Meandering

As I recall when we first bought our house the grasses were so high that when you walked on a path in back it was like walking through a maze. The past year(s) of drought have hindered new growth. Not this spring.  The grasses are in full tilt and I am cutting paths to get here and there. The newest path goes by the shed and past the compost piles. Yes, we now have a second compost pile. It connects with the path on the east side of the property. I've made the path wide enough so something won't jump out and attack your ankles ... for those of you who harbor such unlikely thoughts.

New path through prairie verbena

Well we did not win the lottery yesterday but YM and I decided if we did we were keeping this house...and buying several others.  Nice to have a fall back if you know what I mean..

View southwest in front of house

Wishful thinking

     Or not ... I tried the Photoshop thing and wasn't happy with the results, so I went outside and started loading stuff into the new compost heap (we filled the other one). YD was busy pulling weeds in the driveway when I finished up the compost gig, which led me to speculate on whether some of the weeds-cum-grass could be transplanted to bare patches in the lawn. Well, why not? That kept me well occupied until lunch ... grilled Nathan's hotdogs on flour tortillas. Simple and good.

     We also took a quick field trip to see the new signage in front of the neighborhood and bought a MegaMillions lottery ticket. The rest of the afternoon was spent daydreaming about how to spend half a billion bucks, along with a little strumming and a little sunning ... both of which caused no little consternation to the Carolina wren family who are once again nesting on the old stereo speaker on the back porch. An altogether wonderful day, if I dare say so. 

     Of course, it's not over yet ... we just shared a Fat Tire and some HEB black pepper kettle chips. Dinner will be leftover kalamata/red onion/roasted red pepper pizza and a salad with home grown arugula from the back porch, a spritz of truffle oil and some eggs fried easy with shitakes. The sky is crystalline blue and the leaves are gleaming on the trees ... who needs Photoshop when all we have to do is look out the window?

Or not

     It's hard sometimes, but we seem to be keeping up with the blog. Since I'm off today, the plan is to do some work at the front entrance to the neighborhood (which just got power washed, but still needs lots of pruning and weeding).  Then some guitar practice (I just got a capo so I can start learning Close your Eyes).  And I took a Photoshop class this week, so I'm hoping to play with that out, too.  In fact, here's the picture I'm planning to tweak:

RWH

Wimberley resident RWH can be
spotted at Brookshire Brothers
every so often.

"The Grifter's Hymnal is truly inspired. It's a swaggering, sexy, shake-your-ass, greasy, deep roots record. It pursues the same mercurial muse that bit everyone from Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf to the White Stripes and the Black Keys, down alleys, through bars, in cars, across history, myth and space. Hubbard and company have captured it alive and kicking here. Play it loud!"...from the i-Tunes album review

i-Tunes is not often so effusive in its write-up of newly released albums but that is what they had to say about Ray Wylie Hubbard's new album The Grifter's Hymnal  that was released today.  I have to agree with what they wrote. Ray Wylie Hubbard is a resident of Wimberley and I've become a great fan of his music.

A grifter is someone who swindles you through deception or fraud. I was not swindled on the purchase of this album.  Ray Wylie has a CD release show at Gruene Hall on April 6th.  We'll be there.

ATX

A trip to Austin today took me 2.5 hours to get to my destination in North Austin where I hoped to get the Volvo serviced.  The trip started out in a dense fog (not me, the weather conditions). Then I hit major traffic in Austin.  It was stop and go from the time I hit the city limits.  Finally got to the Swedish Auto Service around 9:30 to get an estimate for a new compressor for my air conditioner, new brakes and a faulty ABS...and of course an oil change.  Estimate $3,000.00.  Declined service, although I think they were fair, and now have to decide if a truck is in my future.  Always wanted a truck...

After this I had to kill time because I was meeting up with Marge and Ian who were visiting St. Edwards. Got a haircut, shopped and ate lunch at Central Market and toured the Zilker Botanical Gardens. The gardens are in full bloom for many plants and I'm getting to the point I can identify quite a few Texas natives. http://www.zilkergarden.org/

Dinner outside in a nice warm breeze at Perla's with Marge made it a great ending to an imperfect day. http://perlasaustin.com/

Mexed out

     Is it possible to have too much Mexican food in one day? We tried to find out ... having migas for breakfast (jalapeno, tomato, red onion, Monterrey Jack, Manchego, avocado, and crumbled tortilla chips in gently scrambled eggs). Then rotisserie chicken and Monterrey Jack on cheddar jalapeno bread, griddled then dosed with tomatillo salso  (with avocado, cilantro, and jalapeno) for lunch. And finally, tortilla soup, with onion, red bell pepper, more jalapeno, fresh corn, tomatoes, Monterrey Jack and Cotija, fresh corn tortilla strips, cilantro, and avocado ... with Negra Modelo and lime, of course. As a bonus, we ate dinner outside and watched the deer watching us.

     Now it's time for some Verona decaf, Haagen Dasz vanilla, and ganache. Life is good. 

     Paul, hope you had an equally good day ... at least once Meg got home. Happy Birthday, dad-to-be. Next year will be different from any other. Can't wait!

Sink Creek

     After I got tired of weeding, I took the camera out for a walk to the Sink Creek gully ... where I was amazed to find a significant amount of water. Who knew? I got a few shots, but neglected to change the camera from close-up to landscape. Fortunately, when I got back to the house I convinced YD to come out with me. He captured the reflection of the trees and the rocks perfectly.  

  

Snake in the grass

     We had pretty much decided today was the last day of brush cutting ... the grass is getting higher, bugs are buzzing, and critters are on the move. Besides, YD is really into planting right now, so I expected to do the last batch of bush whacking on my own.

     But no, YD decided to accompany me into the gnarliness by the driveway. Things were going pretty much to plan until I heard YD yelp as he fairly dove out of the brush. 

     "What?"

     "Snake!"

I do not remember my feet touching the ground until I landed on the driveway about ten feet away from the snake. Since we do not know our snakes yet I felt it was a good idea to get the H out of Dodge!

     Dammit. But since he said it was only three feet long or so, I kept on cutting. And figuring that the racket would move the snake away, I continued toward the spot that had ejected YD. 

     "You're brave (read: nuts) to get that close."

     "I haven't seen it yet."

     Then I did. And realized YD lied ... there's no way that was a three foot long snake. Heck the head alone was huge. Suffice it to say I didn't stick around to measure the rest. High-stepping my way out I declared the official end to brush cutting season in no uncertain terms. Then strapped on my knee pads and turned to the tamer task of pulling weeds.

     No pix ... aren't you glad?

The gardener speaks

I know what you're thinking. Does he do anything other than work in the yard?  Well, I went to the dentist today. So there.  Today I finished one of the rock garden beds planting blackfoot daisies, four-nerve daisies and cholla cactus.  Now its their turn to show us what they can do...

Rock garden

Four-nerve daisy

Earlier today I was working at the front entrance to Summer Mountain Ranch to improve the way it looks since most of the plants took a beating from the drought.  We are removing dead plants, moving around others and purchasing native plants as needed.  One perk of the job was we thinned out the red leaf yucca and I was able to bring some home. It also made it into the rock garden behind the house.  Looks a bit shocky but it is one tough plant.

Red leaf yucca

Bluebonnet blue

Spring is in the air.  Actually we are cooler than both St. Louis and Williamsburg. Go figure. Working on some new rock garden beds and traveling around the neighborhood to see what the wildflowers have in store. After a good 2.75 inches of rain yesterday the flowers should be primed for a good show. I was not disappointed. A neighbor down the street has literally a few acres or more of bluebonnets in their front yard. I've seen pictures of bluebonnet masses but having them so close is a sight to see....so here 'tis.  

Bluebonnets

I went to my favorite nursery today and purchased four-nerve daisies and blackfoot daisies to plant in the rock garden on the back side of the house.  Both plants are native to Texas and should stand up to the summer heat, drought and deer.  I am waiting for YM to get home to get her advice on where best to plant them.  It is like hanging pictures in that I'd like to get it right the first time. This made me laugh ... I don't know how many times we've left 2 or 3 holes in the wall before getting a picture in "just the right spot." In any case, YD has the plants placed perfectly around a relocated cholla cactus (at least I think that's what it is). Can't wait to post a picture of the final product ... and then sit on the back porch with a beer.

Blackfoot Daisy

The other purchase was jalapeno pepper plants.  I put them into our old Weber grill.  Still cooking with that grill just in a repurposed way!  And even though we can get jalapenos for mere pennies at the store, I'm longing for the flavor we enjoyed a couple of summers ago when one of Paul's co-workers gave him some home-grown peppers. We did try to grow some last year, but it was too hot to grow anything ... hopefully we'll have better luck this time around.

YM wanted these...me too!

I'll leave you with a cool shot (at least I think so) of an old damaged windmill  down the road.

Pinterest worthy

Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. That was today for me. Cleaning the garage is right up there with stubbing your toe in my humble opinion. It's not that I do not like the results but that fine layer of dusty grime that accumulates on your skin makes you want to head straight for the shower. Speaking of showers, it is about time I got the outdoor shower up and running. I would have jumped in it this afternoon! A new section of the garage is something YM saw online. It is a rope with all our used gloves. We sure go through them. I particularly like the glove on the far right with the duct taped finger. Very pinteresting ...

Glove line

Another project I completed this afternoon was removing the soil (mostly clay) from the bed on the other side of the outdoor shower, and extending the length of the bed to the end of the garage.  Luckily we have a dolly to move the stones in place.  Next step is to find plants to fill the shady space. My wheelbarrow had a flat tire so I moved the soil out to the side yard one bucketful at a time.  Good workout.

New garden bed

Yesterday YM asked that I post a picture to show how green everything is around here. It is a rather gloomy day so I'll save that assignment for a better time.  I guess I could show you the basil I just planted.  What a thrill! Can't wait until our next Friday night supper ...

Sweet basil

Fat Tuesday

Spring break ... and I'm working ... and loving it. All by myself, with an occasional student worker thrown in to keep things interesting. Getting so much done.


Then coming home to Fat Tuesday at Linda's ... veggie tart with meaty mushrooms and gruyere cheese, crawfish nachos sparked with cilantro pesto and jalapenos ... and gumbo. Oh where have you been all my life? Have you ever had gumbo? If not, this link will convince you. However, you have to have nerves of steel the first time around, especially when the wait staff describe it as looking something like "mud with used motor oil floating on top." Mexican wedding cookies rounded out the meal, the last sips of Fireman's Four and Shiner Bock nursed as the sun faded ... at 7:45. Gotta love daylight savings on the western edge of Central time.

Well, coffee awaits. Bliss happens. Life is good.


P.S. None of our current pictures do justice to the explosion of green that has taken over the yard ... so I'll leave it to YD to add one tomorrow.

Fire in the yard

Don tending the burn pile
the brush is about 1/3 gone ... 1 hour down and 2 to go

Oh happy day ... what could be better than a night of rain followed by a calm sunny morning? Well, maybe all that and a visit from Meg and Paul. Life is good indeed.  Doesn't get much better than this!

Two voices

Forgot to mention that, in addition to a great lunch, I managed to pick up a couple of bargains at Mandola's last Friday. First was a half pound container of pine nuts.  "You know this is going to be $21 a pound, right?" asked the guy at the counter.  "Not a problem," was my reply. After all, the little 2 ounce packets of non-China pine nuts at Central Market are 6 bucks, which works out to $48 a pound.


Also tried to buy some broken cannoli shells, since I've found it's easier to dip the shells in ricotta filling than to try stuffing the filling into the shells. "I can only sell you the whole shells," the counter guy told me. "Four then," I said. But when I got home, there were at least two shells worth of broken pieces in addition to the four good  shells. Bonus.


Then we headed to Central Market, where we got some amazingly good lamb chops on sale (although I goofed by not buying more to put in the freezer). Grilled Mandola rustic bread, with skewered onions and tomatoes, all liberally dosed with garlic butter at the table, made for a great meal. And here's a tip on grilling onions: after removing the skins from some Vidalia or other sweet onions, cut them in halves or quarters (depending on how big they are), drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkling of kosher salt. Then nuke them  for a minute or two on high before skewering and grilling them. I've also pre-nuked onions before putting them on the Griddler. Either way, they get nice and caramelized without drying out. Yum.

Lamb chops, grilled onions and tomatoes, fresh bread and a bottle of wine.  What's not to like?

2010 recalled

Since it appears to be a gloomy weekend in this part of Texas I thought about adding a few pictures I took the spring before last when we visited Pedernales Falls on the Pedernales River. What continues to amaze me is the clarity of the rivers and streams around here and of course the brilliance of the wildflowers. YM and I were in Austin today and had lunch with Meg at Mandola's Italian Market. The drive back home had its share of heavy rain but we kept ourselves awake by listening to some good music (suggestion, click this link and listen to the music while you read the blog).

Pedernales Falls

Roadside Wildflowers

Just to let you know... I am not complaining about the rain at all.  Without the rain the streams won't flow and the flowers won't grow. Sounds like a song. Do you think grandkids would like to swim in one of the small pools of crystal clear water of the Pedernales one day? Just planning ahead...

P.S. Caught YD reading 50 dangerous things you should let your children do while we were at the Whole Earth Provision Company today.

Good shot

The following picture was taken when we went to the San Jose Mission in San Antonio with Barbara.

Yucca flower

A day well spent

... breakfast with hot Verona coffee and a leisurely read of the paper, followed by the completion of the NYT crossword begun the day before. A quick check out the door to be sure the temperature has risen enough to pass muster, then donning yardwork attire (jeans, heavy boots, and gloves, always gloves). 


Heading out to the front, I continued to prune the persimmon, yaupon and cedars around the well house (started on Friday), while your dad tackled gnarly scrub brush under the trees. After a good morning's work, we headed in for onion soup made with fresh chicken stock, gruyere, and crusty bread leftover from the CIA bakery. A quick date with the food processor to start some garlic knots for dinner, then back out to the pruning. 


Being a good scout, I hauled the morning's debris onto the now-formidable burn pile (really, we need good burning weather), then recommenced pruning while YD transplanted various vegetation in the back. After much whistling and shouting, my attention was diverted to the front porch, where we passed some time Skyping with Meliss in snowy St. Louis. After which YD got out the weedwhacker to clear long-dead meadow grass and the blower to clear said grass off the bedrock. A few more judicious cuts (well okay, more than a few), then we called it a day and put the tools away. 


Heading out onto the floodplain, we scouted for nascent bluebonnets. And though YD opined that he wasn't up for going very far on the nature trail, we ended up at the Sink Creek gully just the same. On the way back, YD picked up a nicely weathered cedar trunk and I picked some golden eye phlox to press for future collaging.

  
Dinner consisted of pasta, red sauce, meatballs, fresh mozz and parm, with a sprinkling of home-grown parsley and the aforemetioned garlic knots (although I confess, I just used olive oil and salt ... no garlic). A liberal dose of Vina Zaco (tempranillos now being a regular in the wine rotation thanks to Heather Lee) rounded out dinner. Dessert was decaf Verona on the front porch as we strummed guitars together.


An altogether blissful day. Indeed, if there's a heaven, then we're already there.

Spring happens

Texas Mountain Laurel

Working in the gardens and walking around the property enjoying the new growth popping up almost before my eyes. Gotta love pre-springtime in the Texas Hill Country. Went to Garden-ville yesterday and purchased a bi-color salvia which has a really nice blue and white color flower that works well with a neighboring agave and the flowering mountain laurel.

Trail behind house

Golden-eye Phlox growing on the floodplain

Bi-color salvia

I tried to put the pictures in some kind of logical order today but Blogger has not been very kind. Over and out....

Fields of gold

Barb, you came a week too early.  Now that you're gone, the flowers are blooming ... a yellow carpet covering the floodplain. It's a bit breezy, but 78 and sunny. Gotta love Texas. 
  

Liz channeling Sting

  

Ah well, you'll just have to come back with Ray so the guys can go fishing while we hit the stores to buy  stuff for the new little people in our lives.  

  

  
  
For now, we're resting up for an evening at Gruene Hall, where Walt Wilkins and the Mystiqueros will be celebrating Texas Independence Day ... complete with beers for $1.76 (for 176 years). Earlier in the day I did a bunch of pruning while the gardener par excellence did his thing ... but I'll leave that part of the post to him since he's got some killer pix to show. Also managed to squeak in a little guitar pickin' practice and stacked a few more stones on the cairn that's slowing rising next to the front porch. TGIF!