Jeff is making us a sun shade over our back courtyard. I liked these sparks. The fabric that will go over our frame is the same stuff that nurseries use to shade their partial shade loving plants. It is supposed to lower the temperature by 15 degrees...plus! we're putting in a ceiling fan as well. It'll be nice and breezy back there soon. Yay!
They're baaaaack....
There are just two right now but there have been as many as five in this tree. They only come this time of year. I'm not sure if this tree is their permanent home or some other place.
I researched them a bit and they are not migratory birds. They mate for life :o) , are nocturnal feeders, and travel in flocks when they're not mating.
They 'peep'. They do not quack.
Soon this area will have gravel like our courtyard but, for now, it's just dirt. This chair was given!! to us. It needed to be sanded, stained, and polyed. I cannot believe the owner did not want it anymore.
While Jeff's folks were here, they both helped in our yard. His mom stained the chair for us, and both M&D cleaned up all the leaves in this little area.
WOW! Jeff was asked to haul some junk off a friend's lakefront property and we were given this furniture. It was faded taupe. I bought some Rust-o-leum Hammered Metal spray paint and sprayed the chairs. I still have the love seat. It has super thick cushions which are also sun faded. However, check out the material I found at WM for $2.97 a yard.
It is canvas. I bought 8 yards for $24! I couldn't even purchase one cushion for that amount. I can't wait to start sewing. I am going to recover our other outdoor cushions on the other four chairs outback. :o) Happy Camper!
Will you look at this bloom?! Isn't it pretty. I feel like I bought this plant ages ago, but it's only been several months.
Last weekend I noticed several buds. So everyday, everyday, I walked over to my desert rose, leaned in real close and whispered 'blooooom' right on top of all the buds. Tah Dah!
I know you are all thinking, "Stop with the backyard already!" But I can't. It was a mud pit people! Texas Clay. Black muck. And now, it is the jewel of our home.
Joshua painted the back door for me. Dried Chili Pepper. It looks great! I got rid of the patio table in the corner there and replaced it with a nice big scheffleora (sp beats me??) So now each corner has one. I saved the Mountain Laurel from certain destruction by my eager beaver husband (this size tree would cost $1000!!!), replaced our mosquito repellent torches and have smaller ones on the tables. Our little gem is complete. YAY!
This is the view from our hallway. It gets strong afternoon sun so I have to close the blinds after lunch but in the a.m. this is my view as I pass by this window headrd to or from our bedroom. I sigh every time I pass it.
Here on the left is the front door. I figured while we were painting might as well do this one too. I love it. Ok. I promise... no more same shot photos.
I'll switch to pics of the boy's bedroom... gotta start painting that today.
Well, the yard is coming along. It really is almost done. We still have some bare spots in the grass but since it is raining right now (yay!) those will fill in quickly.
Here is my morning reading spot. Coffee, Bible, and a spot of shade is all I need to get me going. I can't remember what this plant on the table is called. I dug it up at my Mom's house in Houston this past weekend. It has tall tiny yellow flowers. I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I kind of like rounded plants as opposed to spiky. We'll see.
Here's the other side. This is what I see when I am sitting in my morning chair. I just got this desert rose yesterday with some of our anniversary gift money. I love it! I have never had one before. I chose the one with the best shape even though all the ones at the store had blooms and buds galore. I can wait for my pink flowers. That's the fun of gardening anyway ... the anticipation. :o)
Look at my topiary! I have never had one of these either. I wanted something tall. I'd really love a Texas Yaupon (how is that spelled?), but funds would not allow it. I am very happy, however, with this choice. I put some vinca around the base, then found some caladiums and a dwarf nandina for the other two pots. You can't see the pot that the caladiums are in but it is a brownish glazed pot I found at the nursery. I really like it alot.
This tiny patch is to the right (if you are standing on the gravel) of our courtyard. I had some extra caladiums so I put them here. Those dark green plants in front are some sort of ginger I dug up in Houston as well. The blooms are purple. I love them. My Mom said they will spread and I'll have to thin them. When that time comes, I'll transplant them to another bed in the back. The old rusty gate I found years ago when old rusty gates just started to get popular in gardens. They were all priced well over $100. My friend Mendi took me to this junk lady's house and this was buried in her yard. $6. I was one happy camper. 
These two are my morning companions. They typically romp about, wrestle, lick each other and various other cute cat antics. I love those two. Frankie is the white one (named after Sinatra) and Oscar is the tuxie.
Here's the finished product. Well, almost. I still need to paint the back door. ( I forgot to remove my nasty Texas Clay yard work tennies. )
This whole idea was inspired by a post on Posie Gets Cozy sometime last year. I don't have time to find the actual post, but if you look under the tag "He Makes Things, Too" it's titled Backyard Redux. Her backyard is gorgeous. Ours is almost there!
A spot to read. I come out here in the a.m. after the boys have been dropped off at school, drink my coffee, read, journal and wake up. I feel all secretive like I'm hiding in my own little secret garden even though this is our 3 walled courtyard. This spot is next to the Mountain Laurel and Nandina and it makes for a secluded place to read.
These are the chairs I redid. They were green. We've had them for 8.5 years! I found some Rustoleum spray paint at WM that has a hammered gun metal finish. It's a wee bit charcoal-not totally black. Then I recovered our existing faded cushions with this canvas print I found, also at WM. I was planning on using oilcloth, but decided I didn't want to stick to the chair. That glazed pol is also from...altogether now...WM. There's a big ol' brown one I'd like too.
I got the fabric with my Mother's Day moulah. I like it. Very much. However, it rained last night, so I won't be here this a.m.
Hope all is well with y'all. Have a great Wednesday.
