Yes…finally some dark skies and rain arrived in central Austin this past week.

When storms like this blow through the Patch all hell breaks loose. Post oaks groan, giant timber bamboo culms clatter together like 70ft wind chimes, banshees scream and baskervilles howl. A few minutes before a front hits I prepare a beverage and sit on my back deck with a Mexican blanket at arms-reach (it is all in the preparation) to watch the show.

As the rain starts, so does my smile…though it is not my public smile, the one reserved for normal people, oh no, this is my real smile, a smile not encumbered by the social norms, a smile so demented that I do not want to witness it.

The harder the rain comes down the more Jack Torrance it becomes, 

and this time I had a lot to “smile” about.

My decomposed granite pathways turn into rivers as water runs down my side granite driveway into my back garden – which is just how I like it.

And if you catch it at just the right moment…

The water flow reaches about 2/3rds of the way back into the garden and it will sit there until the rain subsides before draining into the planting beds. This latest rain picked up a bunch of plastic eggs left over from our Easter egg hunt.

“Don’t let the giant catch you with that…and go clean your fingernails.”

This water flow does not move the granite, in fact after an hour or so of draining the only remains of a gully washer are some tide-lines of organic debris that are scooped up and thrown into the adjacent planting beds.

I unfortunately once caught my real “smile” in the above mirror one night when I was standing at the top of these steps. 

It was perfectly timed, the white flash of the lightning highlighting my face as I marveled at the downpour.

With the water receding they quickly got to work,

for it was the time of snails.

Lori.

Moving Along:

Cream De Mint™ Dwarf Mock Orange,

Pittosporum tobira ‘Shima’

getting slapped in the face by a holly fern, oxalis filling in the scene.

Jerusalem sage,

Phlomis fruticosa

look like “Mogwai” at this time of year with their inquisitive ears flapping around in the wind.

Loquats are ripening fast, the ones in arms reach get harvested almost immediately by little fingers.

These shiny insects are appearing all over the place right now, they seem particularly fond of citrus, clustering and clambering over themselves on the leaves.

Largus nymphs?  Why do they huddle like this?

I moved fast when my daughter pointed out that this common house spider was right next to my hand as I moved a container.

Unfortunately I damaged it’s web.

I hope it will re-build as I want to keep an eye on it,

hey, you never know.

Stay Tuned for:

“Stop Larking Around!”

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Inspirational images of the week:

‘Floating ripple vases’  by oodesign

Shaped like ripples in water, the vases by oodesign allows users to place flowers into a
PET formed resin void. The plants change their position within the container with the slightest breeze.