Tuesday, September 29, 2015

a bit of history and some yard work


Panel installed, circles with stars delivered. When I delivered the circles I got to see for the first time the railing that they are accents for in the little theater in the Texas history museum at the San Jacinto Monument, the battleground where the Mexican General Santa Anna was captured by General Sam Houston of the Texian army and as a result of which Mexico eventually forfeited about half it's territory, an area that encompassed all of Texas and parts of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and on up into Wyoming.



We have finished all the work we had in the shop so I should be starting on some new models but I keep casting my eye outdoors. So much work to be done out there.

Last Friday afternoon I got out there and hacked back the wild space that continually encroaches on the yard. I cut down about half a dozen small rain trees (3” in diameter or less) that were leaning into the big cedar providing a bridge for the wild grape vine that was all up in it. Got all that pulled out and lugged over to my not-in-residence neighbor's burn pile since, technically, all that stuff was on his property. The cedar is on the property line so I claim possession.

This is the cleaned up shot taken from my neighbor's side. As usual it didn't occur to me to take a 'before' pic. The shed is ours, about 5' from either property line.

my side

Sunday was overcast all day so I took advantage and expanded the flower bed around the water lily pond...


the one that has the natural filter that this:


is growing in, which is called white snowflake I recently found out, and it smells so sweet. I had no idea it was so fragrant...so I could get the cutting from the heritage rose at the old city house in the ground since it wasn't doing all that well in the pot I stuck it in a year ago. The rose bush at the old house was from a cutting my across-the-street-neighbor gave me many years ago and I'm not sure where she got it. You can barely see it for the mistflower that hitchhiked along and is now blooming.



The mistflower (a native wild ageratum) is invasive and spreads through root runners and seed and it will quickly fill in any available space. I do love it anyway (though I have learned to be ruthless when it starts getting too greedy) and am glad it is getting established here. I'll put a clump over at the shop when it gets big enough and it can run wild to it's heart's content over there.

Well, I've managed to waste another perfectly good day and got nothing accomplished either outside or in. Guess I'll go take the dog for a walk.






9 comments:

  1. I finally figured out that Wordpress has changed its reader, so we can follow anyone's blogs there. I've added yours, so maybe that will help me keep up a little better. We'll see if it actually works.

    Aren't you proud to have those stars installed in such a neat location? I would be. They're beautiful. The anniversary of the battle that started the whole thing is this coming weekend -- October 2, the Battle of Gonzales.

    I've heard of mistflower, and seen some photos, but I've never seen the real thing. Does it grow wild in the country around you? I was in your "neighborhood" last weekend, and there were wildflowers galore. I was coming home from the hill country, and I dropped down from I-l0 and took 71 to El Campo and then Hwy 35. Between 1-10 and El Campo, there were so many sunflowers, day flowers, morning glories, and etc., I could hardly believe it. It was glorious -- as good as spring flowers.

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  2. "Noice" as we say in "Orstalya" All of it.

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  3. Love the stars on the rail.lots of hard work around there

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  4. Waste...is that the word you really want to use? I see not one second of wasteful time in this post. Love those stars!! You must be so proud.

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  5. It's cool to see the stars in place. Now I understand what they're for!

    All that yardwork -- good for you! The flowers are still looking great, and I still love that sculpture in your yard.

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  6. The stars are quite nice, nestled in the rail.
    It's too wet and cold here for any yard work, and especially not the rip and burn variety on your plate. Good for you. And, I hope Big Mamma keeps well.

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  7. Those glass stars are perfect!
    So- mistflower, eh?
    I have it growing here and never knew its name. It grows wild too. It is a pretty shade of lavender blue, isn't it?

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  8. Love the stars - so cool that you did them! And I love that mistflower - so pretty...

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I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.