Thursday, February 14, 2013

Thankful Thursdays--The Great Outdoors

We have barely had any winter here, which is a bad thing when it comes to bugs. But it's a good thing when it comes to being outside--although I'd like to wear one of my pretty vintage coats just once this year!

This morning is so lovely I thought I'd grab a few shots of the things in my little piece of the world that make me smile.


We have a huge Rosemary bush that we cook with all the time. It smells fantastic and is bothered neither by drought or snap freezes.

This is our fig tree that is a bit confused as to time of year...again... It's budding out, and I'm not sure what's up with the tiny fig forming on this branch. But just look at that pretty blue sky!

This is a pineapple sage plant I put in my little herb garden. It took over, and makes the most gorgeous red flowers. It's probably completely useless for cooking with, but it sure is pretty. I'll probably move it out of this little bed, to make room for more culinary herbs!

Our neighbor has a large ranch with longhorn cattle and, in the spring, a ton of wild flowers that we can ogle through the fence. See my deck chair? Found it in someone's trash! All it needed was a dowel in the canvas seat to make it perfectly sit-able. 


I've posted before about my love of our native agarita bushes. Here's a tiny little one that a bird probably "planted" for me. They make wonderful bright red berries that are great for eating out of hand or to make a jewel-toned jelly.
 

 
The horses weren't in the mood to be photographed today. They're mad because I haven't let them out for hay yet! But I enjoy finding signs of where they hang out. This is in the back where they get a good view.

The prickly pear cactus is showing signs of winter with those spots around the prickles. These can be a pest, but I like to keep some around for the pears, or "tunas" that they make in the spring. Again, good jelly. This year I'm determined to make that jelly!

Tiny little plants are poking through the ground. Can you make out the tiniest little clover? So cute!

 
More cactus. And all the rocks. I admit, they don't make me smile!

 
We have a lot of lovely trees, and I love our little shaded path through the woods. It's awesome in the summer time!


A canopy of oak is the best!


Our little quail sing sweet songs and give us the best little spotted eggs. The white one is hiding. Like their glammed up feeder? Found it at an estate sale.
 

 
The lacy asparagus plants don't look like much now, but they are making us tasty little spears under ground right now.

 
The Carolina Jessamine is getting ready to bloom like crazy. I'm excited because I just planted this last year and wasn't sure it was even going to live.


Gotta love a big fat hen. This is our Buff Orpington, called, well, "Buffy."
 


My daughter's pet rooster. His name is Pingu, and he thinks he is "all that."
 


Eggs! We also get gorgeous green and blue ones, but those girls hadn't hit the nests yet.
 

 
The amarillys has busted out. 

 
I'm not a big one for bedding plants, but I love me some Johnny Jump-Ups. This pot was on sale.
 
So how are things where you are? What makes you smile? 

 

1 comment:

  1. All your things are making me smile today. Unfortunately I find summer a bit depressing in Australia as everything turns brown...and not pretty autumn brown...dead brown. The things that always make me smile - my girls and their craziness.

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