Features

Mixing native plants and garden art in a traditional neighborhood yard is a challenge which Shirley McCurdy met and won at her home on Lamar Avenue in Spring Lake Hills, November’s yard of the month for Spring Lake Garden Club. Shirley’s collection of yard ornaments include family treasures (her maternal grandfather’s garden planting plow) as well as colorful decor that caught her eye at stores and sales over the years. Two large terra cotta pots from Mexico mark either side of the front walk at curbside, filled with thriving sago palms, subtly accented with colorful ceramic petals on stems. Near the entry pots, other garden ornaments are tucked in among hardy native plants including cenizo (Texas sage), mountain laurel, spiny green sotol, salvia, and rosemary.

My journey this week takes me to the Election next Tuesday. My wife, Judy, and I voted this Tuesday at an early voting site. We took turns voting because we had one piece of paper — a voter’s guide — that we had discussed and annotated with our choices. We both wanted to take the guide with us to remember all the names we had chosen to vote for in this General Election. Afterward, Judy and I compared that when voting she mark a choice differently on the ballot from what we had agreed on — surprise. But we still love each other…. and we love our family and friends who probably voted differently from us.

Economic development is a team sport – and in a year like no other, I have incredible gratitude for the staff, investors, and all the stakeholders that brought a record—breaking year to the region,