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Monday, May 12, 2014

Update on Hill Country House, Mid May


We spent Friday night and Saturday morning at the hill country house hauling construction debris to the landfill. On Friday evening, we walked around the property trying to think of ways to landscape. This is going to be a challenge. I'm used to planting tons of colorful flowers, but the deer population would have them eaten up in a night! There is also the problem of planting in rock! I have no doubt we will figure it out. It is not our top priority right now.
I would love to know the stories this interesting tree could tell me! I love that it has survived obvious adversity and has tripled in the effort!
I found these Prairie Coneflowers growing there. I am assuming they are not as attractive to the deer as most of the vegetation .
I haven't done my research yet to find out what this Texas wildflower might be, but these are growing there also. These are the unopened buds.....
...and these are the opened flowers.
(My thanks to Donna, who let me know that this is Antelope Horn Milkweed. This is loved by Monarch butterflies.)
A contractor is starting on some kitchen work today. He will do the things that we know need a professional touch. We will come in each weekend and do the things that we know we can do! It's exciting to finally be on the construction side of this remodel instead of the demolition side!
I am reusing some of the kitchen cabinets in what will be my quilt studio. Here is my rough sketch. It has already been changed some because we no longer plan to put the media room beside the quilt studio. (It will no doubt change several times before we actually get to the stage where we are working in that area of the house. My husband has threatened to take away my "thinking license" because I keep coming up with new plans!)
Here is the rough sketch so far!

I just had to share this old photo here. 

My granddaughter was only 2 at the time (she is 11 now!) and we were remodeling a kitchen in our house in Georgia. She was so excited about helping! Remodeling has been a part of our life for as long as we've been married!
I am working on a picnic quilt for the upcoming picnic blog hop. I can't wait to share it with you!
I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day! I was given a new Bible. (Mine was lost in the fire. I do miss the notes and underlined passages I had spent many years on. Fortunately, the message has not changed! I can start again filling the back pages with scriptures that fill me with joy and hope.) 
Have a wonderful week!

13 comments:

  1. Great to see an update from you! Wildflowers are such natural landscaping - garden shops usually can give you good ideas. Can't wait to see the finished kitchen AND your sewing space!

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  2. Such beautiful countryside. Your post reminded me of my grandmother's yard in the mountains of British Columbia. She landscaped her yard with native plants...a clump of creamy white birch trees, a mountain ash tree, tiger lilies and wild blueberry....Lots of advantages with that. It was free, guaranteed to do well in that climate and suited her log home so wonderfully. Perhaps you are onto something in noticing what the deer leave alone and adding that into your yard, either the wild version or domesticated versions. Daisies grew like weeds where my parents lived and there are so many varieties of daisy available as seed or plant and most of them would have settled right in there and flourished too I bet. It will be an adventure to plan new gardens. And so much fun to see what works best for you. Happy planting.

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  3. Beautiful photos and such unique designs in the tree and plants.

    Debbie

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  4. What a wonderful Mothers Day gift.. I am so enjoying your process for a making this house your home. Love that your creative process is ongoing. Your quest/sewing room looks great.

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  5. I've been using the same bible (4 translations) since shortly before I married, back in 1987. It would be hard to lose that bible. The print is tiny, and I have a hard time reading it, but, they don't make 4 translation bibles anymore, so, I'll stick with this one. Have fun 'creating' your new space.

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  6. The green flower is milkweed. It will produce and interesting pod that can be used in dried arrangements. The dried pod will split open and some think it looks like a "Texas Mosquito." The deer don't eat sage type plants like Salvia Gaggi, sorry, this is probably mis-spelled.

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  7. Hi Linda! Glad you are well. Enjoy planning your new sewing room. Exciting!!

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  8. Those green flowers are weeds, but aren't they beautiful...to me they look like stars. How exciting to start building stage of your new home !

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  9. Deer don't eat Russian Sage, which would be beautiful in your country landscape. How fun to be planning your sewing area! I loved reading your last paragraph, Linda.

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  10. Several years ago an older couple in our neighborhood lost their home to fire. I saw her a couple of days later at the Christian Book Store searching for new Bibles. That made me think twice about my own Bibles and how much the underlining and notes are a part of me. I purposely have several Bibles and rotate them because I want each of my three children to have one of my Bibles when I'm gone. My sister and I both wanted my grandmother's Bible but there was only one! Thank goodness for two grandmothers. :) blessings, marlene

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  11. So glad to see that you are being able to move on with your new house. Cant wait to see the finished product!!!

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  12. I have a lot of deer come through my property (between Wimberley and Blanco) and I have also searched for flowers that won't get eaten by them. I have lantana, Pride of Barbados (aka Mexican Bird of Paradise), Esperanza, society garlic, plumbago, and vitex growing in my circle drive. A new one to me is Rangoon creeper - I purchased one at Wimberley Market Days a few weeks ago - it's a beautiful bushy/viney plant with pinkish/red flowers and has not been touched by the deer.

    Good luck with the house building!

    Patty

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