Having a garden in Texas can be as challenging as it is satisfying. Flooding and drought, temperamental temperatures, high winds, and hail to name a few of those challenges. But all gardeners are faced with something that can stretch them!
But the joy and victory that comes with persevering, and sometimes compromising, is beyond compare. There is a peace that grows in my garden, a momentary haven from what ails our world, a beauty that brings hope and amazement. It is a place where I grow, learning to recognize what things should just be left alone and what things need to be removed. Learning not to give up on something, because maybe it is in the wrong place....maybe its needs are different than its neighbors, not quite so much sun or more sun, less water or more water....life lessons!
My garden soaks up my tears and embraces my laughter.
The life and death that exist together and are part of our story is on perpetual display in this little micro world. Hawks and Owls eat the smaller birds and rodents. The birds eat the caterpillars, as do the anoles, spiders, assassin bugs and robber flies. Dragonflies zip around catching bugs.....and mosquitoes in mid air. The aphids cover the milkweed....the ladybug larvae comes along and eats them. The caterpillars munch on plants. Some make it, some don't...but the world still turns, the sun still comes up and the cycle of life continues.
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| Robber Fly |
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| Variegated Fritillary Caterpillar |
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| Unknown Chrysalis |
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| Gulf Fritillary fresh out of its Chrysalis |
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| Carolina Chickadee |
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| Neon Skimmer Dragonfly |
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| Green Anole |
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| Carolina Wren |
Life can be wonderful and life can be hard....Life can be long and life can be short.....Life can be peaceful and life can be filled with drama....Life can be gentle and life can be uncomfortable or painful. But life is just that.....Life! Live it to the fullest of your ability. Find the peace.....find the joy.....find the comfort.......find the beauty. Those things are just as much a part of life and sometimes it's just a matter of choosing which you let rule your destiny.
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| Phlox |
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| Cleome |
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| Coral Honeysuckle |
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| Coreopsis and Echinacea |
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| Jewel of Opar |
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| American Bumblebee |
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| Monarch on Tropical Milkweed |
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| Common Buckeye on Scabiosa |
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| Black chinned Hummingbird |
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Immerse yourself in the things that bring you joy and satisfaction and feed your soul. Find your passion.
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| Can you find the bee covered in pollen? |
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If you know what you want and just dive into it.....you just might get it.
Behold the beauty.....see it.....feel it.......embrace it.......enhance it.......grow it.......share it
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| White Spider Lily |
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| Black Swallowtail |
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| Eastern Giant Swallowtail |
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| Passion flower (Passiflora caerulea) |
When the beauty is too much to bear, don't hold back. Feel the passion, let it bloom and pass it on!
