I have discovered that being a hot sweaty woman here in Central Texas doesn't attract cowboys. Instead, I am a walking all-you-can-eat cafeteria for every blood sucking or biting insect within five counties.
What really irks me though, is that I never catch them munching on me. It's only at two in the morning that the welts start to itch and the rashes crawl up my shins. I get up in the morning and am raw from scratching.
It's probably karmic pay back for gloating about my yard. All my hard work (which is why I am hot and sweaty) is really starting to pay off. I got ten flats of Texas Sedge planted this week, plus installed my two Yaupon Holly trees (latin name illex vomitoria - click on the link and read why it is named this. Pretty funny.) Both plants are natives that are drought tolerant and really pretty to look at. I also added some milk weed and fennel for the butterflies to lay eggs on. Next time all those Monarchs fly by my house they are going to want to stop and leave me some caterpillars! I also planted basil (in November, it felt completely wrong) and some winter savory to flavor my black eyed pea dishes next summer.
My garden is still growing like crazy. I am feeding five people, not including Ed and I, with the greens that I planted. I keep harvesting them and you can't even tell I've touched them. They must grow at least an inch a day. It is amazing.
Yep, things going well out in the yard. Now excuse me, I have to go scratch.