think he would meet some of his old sea going buddies there for lunch and drinks. There was a very large oyster bar.

During Mardi Gras season we would usually find him there along with my uncle's family, and we would watch parades together.

Recently I bought a small oyster fork that I found in an antique store that had the Gluck's name on it. However, I have not found much history of the restaurant on the internet.

A Trip to Big Bend

"the window" in the Chisos Mountains

a beautiful agave plant

the Rio Grande River

Texas Wildflowers

Recently we had the opportunity to drive through the heart of the Texas Hill Country while the wildflowers were at their stunning best!
Every roadside, every field seemed to be covered in great sweeping palettes of color---we stopped often to take photos or just to oooo and ahhh---every field seemed prettier than the last, and finally I decided just to take it all in because there is no way to convey the big sweeps of color and fragrance with a camera.

Dancing Bones (Hatiora salicornioides)

Blooming right now---a plant that I have had for many years. I almost lost it to freezes and neglect a few times, but managed to bring it back. It blooms in late winter/ early spring with small, yellow, fragrant flowers. The scent is quite strong and fills the greenhouse. What a treat it is to step in there on a cold day and smell the sweet blooms and behold the bright yellow flowers! It is often called Drunkard's Dream or Delight because of its way of growing in all directions.

spring

one of the first fruit trees to bloom on the place is the Guthrie plum---such an easy tree--blooms beautifully, makes fruit , requires no special care

bird peppers (Capsicum annuum -Chile pequin)

I learned about bird peppers about 10 years ago on a birding listserv. They were recommended for attracting birds, but are also used for seasoning by people who crave highly spiced foods.

Eventually I found a source for a plant and placed it in my veggie garden. My husband used to think that there was never a pepper too hot for him. He gathered a few bird peppers for salsa.
We discovered one little pepper was more than most could stand.

However, it makes a beautiful plant and the birds love them.