Grind, dose, tap, tamp, pump, extract, knock, steam, stretch, froth, thump, swirl, pour, sip — I love a perfect espresso that makes a great latte. For most of my life, I didn’t drink a drop of coffee, but over the past five years, quality fresh ground beans, golden-brown espresso with crema that lingers, and velvety … Continue reading Savor: Things, Ideas, and People
It was two o’clock on Sunday when the summer sun was high in the sky, baking the blades of grass that were already brown, thin, and parched from lack of rain. But my eyes were not on the ground as I drove through the gate and gazed across the ranch. I searched for the familiar … Continue reading Clouds on a Summer Sunday
In March, I asked readers to walk through a ranch project with me. The first part of the project followed a progression of sedums from sprout to bloom. The project concluded by transplanting sedums to a spot on the ranch — Dad’s Cactus Ridge — where no sedums grow. This post shares the transplanting story and … Continue reading Feeding Chickens
Her name is Windy. She lived at the Lost Madrone Ranch. Windy is a dragonfly. Windy’s story is based on a real encounter over ten years ago. In my first blog post, Take Comfort: My Blog Introduction, I referenced an extraordinary day at the ranch — truly a ranch day to remember. I woke up … Continue reading Her Name is Windy, Sing Her a Song
The first tomatoes and peppers of summer are ripe at the Lost Madrone Ranch. The only thing better than eating tomatoes picked from the vine is sharing them with friends. Happy Summer!
We started to watch sedum plants at the Lost Madrone Ranch beginning March 4th. I will be honest, I did not realize it would take this many Saturdays to reach the peak blooming period for this little succulent. Thank you for watching the sedums with me! I arrived at the ranch yesterday happy with the … Continue reading Saturday Sedum Watch: The Final Week
Crunch, crunch, crunch. Anyone with unirrigated land in South Texas knows how it feels and sounds as you walk across dry parched grass. Crunch is the sound I heard as I walked to see the sedums this week. That was unexpected. Just last week at the Lost Madrone Ranch, I walked through a bright yellow … Continue reading Saturday Sedum Watch: That Was Unexpected
When I launched this blog and invited friends to come walk with me and take comfort at The Lost Madrone Ranch, I had no idea that a few months later I would “need” to get to Comfort to see sedum plants! That sounds sort of funny. And yes, my kids are calling me the sedum … Continue reading Saturday Sedum Watch at The Lost Madrone Ranch: April 29
Spring rains are here, the ground is wet, and overcast skies dampened my expectations to find many blooming sedums this week at the Lost Madrone Ranch. So, as I planned to head to the ranch, I thought about what else I would look out for on this trip. Last week was week six of watching … Continue reading Saturday Sedum Watch at the Lost Madrone Ranch: April 15
Five hours is all the daylight I saw this week at the Lost Madrone Ranch. Five hours of wonder. Returning from a short vacation, I made a quick trip to the ranch late Thursday afternoon to work in the garden, maintain the house, and check on sedums, of course. The pace of my short visit … Continue reading Saturday Sedum Watch at the Lost Madrone Ranch: April 8