One popular saying has it that Texas has four seasons, just like everyone else, only here they’re: 1) Almost Summer; 2) Summer; 3) Still Summer; and 4) Deer Season.
I suppose — like most everything else — there’s a grain of truth in that, however North Texas does have a bit of a spring.
Every year, the TxDOT, the Counties and various wildflower groups spend some not-inconsiderable time and money seeding Texas highways with wildflower seeds.
And, during each bit of a spring that Texas gets, the wildflowers do what flowers do best — all up and down the medians and shoulders of Texas highways:
This has led to a bit of a tradition whereby doting parents kit out their sprogs in their Sunday finest, plonk them down in a patch of bluebonnets and take pictures.
Despite what you may have heard, there is no law against this — at least, not that I can find — and there is no law forbidding the picking of wildflowers.
Do try to keep in mind, though, that wildflowers propagate by way of seeds, and they’ve got to be around to drop those seeds. Consideration, please.
Anyhoo, this afternoon I was out doing LawDog-type things when I noticed a crew-cab pickup parked on an access road in our county. Standing by the pickup, looking across a shoulder absolutely chock-full of bluebonnets was an elderly couple, standing standing side-by-side and laughing fit to burst.
Down in amongst the bluebonnets there was a very young couple, with a very young bairn, said baby absolutely amazed by the scads of bright blue flowers and not paying the least attention to Mama and camera.
Daddy was kneeling just outside camera-shot (I guess), waving his hat at the bairn, trying to get the child to look at the camera, but the sprog was entranced by the flowers and not having a bit of it.
Finally Daddy threw a ‘what-can-you-do’ shrug to the elder couple, tossed his hat and pounced on the child, impromptu tickle-fest immediately ensuing — much to the delight of the child, and all being caught on camera by a smiling mother.
It’s the little things, folks. Sometimes after a week like we’ve just had, people need to be reminded of what’s important. Family. Smiles. Hugs. Laughter. Love.
Bluebonnets probably figure in there, too.
Go kiss your Significant Other. Do some hand-holding and flower smelling. Spend some time remembering the little, important things.
See y’all on Monday.
LawDog
Yes, a lovely, gentle reminder, Lawdog. Stop and smell the bluebonnets.
Oh, and now I’m going to be on a mission to find Bugscuffle.
Here we have California Poppies. Same effect. Daughter loved this.Wife did, too.
;^)
Great story to start my day with, Dawg. Thanks for the smile.
Thank you I needed that. Life has so many problems which we can usually do little to change. Sometimes we need a reminder to count our blessings and take time to smell the flowers.I live in a semi arid and sparsely populated area of West Aus and our wildflower season is quite spectacular. Hopefully the drought will break soon and we will see those blooms again in September.
I’ve not been in Texas during spring. I shall be, soon, though.
At the garage sale we were holding prior to our move that direction a woman reminiced about the photo she took of her child plopped into a roadside field of bluebonnets.
Maybe next spring I’ll finally witness this sort of thing for myself.
Good blog, LawDog. Many good insights and much truth being told.
Thanks, LD.
Only, it’s raining a bit, so I’ll have to wait before I hit the Bluebonnets today.
Nice post, sir.
tweaker
Great Post, and beautiful flowers too. I wonder if blue bonnets will do well here in Indiana?
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Good reminder and suggestion! I think I’m going to spend the day outside in the beautiful weather, and see if I can find some bluebonnets myself.
Thanks for the great pics. I’m gonna spend my day outside enjoyin’ the fruits of my labors in the yard.
Your seasons are better than ours; here in Utah we have Early Winter, Winter, Late Winter, and Roadwork.
I thought Texas had five seasons, with “Hotter than Hell” in between Summer and Fall. Labor Day weekend in 2000 we hit 112F in Austin. And that was only a record for September….
This year has been the best for wildflowers since I moved back here. Along with the pictures of kids among the colorful posies, pressing them for later artwork is fun with the kids, also
Four seasons? Weird. Here in the Puget Sound Basin we have two. Rainy and Road Construction.
Gerry N.
Damned right, Lawdog
Four complete seasons? Here in God’s country of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, we have two: 10 Months of Winter, and 2 Months of “Bad Sledding.”
Good post. I like your “four seasons.” I’ve often told people in San Antonio that we have four seasons too, but mine are different; Summer, purgatory, hell and allergy season.
On another note, I’ve got pictures on my blog of my kids in the blue bonnets.
I found it amusing that Snopes posted this today. http://www.snopes.com/legal/bluebonnets.asp
A Texas friend just sent me a suite of lovely bluebonnet pictures this morning – along with resident fauna. I passed one along to you at your gmail, if you take attachments.
Glenmore
Totally awesome flowers this year. Got the rain we needed at the right time.
The large bit of rain we’ve been receiving lately has helped the bluebonnets immenseely. The bluebonnets have been lacking these past few years because of the drought, but they’ve come back in force on the highways. Some quite lovely spots on I-35 with them.
It would be great if Michigan could have wild flowers along it’s freeways. Of course as bad as our economy is I could be lynched for suggesting it. Beautiful pictures L D.