Lifescapes

In bloom this week: Flame flower

You can also see this post at my new website: https://susanalbert.com/in-bloom-this-week-flame-flower/ Drop in for a visit!

Our native Standing cypress (Ipomopsis rubra) has some other, more descriptive names: Texas plume, scarlet gilia, flame flower. A biennial, it grows wild in our meadow. Its ferny first-year growth flourishes in dry, gravel-y soil; if we get good rains, the bloom stalk can grow to five feet or more. Here in the Hill Country, it grows along the railroad tracks between Bertram and Burnet. The tracks aren’t regularly mowed or grazed, so flowers like these can flourish.

If you live in Southeastern third of the country (west to Texas), you can grow this in your garden–easily, too, for the flame flower reseeds itself generously. Save some seeds and share with friends or plant in other areas of your garden. (Start-up seeds are available from Native American Seed and elsewhere.) The hummingbirds and Sphinx mothswill bless you. The tubular blooms and these pollinators are made for each other. Naturally.

It’s been a busy couple of weeks, mostly working with my new webwizard, Mark Wiard, who has helped me develop this spiffy new website. This week, Mark and I have focused on creating a new format for “All About Thyme,” the monthly herbal eletter I’ve been publishing since 2006. Peggy, my long-time assistant and webmistress, was a coding whiz, but now that she’s retired (and married and moved to Portugal!), I’m having to learn new ways to get things done. “All About Thyme” will be out on Monday, July 1. If you’re a subscriber, you’ll notice that we have a new look (big thanks to Jen Hancey, at Hancey Design). You’ll also notice that we have a new way of displaying the eletter, thanks to Mark. If you’re not yet a subscriber, now’s a good time to begin.

I’m delighted to announce something that may make you Robin Paige fans smile. The first three books in the series (Death at Bishop’s Keep, Death at Gallows Green, Death at Daisy’s Folly) will be published as audiobooks later this year and early next. Bill and I wrote this series of Victorian/Edwardian mysteries together over a 12-year period (1994-2006). It was recently republished in England, and all 12 are available in both digital and print. Now, having it published in audiobook is a special treat. If the first three books do well, the publisher (Dreamscapes) may publish the rest. You’ll be the first to hear when it’s out.

Reading note. When we save seeds, we are taking history into our own hands. Literally, holding a seed is holding a story that stretches back, sometimes centuries. It’s a story that conjures up over-the-fence seed swaps. It’s a story that speaks to beating the odds, to adaptation and evolution, to finding a niche and holding on tight, just the way a bean tendril does. Seeds also speak of the future, of those untold, unfolded stories, the ones that you and I are shaping this very moment.—Rebecca Pastor

Birds of a Feather

The painted bunting has been called "the most beautiful bird in North America," and I believe it. He's certainly the prettiest native bird I've ever seen. These birds winter in Mexico and points south, migrating north for the summer. For the past couple of years, at least two breeding pairs have arrived at Meadow Knoll in early April and stayed until mid-September.

The males visit the feeders several times a day, flaunting their bright colors as if they know exactly how beyond-words gorgeous they are. They spill their melodic song from the very top of the tallest tree in the neighborhood. You can hear one singing here. The females are more modest, but during the summer, they're easily recognizable in bright chartreuse

These lovely creatures were once trapped and sold as caged birds, but (happily) that's illegal now, at least in the U.S.  Still, their numbers are declining: we humans are destroying their habitat. They're listed as "near threatened." (Photo credit: Dan Pancamo, Wikipedia)

It's been a busy few days here, getting the new website up and working properly. Lots of little glitches to fix, widgets to install, bridges to build between the old sites and the old blog to the new. I've appreciated your comments and suggestions. Thank you!

This month: the launch of A Plain Vanilla Murder, China's 27th mystery. The world was a different place when the first book in that series was launched, back in October of 1992. Online retail hadn't been invented yet, and mall bookstores, especially the chains, were the Big Thing. I remember my delight when I learned that Barnes & Noble and Borders (remember them?) were actually going to put Thyme of Death on their shelves. And I'll never forget my first visit to the mystery bookstore in Austin, owned by Jan and Elmer Grape--and to Houston, to Murder by the Book, where the audience consisted of six people: Bill's mom and dad and four of their friends. The first important review was published in The Herb Companion, introducing China to herb and garden friends around the country--and the rest is history. The books found their readers, and thanks to you, China and I are still imagining the world of Pecan Springs, 27 years later.

And there's more: Ruby now has her own series. Today is the launch of Out of BODY, the third novella in the Crystal Cave trilogy. If you like them, there'll be more.

As I announced last week, LifeScapes is moving to Wordpress. If you're moving with me (I hope you will), you'll want to subscribe, to make sure you're notified when I post. (I'm planning to do that more often.) When you're on that site, look to the right of the posts, where you'll see a "Subscribe to LifeScapes" box near the top of the page. Just type in your email and it's done. I'll be double-posting here and there for a few weeks, to make sure I catch everybody. All the posts will be archived here for the foreseeable future.

Reading note: “The reason birds can fly and we can't is simply because they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings.” ― J.M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan

 

You're invited to visit . . .

 

My spiffy new website--and the new home of my LifeScapes blog--was recently launched! You're invited to visit: www.susanalbert.com

All the books are together (at last!) in one faster-to-load, easy-to-navigate space. And I have a new companion blog: BookScapes.

I'll be double posting there and here for a while, and the existing LifeScapes posts will be available on Typepad for the foreseeable future. But I hope you'll make the move with me.

                                                                                                                      Susan

 

 

 

Milkweed and Monarchs

 

I love this tidy little plant, which is sending its silvery seed parachuting across our meadows this week. The Monarch butterfly larvae love it too, and feed on exclusively on it. Like other milkweeds, this one (Asclepius asperula) contains toxic cardiac glycosides that make the adult Monarch distasteful (phew!) to potential predators--an effective way to stay alive in a dangerous world. We have plenty of this lovely little plant in our pastures: cows won't eat it, for the same reason that birds won't eat Monarchs. It's toxic. And it tastes bad.

This plant has healing properties, too: it's been used to treat various lung ailments and as a tonic to strengthen the heart. I think about this when I see it sending its seed sailing into the sky. These days, we all need strong hearts--and just the sight of this little perennial gladdens mine. It's a native inhabitant of the Texas Hill Country, truly at home in its small and very ordinary corner of the earth, as I aspire to be. And that, all by itself, is a healing thought, and I'm grateful.

You probably know that Monarchs are in serious trouble, and that the situation is likely to worsen. As a Monarch food, milkweed is indispensable, but as our wildlands are disappearing, so is this wild plant. For more information and seeds, check out this site.And here is information on planting and harvesting native milkweeds.

If you haven't visited LifeScapes in the past couple of weeks, you may not know that I'm in the process of moving this blog to my new website. Please click on over and take a look. I'll be double posting here and there for a while. 

Reading note. Metamorphosis has always been the greatest symbol of change for poets and artists. Imagine that you could be a caterpillar one moment and a butterfly the next.--Louie Schwartzberg [Or a milkweed and then a caterpillar and then a butterfly!]

 

Do Tell!

There's a first time for everything.

We've lived at Meadow Knoll for over 30 years, and this is the first time we've seen a snake on a hummingbird feeder. We watched for several minutes, and this five-foot bullsnake didn't move. He was busy pretending to be an innocent, inviting tree branch that a wing-weary hummer can perch on for a good rest and a late-evening snack. 

But not for long. Bill fetched the snake stick and wrestled this guy out of the rafters and into a garbage can. This morning, he gave him a quick identifying spurt of white spray paint a few inches behind the head and deported him to the other side of the lake. If we see him again, we'll recognize him. Next time, he'll get a longer ride.

This surprising event prompted me to do a little online research and discover this interesting post on "Hummingbird Predators."  Now I know that snakes do prey on hummingbirds (especially nesting birds). The predators' list also includes cats, birds, praying mantids (there's a grisly photo on the link), spiders, bees and wasps, frogs, and even (astonishingly) fish. Do tell!

If you're reading this on my Typepad blog, please know that I'm in the process of moving. You can find LifeScapes on my new website, at susanalbert.com  I'll be double posting (here and there) for the next few weeks. Come on over and browse. You might find something that surprises you, too.

Reading note. Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.--Mary Oliver  

New Website!

Drum roll, please! After 20+ years (and several makeovers) on my old multiple websites, I now have a spiffy new site to share with you!

Life has a way of calling the shots. Last year, Peggy (my longtime webmistress and assistant) married, moved to Portugal, and retired. Lovely for Peggy and I wish her and Rene all happiness. But also a clear signal from the Universe that it was time for me to get serious about a new website.

A friend recommended Mark Wiard, a web designer in Colorado, and when we talked, I liked what I heard. Working together (and with graphics artist Jenny Hancey, who created the slides), Mark and I came up with a site design that pulls all the books together: my 3 mystery series and the dozen Robin Paige mysteries that Bill and I wrote together, my 3 stand-alone novels and the recent novellas, and the memoirs and other nonfiction. Plus this blog and some of the resource material from the old China Bayles site. Big job. Big, hairy scary job, I don't mind telling you.

But I persisted, Mark was skilled and patient, and I'm over the moon with the result. The new site is at the old location, www.susanalbert.com.  When you have a free moment, I invite you to skip over there and take a look. New stuff always has little glitches, so if you spot something that needs to be fixed, leave me a note on the contact page and we'll work on it.

This blog is moving, too, of course. There's an RSS feed button there, so you can be notified when I post. I'll double post for a while, to make sure that all LifeScapes readers get the message. And I plan to keep this site up and available indefinitely, so readers can continue to access past posts. 

Life is a process, isn't it? Thanks for being part of mine.

Reading note. The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward. Amelia Earhart

 

In bloom this week: Red roses

The red heirloom rose, blooming on the porch. Roses that can be traced back to a time before the Civil War are called heirlooms. They've been found growing beside old houses and in cemeteries and churchyards, and are propagated by collectors, sometimes called "rose rustlers." This one came from the Antique Rose Emporium many years ago. It never gets any extra water, is regularly nibbled by deer, and thrives in our long summer string of 100-degree days. An elegant survivor.

When I was on the Emporium's website a few days ago, I noticed this intriguing green rose (Rosa chinensis viridiflora) It's pre-1845. The blurb says: "Perfect for floral arrangements or dried in bouquets, this rose lends its unique texture and contrasting color of green and bronze. Fragrance is spicy with a hint of pepper." Another site says it may be one of the earliest roses, before petals evolved into the glorious range of colors we see today. If I were planting new roses, this would definitely be on my list.  

But I'm not planting new roses, or doing any gardening at all. Like many Americans (maybe most?) I've been having back troubles. This isn't anything new--I've lived with a bad back since my middle forties. But this spring, it's gone from chronic to acute, and it's keeping me from book travel. This is a big change for me (remembering my four- and five-week book tours of earlier years), and always a disappointment to have to say no when libraries and book clubs ask if I'm available to speak.

But for all of us, getting older means living with limitations, doesn't it? And I'm fortunate indeed to live in a beautiful place, with something new and interesting here at Meadow Knoll every day. Like this spring's crop of Little Girls, already in their early teens and eager for life. I'm eager for their egg-laying careers to begin, which will happen in the fall. The two Big Girls (from the previous flock) have adapted nicely to the noisy, excitable young ones. There's always a little irritable discussion at roost time, as they all sort themselves out for the night. But otherwise, peace and harmony.

It's a big week in Pecan Springs, with the release of China's 27th adventure, A Plain Vanilla Murder.  And a big week here, too, with the launch late in the week of my new Wordpress website. I'll let you know when that happens, so stay tuned!

Weather note. It's hurricane season, and the first Gulf tropical event of the year is gathering steam in the Bay of Campeche. It's not supposed to be a very "big" year for hurricanes (there's a persistent El Nino blowing west to east, which rips up storms before they can grow into hurricanes). But it's also been a big year for tornadoes, and friends up north have had a bad time of it. It pays to be watchful.

Reading note. To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.--Mary Oliver