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And so it ends…
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed by email! Thanks for visiting!February 12, 2010 was my last day of work in Florida. The following day we finished packing up the house and putting our collection of stuff into the POD, locked the door to the house and drove away from south Florida. Then, in my head, I thought we’d be going for our AT hike, and maybe a month or two after returning we’d be settled with jobs somewhere in Texas. Not quite. But, I’m glad it turned out how it has because we’ve been able to hike another long trail, spend time with…
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Texas Wildflowers | Campsis radicans, trumpet creeper
This beautiful vine can sometimes be mistaken for Bignonia capreoleta, or cross vine. While the similar red flowers might fool you, taking a look at the leaves will change the story as the trumpet creeper vine has pinnately compound leaves. While this is a native plant, it is also quite weedy and can be invasive. If you are looking for a space to be completely covered in vines, then I would recommend this plant. If not, you might just leave it for the woods and natural space instead. As a hummingbird attractor, this is one great plant since the red tubular flowers offer the perfect sipping device for the birds…
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Sunrise A Year Ago
I will wax poetic for years to come about August 11, 2010. A year ago if you’d asked me where I would be today I wouldn’t have had a clue. And now, looking back a year later I would have told myself to stay another week or two in Maine and slow the heck down. We had a good pace, in fact, I loved our pace, but I would’ve like to have enjoyed Maine a bit more. Then again, I wouldn’t take back our summit day, the rare Class I day with a perfect sunrise and summitting Katahdin with some of our favorite people: Cubbie, Dilly Dally and Blue Rooster….and…
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Wildlife Wednesday | Eastern Cottontail
A couple of evenings ago we were walking my brother, niece and sister in law to their car after dinner. I was heading back inside when I noticed something dark in the grass. Thinking it was a mud clump or, well, I really don’t know what else, I went to check it out. Chilling in the shade, even though it was still 100* after 7pm, was this little rabbit. And it was little. My hand here for comparison. A few inches away was a dead bug being feasted on by ants and subsequently some ants were visiting this little rabbit. I got fairly close to the poor thing but it…
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July in the Garden Plot
Not much is dealing with the heat here in Texas. We’re on a triple digit heat streak right now. I realize it is now August but I took these photos a week ago at the end of July and am just now getting around to posting them. Walking around the plot you can tell who is and isn’t doing well in the garden…or I should way, what is and isn’t doing well in addition to who…because most of it depends on water! After our disastrous round of spring crops, when we realized a bit too many coffee grounds had made the soil too acidic, some of that has leeched out…
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Heirloom Seeds and Bookish Thoughts
+Chris has been ordering a lot of seeds lately, mostly for later on. Today he planted these two crops at his mom’s house in lieu of the tomatillo plants that had bit the Texas dust. +We’re moving at the end of the week for the NW Houston area where we will be setting up house again. We’re taking two large potting containers with us—maybe we’ll plant some of these seeds there. +I’m dreaming of a real garden—some day. This time around we’re renting, again, with hopes of finding something of our own once Chris gets a job. Hopefully in time for spring crops! +Been reading lately. A lot of non-fiction,…
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Summer Interview Series Wrap Up
Did you miss an interview from the Summer Interview Series? Take a peak through and see who you might have missed. I had fun interviewing a few folks I knew in my ‘real’ life and others I only know via the internet. There was a vast array of subjects to cover, someone might have interested you! +Chel @ Ginger Blue +Elizabeth @ Miss Wisabus +Kathy @ Analog Soul Photography +Mandy Stewart @ Messy Canvas +Prem @ Florida Native Orchids +Susy @ Chiot’s Run +Randy @ Recipes Randy Cooks +Renee @ Wolfie and the Sneak Enjoy! Maybe I’ll do another round next summer!
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How-To Eat a Mangosteen
We’d stopped by Central Market, a grocery store that is a bit like Whole Foods but with some Trader Joe’s and other indie food type stores mixed in, last week to pick up some things for my mom’s birthday. They have a good coffee selection so that was our main goal but while perusing the fruit and vegetable section we spotted mangosteens. Our first encounter with mangosteens was while living in Florida when Chris began reading about them to grow. They are a super tropical plant that really cannot be grown anywhere in the continental U.S. and even Hawaii has problem growing them. You can read more in detail here…
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Zoe | 3 years
I tried to find a photo of me holding a four day old Zoe but I think it is tucked away on a hard drive somewhere. I wanted to recreate it but Zoe was a bit fussy this morning so I opted out of that. Maybe on Saturday for her birthday party. Instead I took these after I’d painted some butterflies on her face. She was painting with my mom this afternoon and I convinced her to let me paint a couple butterflies while she kept telling me the paintbrush tickled on her cheeks. I love my little niece…she says some funny things! She’s in love with coins right now…
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How to Thru-Hike the Florida Trail
*Edit 12/2015: This is one of my most popular posts and it was written in 2011. The trail has had some reroutes during this time. Please check the most recent guidebook released from Florida Hikes and be sure to contact the Florida Trail Association in regards to reroutes and current closures. Thanks and have a great hike!* *Edit 03/2020: I recommend this post from LB Hikes who finished the FT in 2020 as an update to my write-up here.* While there is a plethora of information out there about hiking the Appalachian Trail I realized there isn’t that much on the Florida Trail. Sure there’s the guidebook and other forums…