road trip part 1

I just had to illustrate the roadtrip from Wimberley Texas to Peabody, Massachusetts. 

Aside from a white-out blizzard in the mountains of West Virginia, the weather was great and the adventure was really enjoyable and safe. Cheers to my new life in New England!

road trip part 2

movin' on

After thirty-some years in Texas, I'm packing up for a move to Massachusetts. What a roadtrip it will be!

ink and magik markers.

yard art in color

Photoshop colors.

yard art

Clay bird flower pots. This is up on a hill, just outside of Wimberley.

Skyline Ridge

A quick sketch of the view from my porch, looking east. Wimberley, TX.

Wimberley sketches

Left: Cypress Creek lined with cypress trees. East Summit Drive.

Right: The "Flying C Ranch". Caliche Road.

Wimberley sketches

Left: the low water crossing on the Blanco River. When the river is flowing after a storm, this road is closed. Fulton Ranch Road.

Right: 16100 Ranch Road 12. Sometimes known as the "igloo" place. Blooming purple sage in the foreground. WoodCreek water tower in the background.

Wimberley lavender farm

We're not in Kansas anymore.

Wimberley lavender farm

The lavender are in full bloom right now. The farm is west of town, not far from the town of Blanco, Texas.

fawns galore!

All of the deer in this area have their fawns in late March, early May. They are hidden away in the tall grasses and underbrush of the cedar and live oak trees. Now is when they gain the confidence and skill to follow their mothers. They are adorably playful in a Bambi sort of way. I sure hope she grows up healthy. Many of the deer are hit by cars around here. This fawn's mother was hit, just before giving birth. Her back leg is badly dislocated, but she still limps around and takes care of her baby.

Behind this fawn is a giant rosemary bush and blooming garlic aliums.  There are very few plants the deer won't eat, and these are them.

century plant bloom

A century plant is a very large agave with sharp, painful needles. They bloom once, then die, leaving rooted starter plants. The stalks are very impressive. They grow quickly to about 20 feet tall. During this time, they look like the Jolly Green Giant's asparagus stalks. I was thrilled to learn recently that the stalks and blooms were used on movie sets as plants on alien planets in the cheesy old movies. Century plants are originally from Mexico, but they are all over the Texas Hill Country. This is my front yard.

the winds of change

An old barn and a new house along Winters Mill Parkway in Wimberley. Before the road was built, I hiked back here and got lost. It's hard to imagine, now that the landscape has been tamed.

deer breakfast

She likes her apples chopped, with the skin on.

land shark

I took this picture of my deer friend through the screen door. Any day now, she'll be knocking at the door.

free-range chickens

Six weeks ago, after returning from a trip to Florida, my next door neighbor volunteered to pick me up at Austin Bergstrom Airport. Since my plane was delayed for a couple of hours, she went to a nearby garden center and bought some Rhode Island Red baby chicks (a wild moment of impulse shopping). I had a box full of them at my feet for the drive home.

Who knew chickens are so entertaining? They are about 2 months old now, with most of their adult feathers. I'm so glad I was able to talk my neighbor into building the coop on the opposite side of her house, away from mine. Cluck luck.

my deer friend

This is the first time this deer has ever made herself this comfortable. She stands in front of my porch, looking at me, waiting for carrots. It's kinda creepy sometimes. I swear she's going to knock on the door one of these days.

This deer is 3 years old and has been coming around here since she was a fawn. Last year she had her first fawn. A week or so ago, she had her second season fawn. I've been calling her Mommy Deerest. I haven't seen the baby yet, but it should be soon. That's when it's time to pay close attention to where I walk. Deer are well-camouflaged, so you don't always see them in the shadows of trees. When there are fawns around, the mothers are very protective and dangerous. They stand on their back legs and hit hard with their front hooves. I should whistle while I walk.

Kinetic yard art. This deer is just like one of the family pets. She is always is my yard. Yesterday I made tortillas, for the both of us.

the neighbors

We have a huge deer population in the Hill Country. For several years I've been feeding and befriending a family. This mother and her yearling come by every day for handouts of carrots, apples, and corn tortillas. She comes up to my porch and peers in the window until I bring food. They are highly entertaining and often downright funny. This deer is pregnant, so it will be interesting to see how she reacts to her ever-present yearling when the fawns arrive. I don't get close enough to touch them, nor do I give them names. But I do love observing them from a few feet away.

across the street

Downtown Dripping Springs. Mercer Street.