Patti's Haven

Winter of 2011/12

2012-01-05T12:55:00.000-08:00

Matchstick Bromeliade in full bloom

Shrimp plant blooming

Beautiful bark of River Birch. Everything looking good now !!!!!! Severe cold coming according to the weathermen.

Donkey

2011-08-17T16:51:00.000-07:00

Donkey that is his name. He should have been called STU BORN.

What was that?

2011-08-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

Three days later: He was back again. This time he was going after Hamilton.

As told by Patti:

After a long day at work and Lee coming home from the Re hap Center, I was all alone at home while Greg was staying at his mothers house for the night. I finally got to take a bath and go to bed.

Shortly after midnight Lucy and Hamilton started barking fiercely and loud panging coming from the garage. I kind of knew what was going on.

But from the inside of the garage?

First I got Hamilton in from the outside. then I opened the inside door to the garage carefully to turn on the light. Yup there he was the BEAR again. He had come in through the window. When the light came on he haded for the window which was half open to let the cats go in and out. It was a tight fit for a bear his size to get through it but he made it.

He had trashed the whole garage even shelf's were pulled of the wall and no cat in sight.

After everything calmed down I went back to bed.

But not for long, he the Bear was back again in the garage.

I didn't know what to do.

So here I was in the middle of the night calling Frank my neighbor and told him what was happening and of course apologizing for calling so late in the night.

He came over right away just in time to see the BEAR squeezing through the window again. One big boom (gun shut) over the Bears head, it did the trick the bear disappeared into the night.

Peace at last.

Whoever called this place Patti's Haven?

SURPRISES.

2011-07-28T11:34:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago at 2 AM in the morning Greg woke up to an awful crash outside when he looked out he saw half of the tree laying on the lawn. This is the tree were Rhoda (the coon) and her family lives. I guess her bathroom must have rotted out the tree. At least it didn't hit the house.

Guess who was visiting again last night, this must be the Daddy he is a big one.

Summer of 2011

2011-07-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

Cool looking front summer yard.

Florida Lilac (Crape Myrtle)

White Florida Lilac.

Golden Shrimp plant.

Orange Flamingo plant.

Lily of the Nile.

Cruise

2011-06-24T16:04:00.000-07:00

2009, a cruise with the "DISNEY DREAM" to the Bahamas. Wonderful, Wonderful.

2011-06-22T11:03:00.000-07:00

My Survivors

2011-06-21T12:19:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, these Brazilian Plume survived temperatures in the low 20's. I had a hard time believing it. My yard is pretty mushy, but some other plants that survived are: blackberry lily,

Here and there.

2011-06-21T11:35:00.000-07:00

Irises

a christmas present from Susan, Camellia "Kanjiro Pink"

An old car tag from Aunt Erna.

A new Toyota (Limited Edition) of course.

Welcome!

2009-06-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

Our front entrance and Roses.

Mama Rhoda!

2009-06-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

Mama Rhoda our resident coon brought her young 'uns - all four of them - down from the tree were she lives to raid the cat food trays.

PIXIE on day or night watch.

2009-06-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

Pixie the retired Hunting Dog is making her routine check around our property. She is trying to keep away coyotes and what ever else comes around. She especially dislikes coyotes.

CoyoteFox

Coyote

Same spot before and after.

2009-06-04T16:56:00.000-07:00

Before - picture was taken in 1996

After - 13 years later.

A Shady Site

2009-05-21T07:03:00.000-07:00

A good portion of my garden is shaded by oaks. On the east side I have a large garden bed full of my bromeliads and other shade loving plants. Two plants that perform well in the shade are pictured below. The plant with the pink flowers is called Pink Flamingo and in the forefront you can see the beautiful large leaf of the Oakleaf Hydrangea. The Pink Flamingo is one of the nicer plants that bloom in shade. As you can see it grows quite large.

And, the white flowers on the Oakleaf Hydrangea add a feeling of coolness in the summer heat. You can barely detect one of the flowers at the top of the bush and again at lower center of the photo.

Little Jay!

2009-05-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

or better known as Chirp. My sister came visiting last week, she is a foster mom to Chirp. Every were she goes Chirp goes because he is always hungry.
Hi there!
Who are you?
This bird didn't quite make it!

Rhoda

2009-05-12T13:50:00.000-07:00

This Mama Raccoon we named Rhoda has been living on our property for the past few years now. She stays up in a big Oak Tree and comes down long enough to help herself to some cat food and water.

A Stroll Down the Garden Path

2009-05-11T08:37:00.000-07:00

My side yard (about 25 to 30 ft wide) is cloaked in shade from a number of Live oaks which makes it the perfect place to grow bromeliads and orchids - two of my favorite plants. And, since it's almost impossible to grow grass in such shade it is the ideal spot for a concrete walk-way. From the frontyard, you enter this area through an arbor flanked on each side by potted ferns. Straight ahead you can see a pot of bromeliads dangling from a tree branch.
The walkway is surrounded by thickets of holly fern and evergreen giant liriope. I also hang my orchid collection in this area because of the filtered sunlight.

I made this walkway with one of those plastic molds that you lay on the ground and then pour concrete mix into. It took a while because the path runs the entire length and more of the house, but it was well worth it because it has held up so well and I think it really looks nice. Today, Hamilton (my labrador retriever) is leading the way. More orchids hang on the right side of the path.

As we round the bend we come up on one of three ponds on this side of the house, with this one being the largest. I have a bench for me and a platform for my cats where we can sit and relax and enjoy the peaceful sound of the bubbler in the pond.

Moving on down the path you can see another seating area up ahead with a fire pit.

This area is where family and friends can sit a spell and enjoy a little conversation under the shade of the trees.

Late night visitor!

2009-05-07T16:15:00.001-07:00

Guess who came to visit us last night? Right by our property. This is what you call Country Living. The picture was taken with our Game Camera.

Buckeye and Wilbur

2009-04-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

Buckeye tree blooming near the Pump house. A gift from my friend and Ex-Boss Dr JJH, retired, Wilbur a part Vietnamise Pot-belly Pig came to live on our property 10 years ago. You can tell he found Hog Haven. A client came to the Vet Clinic where I work just before closing time, he found Wilbur on the side of the road. Wilbur was very small and of course I took him home with me.

Country Living!

2009-04-28T06:06:00.001-07:00

Murphy - in memory of our Hemingway cat. Part of the back yard.

Pink Flamingo Plant

Garden and Smokey

2009-04-27T11:21:00.000-07:00

African Iris Backyard

Front Yard

Smokey Joe (a cute little statue)

Garden

2009-04-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

Front of the House. Build in 1996

Bird of Paradise.

Pond #2

HAVEN!

2009-04-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

Grady, waiting for his owner to come home.

River Birch

Hamilton six months old

My Haven

2009-04-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

Baby is doing her balancing act.

I'm going to make some changes here.

Around the Garden.

2009-04-23T07:26:00.000-07:00

Salvia "Greggi"

Bromeliad ( a real killer - plant it in a low traffic area) One of four ponds.

Phalaenopsis ( orchid) a gift from my husband.

Garden

2009-04-22T07:03:00.000-07:00

Rowdy and Tampa on their evening stroll.

Backyard

Walking Iris with Crinum.

New landscaping by the new garage.

My little corner of the world!

2009-04-22T06:10:00.000-07:00

Maxwell taking it easy.

The Pump-house.

Rambler Rose

Birdhouse Collection

2009-04-21T12:58:00.001-07:00