Trees and Family Portraits

Joel and I took a trip to Kerrville over the Labor Day Weekend to celebrate his parents' 60th wedding anniversary. While we were there, we arranged for his brother, Denis, and sisters, Brenda and Sherry, to meet us early Saturday morning down at a little park on the Guadalupe River so we could take a family portrait for his parents as a surprise gift. We used a digital camera, downloaded it on Joel's laptop, printed it out and framed it. His parents loved it, as we knew they would.

When we scouted locations Friday night, I knew the minute I saw this beautiful oak on the banks of the river that we had our spot. The Texas Hill Country is filled with such scenery, which provides a perfect backdrop for a portrait. This is right behind his parents' home, in the oldest RV park in Kerrville, shaded by aged trees. The value of trees, as the late Dr. Dennis Franklin loved to say, is far more than to provide shade. You can insure trees, but it's impossible to calculate the aesthetic value of one of nature's most beautiful blessings.

Master Gardeners Day 1

Today was the first day of the two-week Jefferson County Master Gardeners class. I was so excited about finally getting to take the class that I didn't sleep well last night. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but it was much more - and better - than I could have imagined.

Today, we covered a lot of ground, from Earth Kind Gardening to plant growth and development.

Three things I learned today:

Glucose is the beginning of all growth, including plants. Such a simple formula - CO2 + H2O = H12O6 -with such life-altering impact.

Anything that contains a seed with maternal tissue around it is a fruit - including tomatoes and a pecans.

One pollen grain is needed for each egg (Yes, plants have ovaries and eggs) to be fertilized. Some have hundreds of eggs.

I also learned that, like the wonderful Dr. Dennis Franklin, who taught the Plant Growth and Development, I am a plant nerd. Yeah for me!