Rain

“Vomit on my Gromit”

ESPatch Sep 8, 2013 6 comments

Things took quite a surreal turn the other day.

One of my kids was down with a fever, on the couch watching TV, dog asleep on floor, I think you know where I am going with this.

The quick vertical sitting motion immediately garnered my attention as it does with any parent…something was terribly wrong and it was about to get much worse.

“Are you okay?”

Was immediately followed by a good portion of breakfast being spontaneously deposited directly onto Kumo’s back from the couch. This involuntary action took us all by surprise especially Kumo who was now standing quite still (apart from the occasional but now intensified neurotic shiver that he always has) with an expression in his eyes that is usually reserved for panic-stricken horses.

Another dimension was added to the scene when Kumo, now thinking he was getting in trouble, started to nervously retreat into the doorway with his teetering cargo, or I hate to say it, in his mind, a potential future Michelin star quality meal.

Oh yes he would.

He actually turned to bite at his new and nasty “back-pack” numerous times as he was “escorted” extremely quickly out of the house to the garden hose.

Poor Kumo, his face says it all.

Moving a little less grossly along…

What?

I had the pleasure of meeting this huge roach as I was messing with the pump in my feeder pond. His timing and navigational skills were outstanding, the stuff of nightmares. I saw him in my peripheral vision swinging effortlessly around a Walska lily pad, gaining momentum before heading straight for my exposed arm almost at eye level.

Needless to say I ended up on my backside under my cypress tree muttering.

8820262078_03e09cc79c_h

I hate roaches.

Late afternoon thunderstorms have given sporadic rain around Austin and created some amazing sunsets and cloud formations this week. This one looks like Egypt with a shade canopy in the foreground making a great pyramid.

Unfortunately the only moisture the patch has received of late has been from my sprinkler. It was the first time I have used it all summer, but things were getting, shall we say, desperate in the Patch.

Baby loquats, lemon grass, bush sages and some fountain and feather grasses are looking like they now may be past the point of no return.

It does not take long in consistent upper 90 degree heat to put a stress on all things green, well, most things.

He never misses out on a sprinkler or hosing opportunity.

Considering this is the first time I have used this sprinkler this year the plants have held up well. I have hand watered struggling plants with the water I have sporadically collected in my “everything but the kitchen sink” water collection “system” but for the most part they have been left on their own.

I performed a quick fix on my leaning Buddha’s belly bamboo to at least get it to where I could walk under it:

A chunk of giant timber bamboo wedged behind this pomegranate tree did the trick.

With no additional watering and with the exception of a couple of gaura that look like they are now are pushing up the daisies, so to speak, (I always cut these back rather then pull them…just in case) the front of house is looking dry but is surviving.

The dry bamboo muhly matches our house color perfectly.

This esperanza adds a splash of color to the tortured trunk of this desert willow in the hell-strip:

“Its the yellow bells Esperanza”

I am a big fan of sabal major (and minor come to think of it) and agaves, the trunk of the sabal palm echoing the form of the agave.

This specimen was a pup when I planted it.

This next one is one of my favorites with its variegated leaves and painful extremities.

Agave Kissho kan

Agave pototarum ‘Variegata’ (I think)

Chocolatey, minty and seriously deadly.

Stay Tuned for:

“Waltzing Nitida”

All material © 2013 for eastsidepatch. Unauthorized
intergalactic reproduction strictly prohibited, and
punishable by late (and extremely unpleasant)
14th century planet Earth techniques.

“Blast from the Past”

ESPatch Jul 28, 2013 10 comments

I found some old photographs while I was in Scotland…and took pictures of them.

This is me, on one of the many occasions my sister took advantage of the fact that I did not really mind being taken advantage of.

Note: Mud-pie bucket…fantastic!

Sweet big sis…mostly ;-)

My sister had an affinity for training animals at a young age.

This was our first dog, “Amber”.

My dog encounters unfortunately involved receiving a lot of puncture wounds.

Amber apparently did not care too much for having her juicy bones removed involuntarily from her jaws by a small child uttering complete gibberish.

I cannot blame her.

trip_to_beach

I had to include this photo with my cousins just because it communicates the “tolerance and general demeanor” of the average British seaside excursion…(character-building stuff a trip to the seaside : no iPhones /iPads back then).

Ah yes, I remember the days as if yesterday…freezing-cold North Sea water, crunchy sand-filled sandwiches, windbreaks, flasks of tea, and the ever-present sensation of always being just a little “too cold”, even on the hottest days of summer,

a sensation I cannot say I have ever had in our Texas summers…

…”Only one more planting-bed to go honey”.

I think I must have been auditioning for a part in The Nutcracker in this one.

Note: Background windbreak.

Moving Less Nostalgically Along:

Back in the Patch:

More rain storms this week…and it is almost August!

This storm front arrived packing a serious light show, thank goodness this bolt missed my post oak on the left.

The barometer sages

Leucophyllum frutescens

had correctly predicted the weather change once again. It is said that heavy pruning can diminish the blooms on these plants, but I have never noticed any degradation and I keep these two pruned tightly to reduce legginess and central splaying.

These two will be getting an aggressive haircut as soon as they finish showing off,

and the plants are not completely covered in bees and hoverflies.

Other observations this week:

Blue Dashers and many other dragonflies are busy posturing and performing some quite “risky” meter high antics.

The waxy Moy Grande (Texas Star Hibiscus) has thrown out some massive blooms this week.

On a contrasting note:

Remember these fine “cowboy toilet paper,” mullein?

Well they are not so fine any more.

If this is what happens to them in the summer it must have been an inconvenient and a rough

(and I do mean “rough” ahem)

few months for the cowboy on a strict bean diet.

Enough said.

Now onto some critters:

Stepping into this sandal would have also been an uncomfortable experience.

This is a great leopard moth caterpillar and it cast a long shadow as it quickly crossed our carpet the other night.

It was huge.

Some friends of ours found this rhinoceros beetle,

Dynastinae

They are also called elephant beetles, Hercules beetles, or Atlas beetles some of which are among the largest beetles on Earth.

This one is a male as it is sporting the “tusk” which is used for fighting both over females and for feeding sites and rites on trees, logs, and crops.

In spite of their fierce appearance, these beetles are harmless and feed only upon plant material.

Finally:

Laziness, procrastination, heat and an unwillingness to wield my pick axe resulted in a great result this week.

After my strange yucca tumbling and sawing of the trunk at the base, it was my intention to dig out the tap root and replace the plant with something else. I even tried a shovel on it a few times but it wasn’t moving, so in the ground it stayed.

After the rain I walked past the stump and yes there it was, not one, not two but numerous new yuccas on the rise.

…In fact, a scary amount.

I am looking forward to seeing what will happen here.