Happy 2019

2019 could be "the year."  Meaning it looks like we'll be on bloom watch for the huge Agave ovatifolia which has anchored the front landscaping for nearly a decade, and presented an opportunity for decorating during the holiday season.

At 6' diameter this silvery agave has grown well past the advertised standard 4' range to reach its known maximum width.  The middle has noticeably thickened in the last year or so.  This spring will mark nine years in the garden and I'd estimate it was five years old when planted in 2010.  Agaves can live longer than 15 years but we've had a lot of rain recently which has forced blooms in many agaves around town.  

Shortly after beginning my blog in 2011 I had the bright idea to drape blue lights on the agave.  Two strands of 60 LED lights covered its three foot diameter and it made a nice photo.  

I've decorated it with blue lights every year since.  For several years I used blue and white snowflake lights for fun while thinking I would never see real snow in December.  The joke turned real in our bizarre early December 2017 snowfall.

The snowflake lights quit working shortly after the big snow so I switched to fairy lights.   This year I needed three 10m strands of 100 fairy lights which works out to over 90ft of lights!  Could it be the last year for this agave and that many lights?

Not to worry though, I have one in waiting, about three feet diameter.  Cue Lion King circle of life....

The original arrived with a rare pup tucked (the one shown above) down among the roots.  We carefully removed and nurtured it the last eight years or so.  A few years ago we moved it to full sun so it will be ready just in case.  Obviously smaller at this point, it is larger than the original when we planted it and I'm sure this baby will grow into the beauty its parent has been.

No point in being blue about it.  As disappointing as it will be, Agave bloom watch for 2019 (or hopefully later) is the realistic view.

Happy New Year!

Touring the San Antonio Lights from La Villita to Main Plaza

[Now for] A few more sights from our tour of lights in downtown San Antonio, you can see my first two posts on the River Walk and Alamo Plaza by clicking the links.  From Alamo Plaza and the River Walk we [made the short walk to] headed to La Villita, a village of shops [near the convention center] {and which was quiet with the shops closed for the evening}.

Alamo Plaza Lights Up for the Holidays

A trip downtown to see the lights just wouldn't be complete without strolling on over to Alamo Plaza to check out the tree and a few minutes of people watching.

The tree is different each year so it's always fun to see what they've come up with.  This year it's waves of colorful lights blinking to Christmas music.  H-E-B, a locally based grocery chain, sponsors the tree.  Like the nearby River Walk it's a constant flow of activity on Alamo Plaza.

Strolling the Paseo del Rio at Christmas

There's no place like home for the holidays.  In San Antonio, with its unique Paseo del Rio or River Walk featuring thousands of lights draped over the Bald Cypress trees lining the river, that's especially true.

We recently took a stroll along the Paseo del Rio to enjoy the holiday lights in the 100 ft. tall trees.

I've been away for a while
But it still brings a smile
When I think of the way that it goes
Now I'll sing it to you
Just so we both can do
That 'ol San Antonio Stroll

(San Antonio Stroll, Peter Noah/Tanya Tucker 1975)

Local tip:  Less crowded south of Commerce Street, free parking downtown Tuesday after 5pm.

My previous holiday photos of the River Walk have been mostly from the bridges above since it was crowded down on the the river. See that little peninsula to the right of the passing barges?

This is the view from that spot.  I especially enjoy the reflections on the water.

The view from the bridge framed by cypress branches and lights.

A group preparing for a dinner cruise under the lights, most restaurants with river access will cater a cruise.

Merry carolers floated by singing Feliz Navidad. The Ford Motor Company sponsors our holiday river parade the Friday after Thanksgiving, then makes the parade barges available at a reduced rate to groups during the holiday season. 

Most of the buildings downtown are hotels with this one adding a holiday backdrop to the scene.

The next sequence shows fascinating changes in the water reflections as a barge comes through.