Deepwater Blooming

I took these last week while visiting my parents and intended to post them days ago.

Sigh.

That's just the way it's been lately.

(Deepwater is the name of the neighborhood I grew up in, by the way.)

Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off they sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!
~Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn"

Wisteria dripped from thick vines woven through a trellis on the back porch.

Morning Glories turned the chain link fence into a work of art.

My grandmother planted these brilliant azaleas in the front of the house. 

They shout SPRING IS HERE!

Wisteria petals dotted the patio table. 

So delicate.

These are blossoms on a Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow plant. 

The petals change from purple to lavender to white. 

Amazing and gorgeous!

Just a carpet of tiny yellow flowers decorating a field in the middle of the neighborhood where all of the schools are located.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. 

I'm spinning in circles again, but will try to come around visiting everyone this week!

P.S.
My friend was able to recover my lost NEF files, by the way. He used a program called Rescue Pro by Sandisk. Whew! I'll be eternally grateful to him for taking the time to retrieve them and help me learn a little more about photo files. (And all it cost me was a 12-pack of Budweiser!)

Check out his beautiful website and if you have friends getting married in the Austin area, send them his way: Bruce Coville Photography

Doo Doo Doo Lookin' Out My Backdoor

Well, not my backdoor.
Not anymore. 


I spent the weekend with my parents in my childhood home.

Growing up, I loved my backyard, but I never remember it being as entertaining as it is now. 

There's so much going on between the birds, squirrels, plants, and neighbors

I could spend hours just staring out that backdoor... and usually do.

Join me for look?

I miss blue jays. 
My dad doesn't like them - they steal the squirrel's peanuts. I think we've convinced Daddy they need to eat, too.

But he's still partial to the squirrels, even though they mistake his thumb for a peanut every once in a while. 
I took my standard photos of the squirrels with the peanuts, but my favorite is the one above.
Peanuts make me thirsty, too.

Morning Glories grow rampant on a section of chain link fence - these spiral buds caught my eye.

But of course I took some of them in full Morning Glory glory. 

When I was little, we had a succession of blue parakeets just like this one, all named "Pete".  
I wonder if this one escaped from someone's house? 
It's been coming around to Daddy's feeder for a few weeks now.

Tom spotted this Blue Jay taking a dip.

"I just washed my hair and can't do a thing with it!"

This fig bush is older than I am. It grew from a cutting in my Great-Grandmother's yard, so as my dad said, technically it's even older than the house.

Pete came back several times while I was there, to my delight.

One of the neighbors celebrated a birthday. How could I resist taking this shot of all these girls in their tutus playing on the trampoline? 

I especially love the little cowgirl ballerina, don't you?

Hope you had a wonderful weekend, too!


Whoo-hoo! 


I've been honored with a Post of the Week from Hilary at the Smitten Image for my backyard tour.
Thank you, Hilary!!!

Butterflies and Sycamore Trees ... a Walk by the River

 On a recent weekend visit, 

our friends took us to one of their favorite spots, 

a path along a river that runs a short distance from their home near Houston. 

They were disappointed because the river was up from recent rains, 

preventing us from following their normal route.

I wasn't disappointed at all. 

Take my hand and I'll show you what my drought-weary butterfly-and-wildflower-starved eyes beheld...

Uh-oh! 

Watch out for poison ivy!

This butterfly kept posing... I kept snapping.

Sigh.

It came in November, but I finally got my Spring!