View From The Pines

For those of you wondering if I’ve fallen off the face of the earth, no I haven’t. But some of you may recall my fall backwards over some piles of deck lumber nearly five weeks ago. Well, the injury to my left foot has continued to keep me out of the garden. So I haven’t [...]

I have a tree of some sort in this container that my neighbor gave to me. I don’t think it is a tree that normally grows in a yard. But one in a pot. In the house or not, I don’t know. Does anyone recognize this tree? Posted in Gardening & Nature [...]

Sago Palm fronds in the early morning sunlight above. Robert has brought in some lattice to build something to hide all these meters on my neighbor’s wall and on mine across the way. Being on the corner, I have both stuck to my wall. He’s thinking of covering the brick except for the part of [...]

Here is what Robert is working on now. Isn’t this adornment around the tree pretty? It will give the trees room to grow and a place for me to plant. Yes, Charlie Ross is sneaking a peak. I’m as surprised as anyone. I just let him build and see what’s going to happen next. [...]

Well, here’s the basic shape of the deck. Not quite finished. Not stained. But your get the idea. There’s Abi with sand from the electrical saw on her whiskers. And Clyde in the background. Poor Clyde has been being taunted of late by a group of mockingbirds. They better not hurt my handsome boy! One problem. [...]

What is truly lovelier? Pink petals… Or a man working? You guys know Robert. He’s hard at work with his whirring saws, creating the deck. Drinking coffee and then Mountain Dew. In the Texas sun that pounds you into ground beef fast. Causing chips in anyone’s supposed armor… Funny, how the hair-like parts of a flower… [...]

The various crepe myrtle trees are blooming in my yard. So pretty against the bright blue sky. I am so intrigued by spider webs. I have no idea what this is blooming below. But found it interesting. Another sedum is blooming. I think the pets are enjoying the yet to be finished deck more than I am! Posted in Gardening [...]

Good old faithful, Purslane. Rusted sculptured wind chimes hanging in a tree… I think the heat is here to stay. The plants are dry and thirsty by noon, despite the sprinklers having gone off before sun up. View from my front gate, the neighbor’s hydrangeas. I have to get me at least one of these lovely plants. The [...]

Robert’s feet. Still muddling through the deck transformation. He finished with the drainage pipe upheaval and put new ones in. Here’s what he calls “yellow wood” which is supposed to stay nice longer. I’ve got to look that up to see what he’s referring to. This is the east side of my dining room French doors. Coming [...] […]

I probably would have a deck to this neighbor’s wall right now. But we hit a snag. See her drainage pipe coming down her wall? Well, Robert dug down and found that the whole thing was crushed and broken. So that waylaid our plans. Don’t plans always have a way of getting messed up? Now [...]