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Welcome to austinagrodolce … My family and I garden with more intention and enthusiasm than allocated budget or overall design plan. It shows. Wildlife populations don't seem to notice our lack of cohesive design, they just like the native plants here. It seems by growing local we've thrown out a welcome mat. Occasionally, we're surprised at who (and what) shows up.



Thursday, October 30, 2014

Something borrowed, something blue

What is borrowed?  With gratitude and a tip of the hat to the Sierra Club's "Daily Ray of Hope" feature, this wonderful quote from Lucy Maud Montgomery, author perhaps most famously of "Anne of Green Gables":

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."

What is blue?  Migrating geese. Pointing the way they are going, and going that way at top speed.


I heard them long before I saw them. When I did find them in the sky, the angle of the sun's glare through hazy high clouds blinded me. I had to point and shoot and keep fingers crossed I captured anything before they flew out of range.

For the record, I realize those terms, "Something borrowed, something blue," refer to good luck tokens for a bride's wedding day rather than having anything directly to do with gardening. I stipulate that gardeners however, especially Central Texas gardeners, need all the good luck they can get.

Here comes November.

9 comments:

Tina said...

Your geese look very determined. One does hear before seeing. One night, 10 years ago or so, I was walking my dog--not late, but it was dark and about this time of year. It was foggy and low-to-the-ground fog. A group of (I assume "geese"), flew over. Though I couldn't see them at all, they were so loud and close that I could hear individuals. I can't describe those couple of moments and I've never forgotten it.

Kris Peterson said...

Blue skies and wildlife always bring joy. Thanks for sharing yours!

Debra said...

The geese are making a huge arrow in the sky making me wonder: what are they pointing to? I haven't seen any geese migrations but I did see a cool swarm of starlings. yay October.

TexasDeb said...

Tina: These birds were flying at what looked like top speed - really moving away fast.

Your close encounter sounds wonderful in an eerie way. Large migrating birds are all at once so very patterned and wild in their behaviors.

TexasDeb said...

Kris: I hate to sound grumpier than I really am, but at the moment I'd appreciate a good rain. I know you know what I mean by that. Thanks for dropping in!

TexasDeb said...

Debra: I typically see between one and three groups of birds winging it through here this time of year. As Tina and I have both noted, you hear them before you see them. This particular arrow of geese has that one extra long arm, making me wonder if they were at some in-between stage of formation change.

Anonymous said...

Your brooding sky and that flock of migrating birds...so Halloween and October-ish. Nothing of the sort here, the usual blue skies!

Hope you get more rain...though I think except for human comfort, central TX is easier to grow plants in than the desert SW. Even this year (8", average moisture for us all year).

TexasDeb said...

David/DHB: Thanks - we actually did get about a half inch last night. Water averaging (utilities monitor usage to determine the next year's rates) starts in our area tomorrow so most folks hereabouts turn their automated systems off as of today. Without rain, that forces those of us with seedlings and new transplants to hand water when the temperatures/humidity/wind threaten their getting established.

And you are right. I complain a LOT but gardening here is easier than other places (when I stick to my native plant guns!).

Unknown said...

Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness. See the link below for more info.


#hope
www.matreyastudios.com