Common Tree Senna

This is the Common Tree Senna. Starts off as a small tree and can be pruned quite well. But really acts like a bush and after a few years needs to be pulled and replaced with a new one.

Check out this link for more on the Common Tree Senna.

My favorite plant-Beach Vitex

This awesome plant is called "Beach Vitex". It goes dormant in the winter but in the summer gives a pleasant green to your landscape. And it's fun seeing the blue flowers come out mid-summer. It grows low the ground and sends trailers out. Would also be fun in a planter.
NOTE: This plant stinks. While driving home from Austin with 10 of these in the back of the car, my husband and I were too polite to tell each other that we had B.O. It wasn't us, it was the Beach Vitex. You can't smell them in front of your house but take a road trip with them and you'll be in heaven. Cough, cough.

Update from CDP-note about my mom

Sorry that I have been gone so long. My mom is dying from pancreatic cancer. I'm in Indiana spending some quality time. This is my beautiful mother Becky with her 3 children. (I don't remember who the blond child is.) Please keep her in your prayers.

Swimming in Cypress

Back home in Cypress, TX. Got a pic in the local pool with my water-proof camera case. The last few days have been over 100 degrees farenheit! Got some rain this morning though, should only get to 96 today.

Another "up north" pic - Notre Dame campus in South Bend, IN

The Notre Dame library and its' reflecting pool. He is aptly named "Touch-Down Jesus". Directly ahead of the library is the football field. And when you're in the stadium looking through the goal posts guess what you see? Yup, Touch-Down Jesus calling the play.

Another pic of "up north" - An eel on Lake Huron

An eel attached to a lake trout on Lake Huron off the coast of Port Austin, MI. Sorry, had to take a pic of it. If you know me, it was a given.

Next stop for "Up North" pics - Sandusky, OH

Took the kids to Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH. This is a shot from the chair lift ride that takes you over the midway. The ride pictured is called MaxAir. 50 people sit facing outwards, rotating, as the pendulum swings higher and higher. As soon as it looks like it will go over the top, you slow back down.

Lake St. Clair, MI -

Another pic from my trip "up north".
Partying on Lake St. Clair in Michigan. On this particular Saturday, 100's of boats showed up and tied together to create a "gauntlet". The water is only waist to chest deep. Lots of music, drinks, floats, dogs and......airplanes? This guy landed on the water, pulled the plane in next to us and set anchor. All we could say was, "Cool!".

Lake Huron, MI - Trout fishing

Oh, where to start? I promise to fill you in over the next week on my travels. Let's start with a view of Lake Huron just off the coast of Port Austin. Tip of the "thumb" of Michigan. Left at 6am and caught 12 huge Lake Trout. The captain cleans the fish up for on the dock, calls ahead to the local restaurant, they meet you at the door and rush your bag of fish back to the kitchen to cook anyway you want.

I'm back in Texas!!!!

A good trip up north was had by all. I promise some MI and IN pics soon. In the meantime, enjoy this loud guy outside my office window a few weeks ago.

It's Theme Day - Typical Breakfast

The Daily Photo family is Typical Breakfast.

Daily Photo guidelines:
"Typical breakfast"- not just the food you eat personally, but it could be in a restaurant or grocery store, the "occasion" of breakfast (the people eating it, an interesting location where people eat breakfast) - ie think creatively about it.

I picked the kolache. Since living here for 10 years, I have realized that not everyone knows what a kolache is. It is a wonderful sausage and cheese (or ham and cheese) wrapped in roll (or for fancy Texans, a croissant). The are quite small so breakfast easily is 2 or 3. The kids love them. The first shot is my 7 year old with his kolaches before church. And I had to add the 2nd photo (sorry-I've been off the computer for 10 days-in Daily Photo withdrawal) to show the typical donut/kolache shop. They are open on every corner. 6am to noon every day. When we're running late for school, I pile the boys in the car, swing by the kolache shop for a dozen and throw them in the back of the car. They're usually gone by the time we get to the drop-off line.

Enjoy the other daily photo sites participating in theme day:
Saint Paul (MN), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - New York City (NY), USA - Tel Aviv, Israel - Hyde, UK - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Mainz, Germany - Stockholm, Sweden - Paderborn, Germany - Singapore, Singapore - Haninge, Sweden - Nottingham, UK - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - Manila, Philippines - Boston (MA), USA - Seoul, Korea - Singapore, Singapore - Joplin (MO), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Paris, France - Sequim (WA), USA - Greenville (SC), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Boston (MA), USA - Chennai, India - Madison (WI), USA - Baton Rouge (LA), USA - Toulouse, France - Seattle (WA), USA - Mexico (DF), Mexico - La Antigua, Guatemala - Selma (AL), USA - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Lubbock (TX), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Sheki, Azerbaijan - Sydney, Australia - Mumbai, India - Seoul, South Korea - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Saarbrücken, Germany - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - New Orleans (LA), USA - Budapest, Hungary - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Austin (TX), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Villigen, Switzerland - Montréal (QC), Canada - Stayton (OR), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Moscow, Russia - Springfield (MO), USA - Inverness (IL), usa - Arlington (VA), USA - Cologne (NRW), Germany - Anderson (SC), USA - Oslo, Norway - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Manila, Philippines - Kajang (Selangor), Malaysia - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Bandung (West Java), Indonesia - Stavanger, Norway - Bastia, France - Hong Kong, China - Wailea (HI), USA - St. Louis (MO), USA - Chicago (IL), USA - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Sydney, Australia - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Kansas City (MO), USA - Grenoble, France - Paris, France - Evry, France - Saigon, Vietnam - Prague, Czech Republic - Cape Town, South Africa - Brookville (OH), USA - Brussels, Belgium - San Diego (CA), USA - Wellington, New Zealand - Newcastle (NSW), Australia - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Shanghai, China - Zurich, Switzerland - North Bay (ON), Canada