Beauty is in the eye of the beholder....Be a Beholder!

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.

Robber Fly

Variegated Fritillary Caterpillar

Unknown Chrysalis

Gulf Fritillary fresh out of its Chrysalis

Carolina Chickadee

Neon Skimmer Dragonfly

Green Anole

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.

Phlox

Cleome

Coral Honeysuckle

Coreopsis and Echinacea

Jewel of Opar

American Bumblebee

Monarch on Tropical Milkweed

Common Buckeye on Scabiosa

Black chinned Hummingbird

 Immerse yourself in the things that bring you joy and satisfaction and feed your soul.   Find your passion.

Can you find the bee covered in pollen?

 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

White Spider Lily

Black Swallowtail

Eastern Giant Swallowtail

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!

A Brief Encounter of the Scotland Kind- Prescription for a Vacation Part 2

I ended the last blog with this sentence....."The last house at the end of Balmaqueen Road with sky and ocean at our fingertips."  So here we are!

Just a mile or two from our destination we are encountering some of the most awe inspiring vistas.......

But we certainly don't let that stop us. We are not sure what to expect because there were some hiccups in the arrangements for this place and it really did sound just a little too good to be true. Kate....the ever faithful GPS guide, is counting down the miles to our final destination. When she finally says we have arrived, we are just a little bit confused. There are a couple of houses right next to each other with a view of the ocean in the distance, not at all like the pictures on the website. Stopping in front of a house with a couple of cars in the driveway and a woman puttering around in the garden, Amanda and I get out to see if we had actually arrived. After a bit of friendly chatter, an offer of a cup of tea, and a bit of history surrounding the area she pointed us towards the distant water to a solitary white house sitting on the edge of the coast. Ahhhhh.....now that's more like it. Weaving and making a couple of wrong turns, we finally pull into the drive. Is this paradise? Could very well be!

Here we are. The house is open and waiting for our arrival. We all split up to do our own personal tours, Siafu and Amanda each pick out their own rooms upstairs and we gratefully accept the one downstairs.

Quickly unpacking the car and claiming our spaces, we go on to look over the rest of our adorable cottage.

And every room has a view like this......

 and this......

and this.......

As we watch the sun simmer on the horizon we decide to stay here all day tomorrow to absorb the peace and beauty.......and hike........and explore!

Have I mentioned that the weather has been absolutely beautiful. Scotland is experiencing an unusual drought and heat wave....so for us, the 70's and 80's are delightful and no rain is such a bonus!

Upon waking our first morning in The Isle of Skye in the white cottage at the end of Balmaqueen Road is just what the doctor ordered. All of us, as traveling companions, are comfortable with who we are together. We can do things together, or wander off on our own. It makes for a most idyllic time for us all. And so we do.... we wander

and gaze off into the vastness of the waters

 hike to the top of mountains and down again

 take pictures of plants, birds, and scenery,

  annoy the oyster catcher birds

  and meander through sheep invested pastures.

and finally breathe in the magnificence of the everlasting sunset.

A full and wonderful day.....Yawn.....next blog will be our Puffin trip, a visit to Fairy Glen, the spontaneous stop at Kilt Rock and one last day of exploring around our homey bungalow before heading to Ireland.