Cleanup comes to the 'Hood

Yesterday on the way home from our morning walk, we heard them before we saw them - the bulky trash trucks. The June 11 storm was our bulky trash day, but the big trucks would have been storm targets. The big crane truck had two filler trucks behind him. Didn't take long to fill the trucks. You should have seen the crane operator. This guy's been doing this a while. Our street looks like home now, clean. Still parts of the neighborhood are waiting for their bulky trash trucks. Hopefully they're on the way. Getting the debris out will take part of the sad frown away. Mel came by when he first started driving a crane and parked it in front of the house. I got to sit in the cab. After he left, I realized he should have let me get in the cab that goes up high. I still have time.

Chris and Carol Rose

June 11, the day of the big storm, Carol called to say they were on their way home, driving in sheets of rain when they stalled. Their alarm company had called and said the alarm was going off because of broken glass. The Chris and Carol rose is a gift from them for me going to their rescue. So sweet.

I remembered my garden club friend, Mary, suggesting planting behind my back fence when I complained about no sun in the yard. Believe me, I'd rather have my big trees and shade than tomatoes and any plant that needs 12 hours of sun.

The Chris and Carol rose looked so good I replanted 3 other roses (from kinda shady spots). Big holes, store bought soil, expanded shale and rose fertilizer - and look at the result. When the weather breaks I'll get out there make the area look nice.

You should see me hauling water buckets in my little red wagon every morning so I can water my 4 rose bushes. Very worth it.

Another new project

Karen Eubank talked me into becoming a blogger for Examiner.com. Thank you, Karen. After giving them some background and a sample article, they accepted me. Here's my first piece. Click on examiner to check out this site.

GIANT STICK TREES INVADE EAST DALLAS

June 11th, what seemed like a tornado swept through East Dallas. The hard rains began the night before and continued. Early Thursday morning our gentle giant trees swayed and bent to sheets of rain and wind. While we watched the dance on our street an old oak snapped in half and fell in slow motion away from our neighbor’s house. We turned to see another large tree snap and fall and another. Lightening. Yes, a large branch from our yard broke and fell completely covering our window view. Electricity flickered and out, for three days.

Walking through what seemed like a war zone that night, we saw so many of our beautiful 100 year old trees somehow morphed into a Stonehenge of odd stick soldier trees standing at attention. Mountains of debris obscure houses.

Perhaps East Dallas is the same, but the swirling wind and rain morphed me into a “Soldier Stick Tree” neighborhood that only resembles my ‘hood. Beam me back, Scotty.

New Magnolia Tree

I know it's really hard to see, but this is the beginning of a big beautiful magnolia tree. Cynthia and I pulled 4 starters from under her giant tree. I did my best to graft them together, dug a big hole, put shale, good dirt, compost and all good things I could think of. Took off all the leaves, watered when needed and look closely - each of the 4 stalks has little baby leaves. Can you imagine how much more exciting this will be if it really makes it? The baby leaves made my day and I go out and check for new ones every day. The storm didn't seem to harm it. The big branch that fell in our yard just missed it. So this magnolia is destined to be a favorite mature tree someday.

I took a great picture, or so I thought, of the beautiful maple tree Barb gave me, but you can't see it in the picture for all the other stuff. I'll get another picture for you. The maple is a real beauty.

Rebecca and I went riding around the State Fair today so she could show me new places for sculptures, especially in the Discovery Garden. What a great area for people to see how much sculpture adds to a garden. Saw Jay and Brad's pieces inside the planters and they will really make the plants in the planters. Took a lot of pictures and should have them on the last page of my website - www.lottieminick.com - in a few days. They will be in an album on the last page. If I can upload, of course. Just cause I've managed to put two albums on doesn't mean I can remember how to do it again.

Stormy Time in Forest Hills

Yes, we had a stormy day Thursday. Sometimes I wonder if we are in our own little tornado alley. We've had a few weird storms in the 15 years I've lived in Forest Hills. When Bob and I went walking this morning, FLASH didn't have her camera. Got my strength back during my after walk power nap and hit the road with my trusty camera. I met Nancy Visser, star reporter with eastdallasblog.dallasnews.com. She couldn't believe the devastation either. Seeing the big beautiful fallen oaks made me rant to her about the developers who came in and knocked them down for the joy of building track house McMansions, many still empty. We lose enough trees to old age and weather. Don't need developers with no heart cutting them down. But I do rant on.

Notice that each fallen tree pictured did the right thing and fell away from the house. Even in death, our trees are the best trees.

When we walked BlackJack last night my flashlight helped us pick our way through the debris. You can't believe how clean our street was on tonight's walk even with piles of branches stacked high in neighbor's yards. Amazing. We do live in the best neighborhood and by neighborhood I always include Little Forest Hills and Casa Linda.