Big Red Car here. SXSW is all abloom. It is a wonderful time here in the ATX. It’s about 57F headed to 75F today. We keep the best weather for SXSW and the nerds and hipsters. All 250K of them. Welcome, ya’ll.
Spring, yes it’s already spring in Texas, is a special time when we glory in our weather and talk smack to those up north still dealing with snow.
Crepe myrtles
Crepe myrtles, by way of China, are a staple in the Texas landscape. They bloom gloriously all summer and provide continuous color.
The Boss has three huge crepe myrtles that he got from a cemetery in Houston about 33 years ago. These crepe myrtles were probably 70-80 years old when they were transplanted from Houston. They then lived for a a decade or more over on 30th Street and were then transplanted to Ethridge Avenue in 1995.
This is what a 100 year old crepe myrtle looks like today — after having been crepe “murdered.”
This is one of three and the other two are in the backyard. It was no small feat to get them into the backyard. Though this picture doesn’t do them justice, they are as big as the crepe myrtle in the front yard. The palm in the planting bed was about a foot tall and wide when planted 18 years ago. There are three of those next to the pool and they are going to have to be pruned soon. The hot tub is the portion of the pool in the foreground. It gets pretty hot in the hot tub and it can fit an entire cow or two.
The next picture shows the corporate headquarters of The Wisdom of the Campfire — second chaise lounge from the left.
Crepe Murder
As you may have ascertained, The Boss does not approve of Crepe Murder — the pruning of the top of a crepe myrtle. But The Boss doesn’t always get his way on things particularly pruning.
The crepe myrtle in the front yard was almost as high as the top of the roof when pruned. Alas. It was a beauty. Now it will take a few years for them to fill out again but now the blooms will be at a height that they can be appreciated.
But, hey, what the Hell do I really know anyway? I’m just a Big Red Car and I don’t want to irritate anyone cause they might just prune me. Be good to each other. It’s Spring in Texas!
