A Beautiful Surprise!

Some flowers just seem to bring the joy of life to me. One of them is the hibiscus. It brings to mind a beautiful love story told to me by a dear friend. Before her husband died, he bought her one of these plants. She loved it and cared for it, and it grew, but it didn't blossom. After his death, and especially when she needed to feel his love for her, she would suddenly find one of its glorious blooms outside her door. Just think of how one must feel to miss someone so desparately and then get a floral message that says, "I Love You!" For me, the blossoms mean fun in Houston at my daughter's house. She would always have them around her pool. We spent many hours swimming in the summer sun and enjoying their beauty. So now, I have them by my front door. As I walked outside today, my breath was stolen by how lovely they look.

The Strawberries Are Here!

What a surprise! I drove up to the gate and found the tiered strawberry patch we ordered so long ago waiting for us. Could this be the announcement that someone thinks spring is finally here for good? My daughter and I took the time to put in the circular planter this morning. It has its own waterer and a top that keeps rabbit, birds, etc. out of our prized Ozark Strawberries. We were surprised at how little time it took to put it all together. Or, it could have been that we were beyond ourselves with excitement over the project. We kept dreaming of yummy strawberry pie, preserves, jams, jellies---yum, yum, yum. We were rushing to get it all in before the rain hit. We wanted to give mother nature a chance to help out a little. And, we made it. It has been about four days and green stuff (not weeds) is popping up all over the place. Wow!

Grass Fires

This was a very scary week. We were already in a drought condition when a dry front went through. Grass fires broke out all over the area. Since I live in an area surrounded by grass, it is one of my big fears. It started while I was at work which is located close to a main east to west artery in our little community. Fire truck after fire truck went by. When I got home, everyone was angry that I had left my cell phone off (due to telemarketers). In the mean time the sky had become a hazy brown like the dust storm days in Lubbock when I was a child. The grass fires were raging all around me. Before it was over, two small towns had burned to the ground and many thousands of acres had been scorched. Two people had died from the flames and many had been affected by the smoke. My daughter stayed home on Friday to do some mowing of tall grass as a precautionary measure. Today is Sunday and we have the welcome relief of a long slow rain. We really needed it.

Botanical Garden Plant Sale

It was a very cold day. All of the people who were to ride with me decided to stay home, I added another layer of clothing and went anyway. My daughter Cassie decided to go with me. Since it was our first time to go to this event, we thought it was a great adventure. However, we will know more of what to do next time. I will take my gardening wagon for sure because carrying things around was not very convenient. We bought several neat plants: St. John's Wart, Pin Cushion, a tiny rose. I couldn't wait to get them home and in the ground. The picture is the pin cushion.