Hope After the Storm: 3 Month Update

Happy Monday, Friends! Today is Dear Firstborn's birthday, so I want to start by wishing my sweet girl a day as special as she is! Also, if you are experiencing loss as a result of Hurricane Laura or the aftermath, my thoughts and prayers are with you. As promised, I'm sharing a 3-month update... 

...after the storm damage I experienced at the end of May. I had already started working on this post when I saw this rainbow one morning during my walk.  I often spend my daily walk in prayer as I anticipate my schedule for the new day, so I received the appearance of this beautiful rainbow as God's reminder and message of hope and wanted to share it with you. Whichever direction I walked, it seemed to follow me, and when I got back home, it lingered over my house briefly before evaporating--message received! 💕 Like many of you, I faced challenges during the first few months of the pandemic, including canceling two visits to see my girls and grandson in Colorado, so the destruction from the storm was particularly overwhelming. Additionally, the damage to my garden was the worst I have ever experienced. I mentioned burning brush and want to clarify that Favorite Son has taken stacks of wood to use for firewood. (I don't have a fireplace, but he does.) We have also set aside some large logs for future projects. Even so, much of the last three months has involved the slow process of clearing trees and removing/ burning debris. 

I shared many of the reasons I am thankful and some of the progress earlier in my 6-week update. The back garden continues to be a work in progress. In the absence of the four uprooted trees, my ivy groundcover and many of the other plants that were growing prior to the storm cannot withstand full Texas sun all day and have not grown back. The small DIY courtyard patio I'd added before Youngest Daughter's graduation was another casualty. You can see the progression below. As I continue with damage control, eventually I plan to redesign parts of the garden. 

On a brighter note, some plants are starting to come back even since my last update. Just a little over a week ago, I came across a single morning glory leaf. It was a straggler from one of the damaged container plants. I placed a large cone trellis over it and it is really starting to thrive. Won't it be gorgeous in full bloom? 

The yellow wildflowers are a native variety of coreopsis that have sprouted in my yard for years. Their reappearance close to the septic aerator is a welcome sight near the bare spot left by one of the uprooted cedar trees. 

In the previous posts about the storm, I forgot to mention that one of my favorite garden features, this vine covered arch, was covered by fallen trees. I was delighted to find that it wasn't crushed by their weight. The leaves were stripped bare in May, but you can they are filling in nicely.

I have been focusing on small victories, one step at a time. Now I'll show you the repairs that have been completed. This wedged gate and portion of the fence were actually the final repair. You can see more details on my painted fence and outdoor gallery wall, here.

My roof was replaced about a month ago. The gray is slightly darker than it appears in the photos. Funny, I always thought my previously green roof photographed a brighter shade than it really was, and now the gray appears lighter. This is probably due to the surrounding sky but anyway, I am pleased with the new color. Here is a peek at the front of the house and my drought tolerant landscaping that has grown back after the storm. 

You know the domino effect when it comes to DIY projects--right?! You may remember, that I had already painted the shutters. With the new roof color, suddenly the remaining faded trim work really stood out. Also, I had originally planned to touch up hail damage on the doors, but I ended up giving both doors and the house trim fresh coats of paint. I even refreshed the fountain (above)... 

...and repurposed vintage garden storage drawers.

In this photo, you can really see how the high winds stripped all the plants. For weeks after the storm, both yards were covered with damaged leaves and plants. Back to the DIY domino--you can also see  how the front walk looked before I power washed it and the driveway. Stay tuned for more on that later! 

So what do you think? I'll close with the scripture that was on the cover of the journal that Ginger Grand chose for me: God has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11