OK, now that I can post photos, with a lot of help from my very patient husband whom I love dearly..... I invite you to take a tour of our little slice of paradise.

From the front door you can see through the living room out to this view through the pool doors.



Tiny cafe table, that big pot is a water barrel. The chaise moves around from time to time so it appears over by the deep end later.



Leaving the deep end of the pool we can walk through the gate toward the patio.

Continuing from the pool to the patio area. We keep the cushions on the chairs fliped up because the raccoons that live under the porch love to get on the furniture at night.

The fountain is just outside the screen porch. Birds visit the fountain all day long.



The porch is a nice place for a cup of coffee or to watch thunderstorms. The porch is long and narrow to the left and the roof is partially screened, not solid, so we can keep the grill inside -- no mosquitoes to get in the porch or into the house. That porch is just off the kitchen and breakfast area.

And the photos I put into the thread "show us why you have SPARKLYPOOLITIS"

very nice, very nice indeed!

Wow Anonapersona, what a beautiful oasis you have created. Who wouldn't want to take a dip!

Absolutely wonderful oasis! Love it!

Beautiful! Goodness! Just beautiful!

Beautiful place. I will keep going back to Sparklypoolitis to revisit it during the winter months!

Very nice

Wow - Beautiful.

Very nice. I love all foliage!

Thanks, we owe some kudos to the work that was done by the prior owner when the pool was installed almost 10 years ago. But we have been working like dogs to get it all cleaned up and rearranged with more color, fixing drainage issues. The entire side yard was devastated by hurricane Ike so we had major work there, removing roots and taming what had been left alone for years.

AP,

That is one beautiful pool and yard. Totally inviting to look at. Your hard work and talent truly shows.

Gorgeous!

Absolutely beautiful! Love the landscaping...there is an upside to living in Houston...

Ah, but I am in The Woodlands.... notice the capital T.

Yes, but it's still semi-coastal Texas...

We've been experiencing some of your weather up here in Dallas recently. Last night after dark as I was finishing up a little work outside, the air was as still as in a crypt, the temperature & humidity were both up around 90(not much exaggeration), and the mosquitos were as thick as fog...

Yeah, I had to quit storing the bleach in the garage. It was staying at over 100 well into the night.

With all the rain from that storm that passed through, the mosquitoes will be ferocious soon.

WOW, gorgeous. Would be hard to leave or makes you want to come home, either way!