Category Archives: Rancho Roly Poly

Tuesday randoms

Ever notice how the headlines on stories from Iraq are always about how many more Americans have died? Never about how many more "insurgents," or (fat chance) "terrorists," have bought it in contact with American GI’s on patrol or otherwise in battle. Why, you’d almost think the headline writers were working for the enemy. Naw. More likely, for Harry Reid.

Garbage wars, part 3: Ever since the city of Austin broke our garbage can lid with their automated truck three weeks ago, we’ve been waiting for them to come and replace the big plastic can. Called three times in the past three weeks and gotten nothing but promises–always, oddly, promised within 24 hours. Nothing’s happened yet. Now we’re playing with real garbage, which they did not pick up at all last week. Yesterday they promised to come get it today. Haven’t shown up yet. By 7:48 p.m. it was clear they weren’t coming. Again.

To mow or not to mow: Supposed to rain big this afternoon and tonight. So should I hustle and get the backyard mowed this morning, knowing that all that rain will make the grass grow quicker than usual and I’ll be back mowing again by the weekend? Or let it go until after the rain? I’m letting it go. No surprise there, right?

Back to normal. The Site Meter went through the roof yesterday with collateral hits from The Fat Guy, who got the real Instalanch–i.e. thousands of uniques from one post picked up by Instapundit putting down Compact Fluorescent Bulbs. I got about a hundred of the uniques who used Scott’s recent link to RoboCow, such that the total for the day here topped out at 162, about twice normal in recent months. But it’s over. About ten minutes ago I notice the difference between today and yesterday on the meter: yesterday it was about 60 at this time. Today, it’s 12.

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The Family Sloop

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Showers

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Rainy day at the rancho: a nice, slow soaking rain we can surely use, even if it does make the grass grow faster. 

First mowing

Some of ya’ll up nawth still have snow. But down here spring has returned after a cold weekend, and, after all the rain of recent weeks, the grass was getting tall. Was until I finished mowing it a few minutes ago. I noticed the deep (well, sometimes) red Louis Philippe roses are in bloom, and the Winecup, a dark red wildflower. I always try to put off the first mowing as long as possible because, as a neighbor once told me, grass grows (counter-intuitively) when you mow it. Seems to work that way.

Zephirine Drouhin

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It took this Bourbon antique rose of ours almost four years to get established, and this is the reward: the start of its spring blooms with more to come. Since it’s a repeat, after its springtime flush is done, it should bloom sporadically the rest of the year, until another big bloom in the fall. 

Spring rain at the rancho

Nice shower in progress, aiding the grass already greening from the previous heavy rain. The catkins littering the patio, sidewalk, and pool deck, however, will get soaked and leach brown stain everywhere. Also may knock some of the petals off the heavily-blooming pink Old Blush. Always a downside. The blooms wouldn’t be in such profusion without the rain, but the rain hinders the blooms. Oxalis, or Wood Sorrel, a cool weather perennial, is nicely rioting in dark pink. And the misnamed Pink Evening Primrose (it blooms all day) is abundant under the Zephirine Drouhin which is well budded but not quite ready to bloom. So we’re pretty in pink and green, and awaiting the white and red roses to come.

Denting the drought

As the big storms move into the Austin area, meteorologists are already talking about them denting the drought, maybe even bringing a big boost to the Highland Lakes, particularly Lake Travis which rose about 7 feet after the previous big storms, about two weeks ago. Some parts of the hills around Fredericksburg have already had well over 3 inches of rain, and it’s all headed our way. Flash flooding, for sure, of creeks and streams, with the watch for that extending to midnight. No sign yet of the Guadalupe or San Marcos rivers rising, however.

UPDATE  Minor lowland flooding at 10 p.m., with Lake Travis expected to rise 2 to 3 feet (not enough, unfortunately), rain ending after midnight. Sunny 85 Tuesday with rain again Thursday and Friday.