We have received abundant rain this spring and so our playa, while not full of water, is now covered in this beautiful Plains Coreopsis. Notice the beautiful green grass!
Tag Archive | Nazareth
Butterflies
You probably have noticed the butterflies are in migrations right now. Our flowers draw many of them to stop a while here. Last week we were in Albuquerque and I visited the butterfly house for an hour. What gentle amazing creatures. Over the years I have visisted butterfly hoouses in Victoria and Seattle so what a treat to have one so close to us. It was wonderful to observe parents teaching their small children about the butterflies. I thought you might enjoy a few of my photos.
Wordless Wednesdays: Two Inches of Rain in Half an Hour
I know this is supposed to be Wordless Wednesday but I just had to tell you about this picture.
This morning about 11:30, the sky opened up and we got two inches of rain in half an hour! Our rose bed was deep in rain. The playa is full and everything is so green! What a strange site for Nazareth!
Wordless Wednesdays: First Roses
Wordless Wednesdays: Elegant Beauty
Birds of Casa La Entereza
With the season of Spring, we get warm weather and lots of wind. Along with these challenges, we are thrilled to receive the migrating birds. Two weeks ago, our old friends, the Barn Swallows, returned to our home. For many years, we have welcomed two nests full of baby birds. Each nest is the home to two batches of babies.
Yesterday, one Bobwhite Quail of our resident covey, walked around our xeric flower bed, and then headed for the labyrinth before wandering off in the neighboring Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grass!
Even though we could not get good photos we had two mornings when a flock of Lark Buntings (black-colored males and their brown-feathered female mates) stopped to forage around the house, before migrating northward.
Any day now, we will see the first Western Kingbird, as they return for their sojourn on the Southern Plains. Each morning, we are serenaded by the joyful calls of Western Meadowlarks and soulful songs of Mourning Doves. Our world of wind and sun fills more complete when punctuated by the songs of birds. How about at your homes? How are your favorite feathered residents and guests?
Signs of Spring at Casa La Entereza
When the winter is long, the signs of spring are always welcome. The following photos reflect this new season of resurrection that is appearing on the grounds of Casa La Entereza, despite the ongoing cross of the drought. Our apple trees are magnificent with blossoms and various pollinators drinking their nectar. The butterfly is the first sighted in our yard. The lilacs are bursting with buds and our blue spruce is ready for new growth. All these living beings are “letting in the light.” That will be the theme of our Summer Solstice Labyrinth Retreat on Saturday, June 21, 2014 (more information in the coming weeks).
Eco-Lodge Bed & Breakfast at Casa La Entereza
We have many things to see and learn about at Casa La Entereza (CLE): rainwater collection, raised-bed gardening, xeric landscaping, green construction, playa wetlands, not to mention our labyrinth. All these possibilities raise the question: is there any lodging at CLE? The answer is yes! In a building separate from our house is our Eco-Lodge Bed & Breakfast. This spacious room is a quiet place featuring a king-size bed, kitchenette, large television, bathroom with shower that recycles your greywater, and a state of the art “compost toilet!” You will also find a huge 4-sectioned book shelf containing selections in philosophy, theology, ethics, spirituality, woman’s studies, water and landscapes of the Texas Panhandle and Great Plains. These books are for the perusal of our guests. The Eco-Lodge costs $50 per night, and is available for visitors or for anyone passing through Nazareth, Texas and needing a comfortable, interesting place to stop and rest.
Contact Darryl Birkenfeld for reservations. darrylbirkenfeld@gmail.com
Wordless Wednesdays: Fruits of Labor
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Meet Casa La Entereza’s Owners and Visionaries…
Darryl Birkenfeld and Joann Starr, owners of Casa La Entereza met with the Board of Directors and Advisory Council of Ogallala Commons (www.ogallalacommons.org) to discuss future plans for their house as a nonprofit learning center. Casa La Entereza was built seven years ago. It is situated on 46 acres of native grass and has a 28 acre playa. The house and B&B Ecolodge were built with the intention of endowing it to serve as a learning, retreat center.
Photos by: Alphonso Rincon
Casa La Entereza 