“The Small Patch of Land that Time Forgot”

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I am repeating myself.

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There is an awful lot going on in and outside of here…

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an awful lot indeed.

I put on my backpack, grabbed some

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and embarked on another expedition, this time into my circular planting bed.

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Hacking a path with my machete, the foliage at ground level was dense and foreboding, not much sunlight made it through the dense larkspur upper canopy.

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There were occasional breaks in the foliage where water had, over thousands of years, eroded deep gorges and holes into the ancient rocks.

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I observed Sedum reflexum growing as large as pine trees on some of the rock faces and massive tarp-like hoja santa leaves that offered protection from the sun.

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This particular rock face had vertical drop-offs and treacherous pathways.

I passed what I assumed to be some of this regions indigenous tribes-folk, strangely they did not say a word.

At the summit of this mountain I was surprised to find

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these exotic tiny frogs, basking in the filtered sunlight. I observed them for some time until the silence was broken by a loud whooshing sound over the other side of the rock face.

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Jings, crivens help ma boab!

What was this place that time had forgot? (Overly dramatic score)

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In the next valley there were

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towering toadstools and

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groves of these “Jewels of Opar”,

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though their “jewels” had a lot of growing to do…ahem.

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High up in the distance I could make out the silhouettes of more monsters,

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monsters that had…RETRACTED PROBOSCIS!

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And you all know how I feel about those.

Of course there are other monsters that roam down the decomposed granite pathways in the Patch.

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This one has a green thumb.

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Yes it was time for me to exit this small patch of land that time had forgot before things got any more ridiculous.

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Back to my normal size:

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These star gazer lilies sit there most of the year doing absolutely nothing. They burn at the edges in the middle of summer, require some trimming, but once a year, for a very short time they do this:

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Which makes it worthwhile…I think.

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The bluebonnets have also done amazing well despite the worsening drought situation in central Texas.

I even have one white one…just the one.

White bluebonnets are the result of a mutation in one of the genes responsible for producing the blue pigment of the flower, they are quite a rare phenomena, pink bluebonnets being the rarest.

Finally:

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Now the neighborhood kids are getting in on the climbing the hobbit gate act.

The “Oh, I don’t think so” image of the week:

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Stay Tuned for:

“Darkness Returns”

 

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

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Meet the Author

A Central Texas Garden Blog. Zone: 8b. Welcome to the East Side Patch. This site tracks the inhabitants of a house and garden on the east side of Austin. All material © 2021 for eastsidepatch. Unauthorized intergalactic reproduction strictly prohibited, and punishable by late (and extremely unpleasant) 14th century planet Earth techniques.

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  • Jenny Mar 29, 2013, 9:18 pm

    I see you are writing scary bedtime stories for the kiddywinks again! I noticed one of your jewels showing up in a plant pot in my front garden. How it got from front to back I don’t know. I like it.

    Hi Jenny.
    I cannot help writing those scary bedtime stories!
    “Jewels of Opar” have an amazing propensity to reseed, I believe it may have something to do with Tarzan’s jungle call, but probably not! The plant is certainly quite aggressive but it is also easy to keep in check and very easy to eradicate where it is not desired…seedlings pop right out!

  • Gail Mar 30, 2013, 7:42 am

    Looks like the white bluebonnet was trying to be the rare pink. I notice just a bit of pink.

    Interesting that the tiny “people” found their perfect habitat….

    It does indeed Gail, white…pink…I will take them all!
    I am finding those tiny “people” everywhere!…and plastic eggs!

  • Bob Pool Mar 31, 2013, 9:38 pm

    It’s a good thing you didn’t run into the dreaded “you know who” while you were so small. Arrows and spears do not make for a great day.

    A witch with big boobs……..strangely, I like her.

    I have not seen much of the “you know who’s” of late, I surmise that they have been busy breaking curbs to channel water into their Patch habitat of late to “curb” (ahem) the continuing drought.

    http://youtu.be/4aQrZtG-LVg

    I strangely do too! (Shhh!)

  • Heather/xericstyle Apr 3, 2013, 2:48 pm

    Poor little tiny exotic frogs!!!! HEEEEEeeeeeeee! Those pics crack me up – looks like something my hubby and I would find as well.

  • ESP Apr 4, 2013, 10:37 pm

    Hi Heather.
    I find these tiny installations all the time, dotted around the Patch…followed usually by: “Dad…have you seen my tiny frogs?”

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