§ Backyard Botany...

It's been yard work mostly the last two days. Altho, I figured we lost more again to the deep freeze of 2021-22, I do believe the plants are a bit more hardy this time around. I thought, early this Spring, we wouldn't have a surviving pomegranate tree [as you can see with the first two photos], and Bud drastically trimmed away most of it to near the ground. But, the last couple of days, fruit blossoms have taken hold, and some are now in full bloom. Sadly, I was warned that with the cholesterol meds I'm taking [statins], just like grapefruit...mixing pomegranates and meds is a dangerous combination. Bud doesn't like 'em, so either, if they mature well enough, the neighbors will get 'em, or the birds!! Bummer. While securing our Don Juan Climbing Rose, I gazed around the yard and so much is blooming. I grabbed my cellphone and hit the shutter icon...

I have a couple of pots with yellow marigolds and sweet william by one of the benches on the patio. The amaryllis are blooming! Yes, they are planted in the ground and didn't freeze!! The cactus I bought long ago and moved it here when we relocated to Texas from Arizona --I thinned it out several years ago and potted them in small clay pots...all are blooming. The Duranta is blooming [a favorite of mine...weeping purple clusters], the hibiscus are recouping and showing some growth again. My two Easter Lilies are getting buds! The Esperanza bush is flowering. The crepe myrtle are all leafed out, soon to bloom. And the gardenia, well it survived again, but little flowering so far. Here are photos of some that I took when I was supposed to be assisting dear hubby [lol]...

Lady Banks Rose [aka Tombstone Rose]

Someone asked why it's called Tombstone Rose. Well, in Tombstone Arizona, there is the world's largest Lady Banks ....'tree'! Read about its history HERE My bush is cut back often, but still measures about 1/4 of our 100' fence.

Don Juan Climbing Rose
My favorite rose!!!



Sweet William and Marigolds in pots on Patio




...and a biology FACT SHEET: Koalas have two thumbs on their front paws!!
They also have unique and individual fingerprints.
‘Koala’ is thought to mean ‘no drink’ in the Australian Aboriginal language
one source

§ Come around thru the Gate to our Yard...

As I type this up for pre-scheduled posting, it's a dark and stormy day! Earlier, we had buckets of rainfall. The thunder is still rumbling in the distance, and the sky is black on the horizon. I was sure the power would be off any minute, but it never went off. Which was surprising. What is more surprising is the weatherman the night before -his forecast- was humid but dry [meaning no rain. Ha. I wish I would've continued my college education and majored in meteorology....90% of the time wrong, and still get paid a six figure income! [jk] Anyway, I am using my laptop in case the electricity goes out still, and will share my photos from the other day. A trip around the piece of property we call home....

...a little bit of our back yard:

Top left to bottom right:  1-cement bird bath I use for bird seed [the water pump is real, but only for decoration]  2-off the patio, the feeder station 3-my pelican island [and ducks] with crepe myrtle and indoor palm.  4-our pomegranate tree

Both front and back are full  of blooms:

Top left to right: 1-Ixora and Don Juan Climbing rose 2-Rose and hot pink crepe myrtle 3-lavender crepe myrtle and orange/yellow lantana 4-duranta [purple cluster] and yellow and pink lantana 5-my prized hybrid variegated hibiscus and close-up  6-pink crepe myrtle.

One of several wind chimes and a small sparrow sized bird  house

§ The Week That Was...

Lily Blossoms, a toy, books, and more today...

I don't know where to begin actually, so I'll just post the photos I have and write as I go along...

This week, I've been a bit hot under the collar!! Yep, Thursday South Texas reached 100 degrees by mid afternoon! Not here, but just a short hour's drive from home. Needless to say I've been either cooped up indoors; mostly reading. Or, outside in the early morning, taking care of things that are becoming parched. We need some rain to help with the drought. Typical. One month, flooding and the next month...dry, dry, dry!!

- - -BOOKS- - -

Shakespeare was one of my favorite subjects in English Literature in school. When I was perusing the table of "Summer Reads" in Barnes and Noble this book popped out for me!! In Julius Caesar [Shakespeare] -In Act 2 Scene 3, the soothsayer Artemidorus writes a letter to warn Caesar about the plot against him. “If thou read this, O Caesar, thou mayst live,..If not, the fates with traitors do contrive.” THE BOOK, Fates and Traitors is about a famous family in American History, -a family of stage performers who often did Shakespeare's plays, an historical novel...of the Booth family. They, of course, were well-known across the globe in their time...before the Civil War, and during the Civil War. Of course, the main character of the book is John Wilkes Booth, President Lincoln's assassin. But, this book is a bit different than any historical reads...it's about the women who loved him...his mother, his sister, his betrothed, his co-conspirator. IT WAS EXCELLENT for the most part. Some dry areas, but the book as a whole is a must read for those that enjoy reading novels based on fact. The author takes you through JWB's life, his family, his love for the South, even the author's view of how the once planned kidnapping of Lincoln turned into an assassination!! The ending chapters uniquely wraps it all up with how the women in his life lived, loved, and perished from a hanging, old age, and more!!

And, just the other day, after finishing Fates and Traitors, I began reading a non-fiction book, Mrs. Sherlock Holmes, on a true story of the first female U.S. District Attorney and a case of a missing girl that awed the nation back in 1917.  Once I finish the book, I'll most likely do a review.

-Lilies- 

Tho it's not Easter, my Easter lilies have been blooming this past week or so...

-Pomegranates- 

..and a few pomegranates are setting on our tree. I'm sure the birds will find 'em before they mature and ripen around November...




-Coupon from Hobby Lobby-
While Bud was at Half Price Books, I walked over to Hobby Lobby. And used the coupon from the store. I really don't need another stuffed animal, but it was so soft and irresistible. A three-toed sloth that I named Triple T  [no relation to Triple P on NCIS New Orleans] -- --


,,,did you know this> Sloths have extra neck vertebrae that allows them to turn their heads 270 degrees? It's a fact!!!


-Orioles and Dollar Store-


When I was working on balancing the bank accounts, from the dining room window I looked out to our bird feeding station just off the patio, and noticed a male Baltimore Oriole at the empty suet bowl! Well, that very day, I had to go to the Dollar Store for some cleaners and ended up buying three rag mops. What I did with the mops was simple...and much more 'cleaner' than hanging orange halves on the wooden fence. This is what I did...I tore off the rag strands of the mop and left the plastic 'cup' on the end of the handle. I then inverted the mop, stuck the metal handle into the ground, and with the cup upright, I set an orange half inside. Voila!!! An instant, no mess, Oriole feeder!! All for $1. each!!! By late in the afternoon, I had six more Orioles enjoying the oranges!!

§ Punicalagins? yes, that's a GOOD thing!

For the past few weeks, it's been Pomegranate Time in our house!!! I love 'em. They make a great snack while watching videos or TV programs on the computer through Hulu or CBS, NBC. But for some it's getting to the seeds that is a chore. Well, my mom, bless her heart, taught me a simple way of extracting the edible seeds without making pomegranate juice spray all over the house. It's a 99% sure fire way of getting to the good stuff without much mess!!

After filling a large bowl about half full of water [depending on the size of the fruit], you then:

with a sharp utility knife, trim a thin slice off the top and bottom so you can get your knife into the meat of the fruit

then, going through only the skin and fibrous membranes, slice the whole fruit into quarters, making sure you do NOT go through the entire fruit. Place the whole nicked pomegranate into the bowl filled with water and break into four pieces. Then, as you scrape the seeds from the inside of the fruit, the SEED will sink to the bottom of the bowl...

...while the fibrous debris will float to the top of the water's surface.

swipe your hand as a cup and scoop up the debris from the water.

With a colander, pour the pomegranate seeds - and water- into the colander to drain.

Store the seeds in an air tight container and chill.

...they're great, sweet-tart, and juicy!! I've sprinkled them on top of tossed salads, added them to fruit salads, and heck....the BEST way is just to munch on them and let the juices drizzle as they burst with flavor with every bite. Yes, the entire seed is edible. And oh so good. They're expensive as far as produce is concerned in comparison to other fruits and veggies at the store, but definitely worth every cent and more.


_ _ _

Compounds found only in pomegranates called punicalagins are shown to benefit the heart and blood vessels. Punicalagins are the major component responsible for pomegranate's antioxidant and health benefits. They not only lower cholesterol, but also lower blood pressure and increase the speed at which heart blockages (atherosclerosis) melt away.

Recent medical research studied heart patients with severe carotid artery blockages. They were given an ounce of pomegranate juice each day for a year. Not only did study participants' blood pressure lower by over 12 percent, but there was a 30 percent reduction in atherosclerotic plaque. read more

Ruby Tuesday2

§ There's Pee and then there's "P"

FOLLOW ME TUESDAY linked button on SIDEBAR!!


Click button to join

...."P" for pomegranates, that is. Let's hear it for Pomegranates!!!




A few weeks ago, I could NOT wait any longer!!! I remember asking here when the time is 'ripe' for picking...some said, "NOW" while others say, "Nope, wait longer." This is only the first year for our pomegranate tree to be planted and surprisingly we had it bare fruit the first season. I so love these. Being that they are very expensive per fruit in our stores here in Texas, with the ones that I just picked, it has already paid for itself!! Seriously. And the juices just flowed!! The flavor is unbeatable. The thing that tops it all off, I love 'em and they're good for me!! Unlike my love of cheeseburgers, y'know? Delicious!


Read the health benefits of the fruit at THIS LINK