The space looked like it did once before while looking like it never did. Gone is the agave, the “Green Giant,” attentively watched for months as the leaf, stalk, and flower put on their respective performances. The leaf, once standing tall and sturdy and razor sharp, flopped to the dirt in decline until stiff and … Continue reading Cry, Heart, But Never Break: Part 2
When we turned into the driveway of the ranch house our eyes were drawn to the agave. We gasped. As always, the massive agave stood stately and bold in stature — extending a human-scaled welcome, as if from a guard on post, assuring us all was well under her protective watch. The unquestionable strength and … Continue reading Cry, Heart, But Never Break: Part 1
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
On most visits to the ranch lasting more than a day, I gather plant material — whether bare branches or full blooms — and make an arrangement to display at the house. It might be a simple zinnia or fern frond in a vase, an oversized arrangement of fall leaves and grasses, or a quickly … Continue reading Seeking Flowers, Finding Spiders, Considering the Lilies
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