Sustainable Me - Space for Creativity and Backyard Bunnies

Looks like I'm not the only one who feels like Waco and surrounding areas are booming.  This was an article in today's Waco Tribune Herald.  On the second photo showing the second part of the article, it shows a picture of a housing development on Ritchie Road.  My son and I used to live in Polo Park, which is a neighborhood across Ritchie Road from this one.  Just a few years ago, I would road bike on this road from my Polo Park neighborhood, and this side of the road was nothing but pasture and countryside.  I am in daily amazement at how fast our area is becoming  more and more congested and populated. I can drive from this area of Ritchie Road to our duplex neighborhood, and it is almost all housing developments now where it used to just be fields of green.   I grew up in this area, so I do have a long term point of reference.  The best part, I think of all of this has been the revitalization of the downtown area, and more of a cultural a...

I walked out into the backyard last night to check on the Mission Fig Tree, and was super excited to see this growth!  It might be a couple of years before we have figs again - but this little tree is going to make it - even after being transplanted!  It seems happy in its new spot and I can't wait to see how tall it is at the end of the growing season.  I'm so glad I brought it with me, even though it was pretty risky.  The tree has gone through a lot of change with the transplant, but is looking hardy and healthy.  

 I found these two rocking chairs while shopping at Aldi's.  Only $25 each.  After looking around and online - I thought this was a great price for porch rocking and relaxing.    I also found a terrific deal on Amazon for a $65 Fire pit.  Assembly was required - but it wasn't too bad, and thankfully everything was included that was needed for the assembly.  This fire pit came with some great accessories - even a plastic cover for bad weather.   A fire on a crisp Spring night with a crisp apple cider in hand.  Enjoying this from my new rocking chair.  I did realize though that, I will have to put down some kind of stone circle of pavers or a gravel pit somewhere for the fire pit, for safety concerns.  That still needs to be done.   We are going to have a lot of fun with this - roasted marshmallows, smores. and hot dogs coming up!

I have been thinking about my studio planning, and I realize that I also want to include the backyard space as an extension of my studio.  I think that the whole back yard and a garden can be a source of  inspiration to me, and it has always been important to me to have that.  I am sure that the backyard bunnies will enjoy it as well.  It is just that I am beginning anew, in a new place, and starting over so to speak.   I walked out in the back yard and realized that we have quite a few black ants and large ant hills - even right up around where the mission fig tree is growing.  I have also noticed some wasps, and a bee hive in a tree in the front yard.  So, I think my first challenge is to decide how to handle these issues.  Below, I have posted some photos of what I'm thinking of for the space so far.  I really like this stone circle and firepit and the adirondack chairs.  I would like to have a space like this to the left of...

I have always loved bunnies.  And they have shown up every place that I have lived.  As an adult, I discovered just a couple of years ago that I do have Native American heritage from a South Texas tribe.  But even before that discovery, my aunt told me about Animal spirits and Animal medicine, and encouraged me to become more aware of my interactions with nature.  So over the years, I have paid attention, and I do believe that bunnies are strong medicine for me.  At this particular house, the bunnies are abundant!  Tonight I saw three of them enjoying and playing in the back yard.  I love to watch them, and am so happy that they like it here.  I think they really love the studio and have made a home in the spaces underneath.  We have an older dog named Winston, and even he lets them be.  He just watches them and seems to co-exist peacefully with them.  When he was younger, he would have chased them down.  But now he just wat...

Places to sit and reflect I'm so proud that this she shed has found a home and will become a space for me to create! Picnic area.  We love picnics in our family.   The Mission Fig tree transplant.  I am hoping that it lives! I would love to have an area like this to the left of the studio.  This would be into the future  But I really like Adirondack chairs and fire pits.  A place to chill and relax with friends would be really nice.  

To begin at the beginning!  Last spring our family decided to make a move to a different home.  We are still renting, but this new place has more room and is surrounded by a greener environment.  There is a park near by - one street over, and a privacy fence and not in an industrial area like our last home.  So we don't have to listen to the steel plant banging and screeching noise at night, and we see more green instead of an ugly beige industrial building in our backyard.  It is very much an improvement from where we were living. When this move was in the process - I decided that I needed a back yard art studio.  And after looking at Pinterest  and researching the internet, I realized that I could make do with a small storage building.  My grown daughter and almost grown son live with me in our three bedroom two bath duplex, and there is no room in the house for creating art.  The kitchen table stays pretty occupied with us gathering a...