Brrrr, another freezing front blows through Central Texas, but what do I care, I hear the carnival setting up camp in the Patch…
Okay we might not have all the lights, rides, and well practically anything else you would normally find or associate with a carnival, but we do have this…
“Looking good now ESP, with all your psychedelic ghost canopies and ****!”
Oh yes, the carnival tents are popping up in the patch…
…and the ESP is filling up with colorful carnival folk, why? Let me explain.
This Mexican Lime tree took a hammering in our last cold snap and with an even harder and prolonged one arriving I feared for its life. I broke down, shattering my principle that if it can’t survive the Texas winter, it should not be in the Patch, yes folks I “covered” it, at least partially. I looked in my shed for my large linen painting sheet that I usually use, but I could not find it, (it has been a long time since I have covered anything). I settled on these rather dapper sheets from the house that really do look totally ridiculous from the road. They are bright enough to cause yet another Chevy Tahoe to veer off the street and head toward our property, the occupants slurring…”what is that”? Hic! “Do you see that”? “Is that a carnival man?” Hic! etc,etc.
I also have a hunch that these tents will be totally ineffective, but talk about adding winter color! I walked out around dusk to see if the wind had already blown them off the tree (it is only a matter of time after all, with the sheets overly complicated system of pegs and granny knots holding them down) and found John Merrick already scoping out the temporary carnival-like structures and atmosphere…He wastes no time.
“Very Pleashhed to meet you ESP.” (Or perhaps that was Sean Connery under the hessian sack?) Hard to tell considering their similar accent and facial angle.
Oh come on Gandalf, it wasn’t that funny.
What was funny was the way these sheets looked the next day after overnight winds had predictably compromised the overtly complicated system of pegs and granny knots…
Oh yes, they had provided extremely effective coverage during the brisk night…not. Interestingly, with all their nonsense night flapping and billowing around, they had somehow managed to exfoliate most of the previously frost bitten dead foliage from the tree. At least they were good for something!
Once again I will not be covering anything in the Patch this year it seems, I am just rubbish at it, and anyway now I remember how this “survival of the hardiest” philosophy started in the Patch in the first place…because… I HATE THIS COVERING PALAVER!
Good luck Lime tree, you are on your own I am afraid…
“May your roots grow deep and prosper.”
Moving quickly along before my fingers freeze…
Picture of Eskimo lady 1929 by Edward S.Curtis.
Solidago
‘little lemon’ is already adorning it’s Eskimo-esk fur coat in anticipation of the freezing weather to follow. Also known as goldenrod, solidago has wrongfully been accused of being a source of pollen or an allergen thought to have affected numerous allergy sufferers. Not true, the pollen of solidago is too heavy to be carried by air currents and must move from plant to plant on the bodies of insects. The pollen from ragweed, which flowers about the same time as goldenrod, is the pollen source that causes many individuals to suffer from hay fever. Trust ragweed to place the blame on this little plant. It should be ashamed of itself.
A big thank you for this plant http://www.gardeninggonewild.com/ and http://www.highcountrygardens.com/
Color in the Cold:
This kale is loving the frigid temperatures. Very aquatic!
As is this verbena, this individual plant has gotten huge recently…
…producing bi-colored flowers as abstract as my lime-tree canopies!
When the temperatures seriously dip, one look at this amaryllis on our galleon ship’s galley table always warms the cockles. ARRrrr.
And when the cold has locked us inside for too long and we have become too stir-crazy in the house, the final resort: Dave & Busters of course for some high speed fun, and hopefully a prize.
What else would he pick!
Inspirational image of the week:
“The “WheelEasy LE” is a folding wheelbarrow, replacing the heavy steel or plastic tubs of conventional haulers with a 3-cubic-foot, vinyl-coated nylon basin which can hold up to 150 pounds. You won’t be carting around concrete or bears*, but when it comes to dirt or lawn clippings, the WheelEasy has one clear advantage over solid barrows: because it can lie completely flat on the ground, it’s easy to quickly rake it full without shoveling stuff up over the side”.
Stay Tuned for:
“Thanks CTG”!
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