Weekend in the Yard

I didn't make plans to go and do anything special this weekend. I had plans to mow my yard and my parent's yard. But when I got home from work on Friday, my Daddy was already mowing theirs. When he got done, I got my yard done to. With all the rain we've had lately, I could  have baled it! For the record...I HATE Bahia Grass! I took a shower and headed to the local Watering Hole (actually, that's its name) for a little liquid refreshment and then back to the house to have the steaks that I got Daddy for his birthday. A big, full, beautiful moon came up. Cell phone cameras just never do it justice. 

Saturday morning, after coffee, I picked up one of my Gal Pals and we headed to Buffalo to check out Bobo's Nursery. Even in mid-summer, they had nice healthy plants and great prices. I came home with a Hummingbird Bush (Hamelia patens), Cigar Plant (Cuphea), Mexican Heather, a couple of Moss Rosses and a fully-blooming pink Penta for my Mama. They do carry more native plants, but it is mid-summer and the supply is a little low on those. I need to check them out earlier in the Spring.  They also carry pottery and metal art items. We saw a whole family of Sasquatch there! 

We asked them where their favorite local places are to eat. They gave us a couple options and of course, we chose Mexican food! El Corral Mexican Restaurant had good food and good tea. Several patrons had a pink/reddish margarita that looked wonderful, but since I was driving...Sweet Tea always works. They even brought out individual bowls of salsa. Double-dip to your heart's content. 

We then hit up Woody's Smokehouse on the southbound side of I-45 in Centerville. I haven't been there in a while and I typically hit the northbound side. If you can put it in a jar, they probably have it. Seasonings, rubs, dressings, jellies, marinated veggies of all kinds, cobbler and more. They have a nice meat market with cuts of meat, summer sausage, sausage, jerky, etc. Beef, pork, venison, elk and buffalo too. They do sell kolaches. The cream cheese ones looked good, but since we just ate, I skipped those. They have quite a few bathroom stalls and they were clean. There's also non-edible goodies too. Towels, decor, Brumate drinkware and beverage holders. Woody's was like the pre-Buc-ee's of I-45 in that area. They even have Beaver Nuggets (with a different name, of course). You can get barbeque or deli items to eat and there are tables inside. It's a nice alternative and definitely less crowded that the larger, more populate counterpart. 

Then we headed down Hwy 7 to Marquez (pronounced Mar-kay for you non-Texan folks) and went to check out my cousins' hardware store there. D&D Hardware carries most things you'll need for home, farm and ranch. Their plan is add more western wear and other things as well. I didn't need anything specific, but I came home with a few things. They had their plants (mostly veggies) on sale for 75% off. More plants made the trip back home!  

When we got almost to turnoff to my friend's house, we ALMOST  traded paint with a little car whose driver was not paying attention. He tried merging right into us and missed us by mere INCHES. If I wouldn't have swerved into the large shoulder, it would have been bad. I drive a Crew Cab Chevy Silverado. I'm not hard to miss! Thanks to our guardian angels for keeping us safe!

Sunday, I spent time in the yard in the morning. I put a couple of the plants in the ground and potted one up in a hanging basket. There are a lot of Purple Martins in the yard and filling up my Martin house. I love their sound AND the fact that they eat a ton of mosquitoes and other pests! I love being out in the yard. 

I pulled some weeds. Crabgrass is another PITA weed, but for the most part, it's not too hard to pull out if you can get it at the base of the plant. I watered some of the plants still in pots and some of the newly planted ones in the yard. I have a policy with most of my plants in the ground. I'll get them started and then they are on their own. They can grow or go in the compost pile. Their choice. 

I have always had trouble getting certain plants to ever take hold and I have tried multiple times with each. Mexican Bush Sage, Plumbago and Purple Coneflower. Most chose poorly. But as of right now, I have all three growing in the yard and two  the the three have flowers on them! These have chosen wisely. 😁

I filled the bird baths, seed feeders and hummingbird feeders. I have had a few hummingbirds here and there throughout the summer, but it's about time for them to be coming back through and filling up before they make the long flight across the Gulf for winter. Those tiny little flying jewels amaze me, they truly do. I also have several plants in the yard that serve as natural fuel for them as well. The sages and Flame Acanthus are putting out a buffet right now. 

This yard has been 17 years in the making and it's coming along nicely. It was just a scraped dirt lot in 2004 and I now have several trees that cast decent shade. I have plants for wildlife and my enjoyment and I tend to lean towards the Texas natives. It's just better for all of us. I have 3 areas that I like to sit in and enjoy the yard including the back porch. 

The frogs and crickets reward me in the evenings with their serenades. The birds sing their songs all day, but mostly in the mornings and evenings. I have a few geckos that help with the bug population as well. I can definitely do without the high-pitched sound of the 'skeeters and their accompanying bites. Some of the birds have "planted" a few things along the fence line that I have allowed to continue growing. I have a Gum Bumelia tree and a couple of "Toothache" or Hercules Club trees coming up. The yard is one of my favorite places to relax when I'm not out camping near water somewhere.