There are things I hate:
dead rodents being carried in my dogs mouth, this is #1
rustling noises in the woods next to me while I am walking
sand/dirt being carried into the house
dogs not listening when we walk past the polo horse lady
wild animals acting like I am not there and getting too close, mostly birds
JR scaring and yelling at me every time he sees a snake
I think that's it.
I thought I was going to be a nervous wreck when JR left on a trip for work. 4 days ago he received the call to go to Mongolia and it's been OK. Yes, the dogs felt the need to kill an armadillo in front of me the first evening I was here alone which caused me to sprint back to the cabin just in case they wanted to show me; the second night I came upon a family of 6 Mexicans fishing off our dock; and the third night there was a storm, but I did OK. I am OK.
My daughter, Morgan, drove over an hour to spend yesterday with me. I didn't think being alone really bothered me, but 30 minutes after her arrival she laughed and said, "Have you been lonely? You haven't stopped talking since I got here." :) It was fun having her here and it meant a lot that she took her time to come. She is becoming a close friend and I cherish this.
After Morgan left, I spent the remainder of the day digging up a Post Oak, digging a hole for the Post Oak in cement like ground, preparing dirt with compost and burying the Post Oak. Afterwards I dug up 2 Water Oaks and potted them with compost, THEN I pulled out my Texas Tree book and went on the internet to find out what kind of trees I had just planted/potted. It's at this point I found out I had transplanted a Post Oak who hates being transplanted, hates being fertilized and basically hates being messed with. I also found out if you leave them alone where they grow, in most conditions they can live up to 400 years. Maybe I didn't irritate it too badly? Maybe? I also found out the Water Oaks I transplanted into pots were considered junk trees; messy, with a short life span. Great.
As I was perusing my book and internet for information, I looked up the name of a bush we have in multiple areas here. It is the coolest looking plant and is called: American Beautyberry. What a name!!! I guess the Native Americans used a decoction (I had to look this word up) of the root bark as a diuretic; the leaves for dropsy; a tea from the roots for dysentery and stomach aches; A tea made from the roots and berries for colic; and, the leaves and roots in sweat baths for the treatment of malaria, rheumatism and fevers. Goodness! You can also take the leaves and use them externally as mosquito repellent. From what I have read, the berries are tasteless, but NOT poisonous. Good to know.
Today is only one example of why I love it here. After eating a terrific homemade breakfast omelet with Morgan, I got to spend the day actively digging in the dirt, using compost we have made from vegetable scraps (and a little help from the rabbits), and researching. Sure I didn't like everything I read, but now I know! I also made myself a wonderful fish taco, a cucumber salad and drank fresh lemonade made from the juice of lemons from our tree in League City.
We have no regrets. We were meant to be here.
