An update from the garden…our sunflowers are beginning to bloom! We planted some from seed, but this one is a volunteer from one of the bird feeders.
Category: Flowers
Perdinaliss.
If you hang around Central Texans long enough, you will learn that we are fond of bestowing our own pronunciation on the names of some of our favorite local places; confounding out-of-towners, I’m sure.
One of those place names is “Pedernales” – the name of a river, a series of water falls, and a state park. Take note: locals refer to it as “per-din-al-iss.”
Whether or not you can say it right, you must go see all three. I took a day trip and visited Pedernales Falls State Park today. I enjoyed visiting their bird blind, walking down to the Falls, scoping out birds while hiking, doing a little geocaching, and taking in the beautiful scenery on a gorgeous day.
The falls from the scenic vantage point above:
Barrel o’fun.
We have a new rain barrel out back. Just in time for today’s rain. Installed yesterday, and today it’s full! Fyi, City of Austin offers modest rebates for rain water harvesting devices. Check it out if you are interested, or see if your city offers something similar.
Painted poppy.
Ok, it’s not really painted, but a photo that I morphed with an iPhone app called Brushstroke. The poppies came back this year out back. I love their deep red. Hoping for even more next year!
A new (to me) park.
I discovered a lovely park, right off Loop 360 and Spicewood Springs Road. The trail head for the Irving and Hazeline Smith Memorial Trail is on the northwest corner of the intersection. You can park right nearby. It’s an easy, flat, 1.5 mile loop through woods, grassland and near the creek. No dogs permitted, though.
Whitebonnet.
One of the bluebonnets that bloomed in our front yard this spring is all white. 🙂
Spring!
I visited Commons Ford Ranch Metropolitan Park today. There are some short trails that go down by Lake Austin, through a bit of woods, and around a beautiful, recently re-established prairie with native grasses and flowers. I saw about 10 different species of birds, including my first Eastern Bluebird. The bluebonnets are everywhere.
In the yard.
Today is the 7 year anniversary of starting this Sheila365 photoblog! I’ve enjoyed it. I hope you have too.
Big day at the ranch today. I saw so many different species of birds. Even so, I missed a few of the regulars, but, hey, I can’t stand in front of that window ALL DAY. 🙂
- House Finch male (M) & female (F)
- Orange Crowned Warbler
- Northern Cardinal M&F
- Downy Woodpecker M
- House Sparrow M&F
- Red Winged Blackbird M&F
- Bewick’s Wren
- White Winged Dove
- Blue Jay
- Chipping Sparrow
- Yellow Rumped Warbler
- Carolina Wren
- Red Bellied Woodpecker M&F
- Northern Mockingbird
- European Starling M
- American Robin
- Lesser Goldfinch M&F
- Carolina Chickadee
- Black Crested Titmouse
I got some ok bird photos, but I’ll share a few of the garden, instead.
About 8 or 9 years ago, a neighbor gave me a dozen or so purple iris cuttings when she was thinning out her beds. I’ve had them in the ground since then but rarely have they bloomed. A year or so ago I moved them to a few different beds that get much more direct sunlight. This year I’m thrilled to see them in bloom! I love these short-lived flowers.
We have bluebonnets coming up in the front and back yards. Nothing says central texas like these beautiful wildflowers.
Monte’s got baby salad greens planted. Fresh lettuce every night!
I simply love spring. Oh, wait, we have 2 weeks to go before spring. I can’t wait!
Nectar macro.
A macro view of the nectar oozing out of some lilies that I brought home the other day. If I was a bee I’d be pretty excited about it. 🙂
Sooo, in the process of googling what that part of the lily is, I found waaaay too much information. But I’ll summarize by saying that I believe the central prong-like thing sticking out is the pistil, and the end of it is its lady-part, called the stigma, and the nectar it is oozing is there to catch bits of pollen from the worker bees as they fly in and out. There you go – botany lesson of the day.
Flutterbys.
In Big Bend we hiked the Window Trail and descended into a cool, humid part of the trail where there were hundreds of butterflies in residence.
At home, this week, I was happy to see that some butterflies remain here in Central Texas.
Late bloomer.
I planted a 2-gallon sized Pride of Barbados shrub yesterday. It’s a bit late in the season, but I’m hoping that planting it now will give it a good month or so to acclimate to its new home before the cold weather hits. That should make for a good winter’s nap before spring. We’ll see. If this one doesn’t pan out, Monte’s starting a few from seed.
Late-season zinnies.
The last few from the garden. Monte will be planting a new batch.
Quittin’ time.
To celebrate the end of my last day of work, at 5pm last night I popped the cork on a bottle of Dom Pérignon Vintage 1993 that I received upon my promotion to the executive ranks. (woo hoo!) I kept putting off opening it until an appropriately auspicious occasion.
Well, here we are 15 years later – and this was to be the occasion. Conventional wisdom says that good champagne shouldn’t be saved or aged. I didn’t really know that at the time. Over the years we have joked that this bottle of champagne, which has taken up space in our refrigerator on its side all these years, was going to be flat and vinegary when we eventually opened it. So, i was fully expecting that. We even had a backup bottle of bubbly on ice, just in case. But, low and behold, there was a resounding pop when the cork came off, and no shortage of fizz and bubbles! And it tasted good, like… a very special bottle of champagne. 🙂 I take that to be a good omen on the closing of one chapter of my life, and the start of the next.
Cheers!
I would also like to thank Teri & Jim for this absolutely stunning orchid that they sent me today. You guys are the best! It’s gorgeous, thank you!
Zinnie #1.
First of 2016 from the garden!
Sheila365 