"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands........" 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Saturday, December 26, 2020

When life gives you

lemons...........cactus,
make lemonade........something pretty......with a little bit of cement and imagination.........
Armed with a pick ax, a pitch fork and
a wheelbarrow,  I have started working
at clearing the cactus that has it's intentions on taking over
the acreage. 
I have spent many hours and many days, 
whacking,  and placing the cactus into a wheelbarrow
and clearing the land, 
I am carrying it out to the edge of our property
with the hopes of much of it dying out on top of
itself.  This pile will be easier to kill out than with
it spread across the acreage. 
I do appreciate the natural beauty of the landscape,
and I do not want to hire someone to just plow over
the cactus or the other natural plants that live here.
My plan is to leave only a few of the large cactus
bushes.........
because in late spring they are covered in beautiful 
blooms
I am creating a natural "dry garden" 
A place to walk along paths and to enjoy
the beauty of the landscape, 
without running into too much harshness from
thorns.
And with a new uncertain year approaching, 
I am hoping........ we can all not have" harshness or thorns"
to run into on life's path

My prayer for you as this year ends, 
is that you will not look back, but that 
you will have much good and happy times to look 
forward to in the new year to come .




 
















17 comments:

Henny Penny said...

I love what you've done with the cement and larger cactus. It will be beautiful. Sure sounds like hard work though. I love projects like that. Your wish for the new year is so nice. I hope for the same. Oh, your Christmas card and words (last post) are beautiful and touching too. Happy New Year.

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

I find it so interesting which plants are invasive, depending on where you live. We have lots of twitch grass and thistles and bind weed, but of course no cactus. That would be a surprise!! Keep on chopping and hauling! Here's to a great 2021. -Jenn

Granny Marigold said...

As Henny Penny says, ridding some areas of Cactus and creating areas of simple loveliness will be a huge project but very rewarding. I like the oval areas where you've spread cement and outlined with small rocks.
Happy New Year. Stay healthy and safe!!

Prims By The Water said...

Very hard work, but will be worth it in the end. Looking forward to seeing those beautiful cacti blooms. I have never been out West, so I love visiting your blog to view the landscape out there. Janice

Lady Locust said...

Lovely sentiment and lovely space. I too would have to keep them at bay so to speak. I am just graceful enough to run right into them šŸ„“.

Hill Top Post said...

I love the paths you are creating and would love to come walk them with you. The cactus booms are beautiful, but when I was a kid I had some close encounters with their thorns. Hopefully, there will be fewer thorns along life’s paths in the coming year.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

You have undertaken quite a project, Kathleen, and most likely not one many would enjoy, but if it gives you pleasure and enjoyment that is all that matters. Thanks for sharing your wishes for the New Year as well, since they are so true. I hope it will be a happier one for all.

Texastracking said...

good plans for that cactus infestation - too much is too much of that prickly fast spreading plant. I really like the shallow water cement feature - in your part of Texas a little source of water is a big help to the pollinators and critters. Nice paths to enjoy - and I join in your prayers that 2021 be smoother paths than 2020 has been for us all. Bless y'all

peggy said...

That looks like a lot of work!! But must be done I guess, you will make it beautiful I know.

Elaine/Muddling Through said...

You truly have the gift of turning not so desirable items into beauty! Great work.

R's Rue said...

Beautiful.

Sally said...

Girl, you have been a busy little thing! Doing a great job, I might add! :)

Is that a new header on your page? Is that your home? Well, it's mighty pretty!

I hope this new year will be better for all of us.

xoxo

The Wykeham Observer said...

Happy New Year! I like the spirit of your gardening.

Bohemian said...

Just discovered your Blog this Evening, the Imagery is Lovely and I've enjoyed going thru the Archived Posts, Pandemic Lockdown extended Stay can be such a bore and challenge, so visits thru the Land of Blog are so uplifting! The scenery in your parts remind me of the Desert here in Arizona, which I Love. Your Acreage is so Naturally Beautiful! Happy New Year.

Brenda Kay Ledford said...

You are doing a beautiful job creating a cactus garden that will be so lovely come spring.

Wishing you a very happy New Year and happy Valentine's Day.

Olde Dame Holly said...

I lived in West Texas for 18 years, and moved to southern New Mexico last year. Your prickly pear cactus have a lovely color to their blooms. Ours in our new front yard were the typical light yellow, but in a nearby village, theirs are magenta! We pulled ours out because they were too huge and were a danger to the walkers and their pets of our neighborhood. We let them dry and then burned them. Very good luck to your farm adventure; I wanted to share that amazingly, apples grow very well here, if you want to add some to your orchard!

Gretchen Joanna said...

Your dry garden will be beautiful! I will hope to check back in springtime to see the changes from December.

After the pile of cactus dries up, will you do something more to kill it? Burn it, perhaps?