Thursday, April 8, 2010

Bluebonnets in our "Backyard"!


Okay so we've lived here in Central Texas for 3 years now (has it really been 3 years already!?) and every Springtime I admire the Bluebonnets and wildflowers that bloom! It's a tradition with many Texans to take their annual Bluebonnet photos, there's even websites like Texas Wildflower Sightings where people report great picture taking spots. There's many fields blanketed with these wildflowers on the highways to Houston and San Antonio. But we've never gone out "hunting for wildflowers". So this afternoon after I made the goal to finish all my laundry, I changed my mind and got the kids and Penny in the car to go on our "hunt". I didn't want to drive far and remembered a back country road only a couple of miles from our home that takes you down to Blanco Vista river...I remembered this country road had many farmhouses with large fields. Figured there's got to be some wildflowers along that road. Well there were tons! Only many of them we're behind fences on farmland. Then I spotted a beautiful hill of wildflowers and it was next to.....a cemetery. Perfect, we were allowed to explore!

Madeline and James had fun exploring the field, picking flowers, chasing butterflies. It was a beautiful spot. Can't believe it's only about 5-10 minutes from our home, pretty much in our "backyard"!

A field of Bluebonnets (our official Texas state flower) and Texas Dandelion.

Penny Lane smelling the wildflowers...I didn't know how fragrant these flowers were. But when we got out of the car and started walking around the field, it smelled so sweet!

A butterfly caught Penny's eye.

A beautiful oak tree.

James was napping in the car when we finally found this spot. So he was a little grouchy when we first started walking around.

But he warmed up and started exploring. Here he found some Indian Paintbrush.

"See Mama!"

Madeline is always picking flowers...she looks everywhere for them. So you can imagine she was in flower heaven here!

Some Indian Paintbrush amongst the Bluebonnets.

James didn't want to smile for the photo and I even bribed him with "we'll go get ice cream afterwards!". What a stink butt! LOL

Here's the cemetery that's next to the hill of wildflowers. It was so peaceful and quiet there, we were the only ones there!

This tree reminded me of the one described on the Shawshank Redemption...
Andy Dufresne: There's a big hayfield up near Buxton. You know where Buxton is?
Red: Well, there's... there's a lot of hayfields up there.
Andy Dufresne: One in particular. It's got a long rock wall with a big oak tree at the north end. It's like something out of a Robert Frost poem. It's where I asked my wife to marry me.


I'm so excited we found this spot! It was a beautiful afternoon, so much better than doing laundry!

8 comments:

Steve said...

You mean there's still a bunch of laundry?

Rachel said...

And James still got ice-cream after not smiling for the picture?!?!?! :-p

Anonymous said...

Soooo Beautiful, Never saw anything like this around Dallas..But than again, Princess Madeline and Big boy James weren't in the pictures either..
Love them, Nana and Poppi..

Anonymous said...

And Yes, James did get ice-cream, How could anyone say NO to that precious Face..You Rock James..
Love, Nana

steve said...

Thanks for sharing your day with us, but there is a State law against picking Bluebonnets. I think that is only on State property though. Your children will remember those sweet memories you gave them that day. Uncle Steve

stranger.strange.land said...

Thank you for telling me about this post. Loved all the photographs.

Unfortunately, our anticipated crop of Lupines was not to be. We had a freeze in March as they were emerging, and now they are gone. The more hearty California golden poppies, however, are plentiful.

Craig

Spence Ohana said...

Uncle Steve, Stephen thought the same thing about picking them so I looked it up...

Urban legend
It is a common myth that it is illegal to pick bluebonnets in Texas, possibly because the bluebonnet is Texas' state flower. In fact, it is perfectly legal to pick them.[3] Part of the confusion may stem from illegal activity associated with the picking of the flower, such as parking along busy highways or trespassing on private property.

Rachelle said...

Great spot for bluebonnet pics! The bribes don't always work on my kids either---somehow I always think that they will get easier to take pictures of the older they get, but I don't know if that is the case :-) I have heard about the illegallity of picking the bluebonnets, so I am glad you looked it up for me!