GARDEN EMOTIONS: TODAY~WAY UP, WAY DOWN

What's a garden if there's no emotional attachment?  If you love a place and its creatures, you can't help but feel both the ups and the downs. Sure, I'm all for the garden being a refuge; a safe place to recharge and contemplate life. I love the garden. But all of you I'm sure have had days when gardening is almost too emotional. I've just been reading a new blog and learning about the wonderful gardener in England who writes it. She had mentioned how the train people decided one day just to cut down all of the mature oaks in the train easement. It was right next to her garden and I'm sure the whole thing was horrific to watch.

So what's my story? Well, it's not about cutting down trees, but let's begin with the PATH to the garbage can.
EMOTIONAL STATE: DOWN

We've had a record number of doves in our feeding area since the weather has turned dry, and I think it's attracted a hawk. I've heard it screeching overhead the last week or so. Today, I found a bird and thought it was dead. It was covered with flies. But to my horror, when I went to pick it up, it opened its eyes! It was really torn up and all I could do was keep the flies away from it. I boxed it up with air holes for breathing and set the box on the back porch. It was a white-winged dove.

I thought about that poor bird the whole time during church this morning. It died later today and I buried it.

I can't lie to you, I had tears in  my eyes when I did all this.

EMOTIONAL STATE: UP

My wife is between jobs right now, so we had to pick up a practice book for some tests she'll be taking.

I went over to the nature section and found this: a 1937 copy of Walden, by Henry David Thoreau!

I've always wanted my own copy of this classic. It was only $7.95. I read the part about weeding the bean field and it reminded me of this:

EMOTiONaL STaTe:  MIXED

I pulled the spent purslane the other day and threw the 'weeds' behind the flower bed. But then I found this one giving its all to bloom just one more time while uprooted and hanging on an agave leaf. What would you do? Of course:

It's now in some good soil with water. The little guy has spunk!

And finally:

EMOTIONAL STATE: WAY UP!!!

I've been trying to take a crisp picture of this little blue dragonfly for days now. I probably have snapped 20 blurry pictures. He's very quick and wary of humans with cameras.

But today I finally succeeded.  All in all, I count my blessings to have a place to call my own.

That's it for today from Tropcial Texana.

Who needs a roller coaster, just garden! :-)