Hello! I thought I'd drop in with a few shots I took yesterday as I walked around the
Natural Gardener. The Natural Gardener is far and away my all time favorite nursery. It's such a beautiful and friendly spot - the staff is very knowledgable and generous with their good advice. I love the days that we go there with a shopping list, and ride home with a car full of compost, mulch and pretty new plants.
But it's actually such a lovely spot, that sometimes I stop by even when I'm not shopping for gardening supplies. They have meandering paths to wander, rope swings, donkeys, goats, and chickens. They also have a labyrinth. And a teepee. When I feel the seasons begin to shift, and I'm longing to spend some time outside, this is one of my favorite places to visit.
In fact, early last April, when I was wandering around with my camera,
recording the first buds of spring, I spent the better part of a morning here admiring the pink, new apple blossoms. Apples in Texas?! How do they manage that?
So, as you can see, fall in Central Texas is not the children's library book depiction of autumn. Not many leaves are turning orange or red, nor are they falling down and scattering across lawns. We do not need long sleeves or jackets yet. The sunlight is bright as ever, and many native plants are in full bloom. It is finally cool enough to turn off the air conditioner at night, and sleep with the windows open. And school is back in school swing. The grocery stores are stocked with pumpkins and gourds.
And fall is a very good time to plant veggies here. Clarissa has been especially eager to get outside and garden, especially since we didn't do a spring garden because we were away most of the summer. Early October is the best time to put in carrots, radishes, beets, and spinach. Oh, and if we plant sweet peas and poppies, they will hang out all winter and then bloom around Easter time! Hmm. Sounds like we've got some gardening to do. I hope this little note finds you well.
Fondly, Tracy
Howdy! It's been almost two weeks since we celebrated Clarissa's 8th birthday. I've been meaning to post these photos, but Valentine's Day got in the way. Better late than never, right? Clarissa had six dear friends over for the afternoon. They decorated paper crowns, played tag outside, and generally chased each other from room to room and from the backyard to the front. It was a noisy, cheerful crowd. Eli baked and frosted these yummy cupcakes & we put out sprinkles so our guests could decorate their own little cakes. The kitten and yarn cupcake liners and toppers were a sweet gift from Clarissa's Aunt Zoe. All four of us had a lovely day chatting with good friends and enjoying the Texas sunshine. Happy birthday to our dear, sweet Clarissa Ruth! I can't believe you're already eight, nor can I believe that in only a week, Ella will be twelve. We'll see if she'll allow me to snap photos at her party! 
