Plantas Y Maderas - Garden Benches

After 9 years with my old red toyota, I bought her for myself on my 35th birthday...we'll finally let er go...traded her in for a horse and saddle and then some...now we finally have a few horses we can actually ride. 

Seems like more and more these days ..."less is more"  traded in what 145 horse power for 2....yep. The simple things in life continue to give our family great pleasures.  I tell Gene, we almost lost you last year, might as well act like we are semi retired and slow down, enjoy the life we have together.  A shift in perspective can sometimes create amazing things.  I can't seem to fit everything I want to do within the 24 hour period anyways...might as well enjoy what we have here and now.  I actually get more accomplished, imagine that.

We've got the occasional bull or herd of bulls nearby...at times it's a bit of a challenge.  The burros are plentiful...then the rattle in my hand freshly broken off from the rattle snake we got last week near our outdoor shower.  I swear the thought did cross my mind to get a video of it coiled up with it's tounge out and rattling at me, I was in the position to close the door between us and go grab my camera...but hey, what can I say..I ran to Papa for a little assistance on this kill.  Maybe next time...for your viewing pleasures.
Meanwhile, here's Gene riding out the Dog Days of August...sometimes it's just plain loco round here...just gotta keep on keepin on...

Yesterday while waiting for Ellie's school to start in La Playita, we heard the sounds of Guns and Roses "Welcome to the Jungle" load and clear from a neighbor starting out his day. It put a big smile on my face....thinking "Welcome to the desert"...... Classic to even hear tunes in english in these parts....pura espanol!  The previous day we even witnessed a group of mariachis walking down the La Playita roads in full costume.  At any rate...

Countless photo opportunities have passed me by...still working on the ol girl, the camera that is...I am finding that the words flow more freely with visual affects.  My words can't possibly begin to give this experience in the tropical desert justice. 

Meanwhile back at the ranch, the horses run free during the day then back into the corral at night...growing healthier daily..Milagro is now providing milk to her babe Warrior, what a transition occurring in just a few weeks.  Fort and Ellie will be out of school this coming week...phew..yeeehaw!  We continue to produce fine custom woodworks out of our off the grid shop and thankful for the continual flow of work in this tough economy. 

The wildlife continues to amaze me. Yesterday a red fox ran out in front of me, and in that same spot just days ago a small bobcat and I had a few moments where our eyes met.  The orioles, blue jays and cardinals bring brilliant colors  of yellow, blue and red upon this dry vast landscape.  Where you would think no life could survive you often see lizards, chipmunks, road runners and rabbits scurrying along finding shade and food...lord knows how they exist here.  This past week I looked up at a nearby cardon while sitting on a bench outside our place and saw a red cardinal, a dove and a chipmunk each eating the seedlings on 3 separate limbs of the same cardon cactus...classic.  During the full moon phase we could hear the coyotes at night near by, along with that the neighborhood dogs barking at burros, cows, coyotes...imagine that.... Desert solitude.

The cactus are in bloom always so hard to believe how these native plants can produce fruit and flowers when they are obviously lacking the life giving rains...yet they continue their cycle of life, regardless of these desert elements.  As Fort put it last night in a little song "Only the strong survive" while taking his evening outdoor shower.

God I love it here.

It was a year ago today that we had one hellofa scare. 
see :

Miracle in Motion category and scroll down to Oct 17 2009...lots of scrolling, guess we have been experiencing lots of miracles in motion these days. Or click on:


http://www.plantasymaderasgardenbenches.com/1/post/2009/10/post-title-click-and-type-to-edit3.html

Life can really give you some blows, but this was a huricane/tornado/road wave all in one.  None the less here we are ...what's that saying "If it don't kill ya, it just makes ya stronger"...yep, so that's how that works.

With perseverence and endurance, Gene has overcome all odds...along with great doctors, therapists and support from family and friends....my man is back at it....like Lee Majors the bionic man, stronger than ever. 

To add a little spike to the punch, 5 months to the date after almost losing his life in a serious accident in the shop, he' had an unexpected invasive surgery for skin cancer. A carcinoma cell had developed into a serious situation...where our same doctor...Dr. Juan Licaga had to remove 1 3/4 inch by 2 inches on Gene's lower lip...phew.  Just when we were thinking we were back at it..."Here we go again"  Hard to take.  although we did and tumbled through it, but survivors none the less.

Today we celebrate and give thanks for all of our prayers have been answered.  Live continues to throw things all of our way and so unexpected be it a burden or a blessing....sometimes they are one or the other in disguise.  So ...just roll with it.  Ya just never know what will happen next.

Yes, and as far as the Milagro Ranch ....we have acquired 3 horses this past week...we call the Mama Milagro, if she makes it ...it will be a miracle.  Her 1 month old filly Warrior needs her as well as yer pregnant yearling Cherokee...What are you gonna do?  ...but embrace it full heartily.

My apologies with the lack of photos, but the camera has been taking a sabbatical on it's own...hence missed all the epic moments of our Oklahoma, New Mexico journey...but hope my words can take you along with us.

This past week upon our return to our new found roots of Old Mexico :) we have seen a bobcat, rabbits, desert chipmunks, a king snake, road runners, road iguanas, lizards a school of dolphins and various native birds.......cardinals, blue jays, hummingbirds, doves, cactus wrens and red headed woodpeckers to name a few.

Although the desert continues to be bone dry, the occasional morning you can wake up with water dropping off of the tin roof and during the heat of the day you can see the lawn boy tree spitting out water.  It is truly amazing how these plants and animals survive.

The cardons, pitia, biznaga and cholla have given a random bloom since the first of June....I have to get the old girl back in action, my trusty camera that is...so much easier to see it in a photo.

Please check back at will.

Blessings upon our Milagro Ranch...may the light continue to shine upon us.  As well as all of our friends and family and those good folks we have yet to cross paths.  Gracias A Dios/ Thanks be to God/ Thank you Great Spirit.