MPEC Visit Walking To Wichita Falls With Bluebonnets

The morning trek, this morning, was to MPEC (Multi-Purpose Event Center) to locate the location of a meeting taking place next week. 

MPEC is close to Wichita Falls, the manmade waterfall. MPEC is in Wichita Falls, the town.

So, I walked from MPEC to Wichita Falls. One never knows if Wichita Falls will be turned on, or not falling. As you can see, water is falling over the falls.

Dirty looking water.

On the way to the falls I came upon something I have rarely seen in Wichita Falls.

Bluebonnets.

The State Wildflower of Texas.

 I am not totally sure these are bluebonnets, but if they are not, they are a close relative.

Further south, in Texas, in wildflower season, one comes up massive displays of bluebonnets in multiple locations.

Blue Lupines In Texas Hill Country

You who have never been to what is known as Texas Hill Country might think that above you are looking at a field of wildflowers, with most of the wildflowers you see above being known in Texas as the Bluebonnet. The State Wildflower of Texas.

That big snow covered mountain hovering over the field of wildflowers might be a clear clue, for some, that this is not a hill in the Texas Hill Country.

What that snow covered mountain actually is, is a volcano, one of five such erupters in the State of Washington. 

Which would make that mountain above, Mount Rainier, which is the scenic wonder for May on my wall calendar.

In Washington those blue wildflowers are not known as Bluebonnets. They are known as Lupines.

Only in Texas are Lupines called Bluebonnets.

We are in day two of a HEAT wave.

 Below is a screen shot from my phone showing yesterday's Mother's Day high of 102. 

Today is also predicted to hit 102.

Before it got too HOT today I went for a shady walk in Lucy Park. Strong gusts of wind help make the HEAT not feel so HOT.

I fear this early arrival of triple digit temperatures bodes ill for the coming Summer...

Spencer Jack's Warm Sunny Easter Tulips With No Texas Bluebonnets

Moments  ago, incoming phone text from Spencer Jack's dad, my Favorite Nephew Jason, with the picture you see here and the text you read below...

Have yourself a Happy Easter. Spencer Jack's tulips are in full bloom. Today is slated to be sunny and warm here in the PNW.

A few days ago I saw a few tulips blooming in a big flower pot in the front yard of a house in my Caribbean neighborhood.

I do not see many tulips or daffodils blooming in Texas. So far, this Spring blooming season I have not seen many wildflowers at my current north Texas location near the Oklahoma border.

I have yet to see a single bloom of the State Wildflower of  Texas, the Bluebonnet.

I suspect Bluebonnets may be late bloomers at my North Texas location and soon the landscape will be showing fields of blue...

A Balmy Circle Trail Walk Seeking Wichita Falls Bluebonnets

The spring version of summer-like heat has returned to my location in the zone of Texas known as Texoma.

I was in downtown Wichita Falls this morning, along with masses of other Texoma-ites, happy that this thing called air-conditioning had been invented.

Upon my return to my domicile I decided to enjoy the balmy blue sky via a walk on the Circle Trail which circles by my abode, seeking seeing my first bluebonnet of this blooming season.

In the above view you are looking north, with that aforementioned Circle Trail barely visible among the trees on the left. A dirt path used for horse travel parallels the Circle Trail and Holliday Creek at this location

As you can see, Holliday Creek is not in rampaging rapids mode, currently, as it ambles down Holliday Gorge on its way to its intersection with the muddy red waters of the Wichita River.

So far spring at my location in Tornado Alley has been mild, weather-wise. The closest lightning has struck has been several miles from my location. I have only heard the tornado sirens when they are in test mode, which happened yesterday. It is startling when those sirens go off without warning.

In Fort Worth the tornado sirens are tested every Wednesday at noon, if I remember right. The noise may have come an hour later. In Wichita Falls there seems to be no set schedule for testing the tornado sirens.

According to the current forecast the upcoming Sunday and Monday are the next points in time where lightning may be striking, hail pelting, wind blowing, and a tornado possible.

I always wait til I hear a nearby boom before I go to the bother of battening down my hatches...

Bluebonnets

Well, I can say I have now had my first up close encounter with bluebonnets early on in this 2016 Texas wildflower season.

If you have never had the privilege of visiting Texas and want to see the state when the Texas outer world looks its best, visit in the Spring, when Texas turns green and extremely colorful.

The bluebonnet patch you see here was blooming today on a bluff above Village Creek in Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

A Close Encounter With A Bluebonnet And A Fisherman Has Me Wondering Why Texans Tolerate Polluted Water

I had this year's first up close and personal visit with a Texas bluebonnet today whilst walking with the Indian Ghosts who haunt Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

What a difference a couple weeks has made in North Texas. That which was previously brown has turned bright green. Leaves have returned to the trees.

The Village Creek zone is well on its way to its annual return to being jungle-like.

But, where have all the armadillos gone? Is this not the time of year when those cute critters go into fun frolic mode? Come to think of it I have not seen any armadillo roadkill this spring. Did the badly timed March freeze wreak havoc with the armadillo population?

The March freeze caused the turtle population no woes, judging by the herd of turtles today populating the Village Creek turtle log.

I was not the only human out and about enjoying the balmy weather walking with the Indian Ghosts. I came upon multiple walkers, a biker or two and one fisherman who said he releases that which he catches, due to the fish not being safe to eat.

Would one not think that if the water in your home zone was so polluted that fish living in that water were not safe to eat that some energy would be put into cleaning up the water?

I recollect a long time ago Lake Washington in Washington was badly polluted. As were parts of Puget Sound. A massive bond issue called Forward Thrust was passed which caused several things to be built, including new water treatment facilities which returned Puget Sound, Lake Washington, and other bodies of Washington water back to their original safe state. And now, in 2015, years later, salmon manage to make the trek through the Ballard Locks en route to Lake Washington, where if you managed to catch one it is perfectly safe to have yourself a salmon barbecue using that which you caught.

North Texas needs some sort of forward thinking Forward Thrust proposal to fix some of that which is in dire need of fixing on this part of the planet. If little ol' Western Washington can manage such a thing one would think big ol' North Texas could....

I Am Almost 80% Certain Today I Found A Texas Bluebonnet In Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area

A week or so ago I was on the Tandy Hills and took a picture of what I thought to be the State Wildflower of Texas, that being the ubiquitous Bluebonnet.

I put the picture of what I thought to be a Bluebonnet on this very same blog you are reading right now, which then had someone called Anonymous commenting something along the line of "You clueless, ignorant Yankee, have you not spent enough springs in Texas now to be able to know a Bluebonnet when you see it?"

This comment totally destroyed my limited confidence in my wildflower identifying ability.

Today, en route to getting coffee and other stuff at ALDI, I had a quick visit with the Indian ghosts who haunt Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area. There I saw a patch of what I think may be authentic Bluebonnets.

That is that about which I speak, above.

To my uncultured eyes the above wildflower looks pretty much like the one I saw a week or so ago on the Tandy Hills. I may have made the same mistake, again, and the above is not a Bluebonnet, but is the same wildflower I saw on the Tandy Hills.

I really think it would be helpful if the Texas wildflowers came with labels....

April Fool's Day Bluebonnets & Hoodoos Sprouting On The Tandy Hills While I Wait For An Amazon Adapter

I mentioned previously that I'd spotted bluebonnets blooming on Sunday on the Tandy Hills, but that I got distracted by the Hoodoo proliferation and forgot to take a picture of the first bluebonnets of the year that have appeared before me.

Today I was back on the Tandy Hills, and even though I was once again distracted by Hoodoo proliferation, today I did not forget to take a bluebonnet picture.

Isn't that shade of bluebonnet blue a wonder to behold?

What with today being the first day of April, also known as April Fool's Day, Mother Nature appears to have decided April 1 is a good day to start coloring up the Tandy Hills, in anticipation of the 2014 Prairie Fest the last Saturday of the month, as in April 26.

In other words I saw other wildflowers blooming today, in addition to the bluebonnets.

I came upon three new Hoodoos today, including the one you see below.

The Hoodoo above has sprouted on the trail which leads from Tandy Falls to Hoodoo Central at the end of the trail which leads to the Tandy Hills from View Street.

How many new Hoodoos will have sprouted by the time the Prairie Fest arrives? I'm thinking a  Hoodoo Building Contest might be a good idea. Some sort of grand prize for whoever manages to erect the tallest Hoodoo by some certain time.

Then again, a Hoodoo Building Contest might not be such a good idea, causing a lot of rock re-locations might upset the delicate Tandy Hills geological balance.

This morning I had the longest swim so far in 2014. It felt quite salubrious. Combined with an hour of fast hill hiking I think I may be getting my daily exercise requirement met. That and about a month ago I learned of this thing called doing a Plank. A month later and you could use my abdominal zone as a primitive washboard.

On Saturday I bought an a/c adapter from Amazon, paid extra  for expedited shipping. I got an email on Monday telling me the adapter had been shipped. Today I logged in to track the shipment to learn the adapter is being delivered by the USPS. And is expected to be delivered by Friday, by 8pm.

That is expedited shipping?

On Friday I got a Christmas card, delivered to my mail box by the USPS, postmarked December 19, 2013.

I am not optimistic about this incoming adapter from Amazon...

Seeing Blooming Daffodils Has Me Wondering Where The Texas Bluebonnets Have Gone

I saw what you see on the left on my old hometown newspaper online this morning.

Daffodils blooming. Lots of daffodils.

Apparently spring sprang on schedule in my old home zone, with the Skagit Valley in multi-color mode with acres upon acres of fields of daffodils, tulips and other bloomers.

Meanwhile, at my location in Texas, where spring has also sprung, we are currently over two-thirds through the month of March, with nary a colorful wildflower to be seen.

Where have all the bluebonnets gone?

Thinking About Doing Some Uncling With Mountain Lupine After My Mom Called About Getting Gas

With today being the last day of the month, with the month being April, I did what I always do on the last day of the month when the month is April, I went to Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area to walk with the Indian Ghosts who haunt this naturally historic area.

In the picture you are looking at one of the Village Creek Natural Historical Area's Wildflower Areas.

This particular Wildflower Area is predominately colored by Pink Evening Primroses. You do see some other wildflowers when you are up close to this Wildflower Area, as in there are some Mountain Lupine (aka Bluebonnets) wildflowers trying to be noticed.

I heard on the radio this morning that an Arctic Blast is heading to North Texas, arriving on Friday, with record breaking low temperatures predicted, as in way closer to freezing than is the norm for early May at this location on the planet.

Speaking of the temperature, my mom called me this morning because, apparently, I have not called in awhile to tell my mom I got gas, how much the gas cost and what the temperature is. The Phoenix zone is already having 100 degree plus temperatures.

My mom asked me when I'm heading up to Washington. Why are so many people thinking I am heading up to Washington? Did I have a sleep walking episode and do some erroneous communicating?

I actually would like to head up to Washington and do some uncling.

Apparently uncling is not a word, because it just got red-flagged as a misspelling.

The lunch gong just went off. I must go have a feeding now.

My Niece Ruby's Skagit Valley Texas Bluebonnets

A couple days ago I blogged Blue & Max Take David, Theo & Ruby For A Muddy Romp In A Tulip-less Skagit Valley Field regarding Blue & Max taking two of my nephews and my only niece to the Skagit Valley to tiptoe through the tulips.

In that particular blogging I complained that I had politely asked my poodle nephews to get a good photo of David, Theo & Ruby surrounded by tulips.

All I got was the trio in a field of mud.

But, today Blue & Max were looking through the pictures they took of their trip to the tulips and found the above beauty with Ruby standing in front of a lot of colorful flowers, some of which are tulips.

I found the blue flowers behind the first row of purple tulips to be interesting. These blue flowers appear to be Texas Bluebonnets.

The last time I was on Mount Rainier, August 11, 2008, I made the mistake of opining that a particular wildflower looked to be a Texas Bluebonnet. If I remember right I was told what I was looking at was a Mountain Lupine.

Well, color me shocked. I was right. The Mountain Lupine is a Bluebonnet. The state flower of Texas grows on Mount Rainier. And on the Flats of the Skagit Valley.

The Village Creek Natural Historical Area's Wildflower Area Is Now Blooming Bluebonnets

On Tuesday I was walking with the Indian Ghosts who haunt Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area, pleased to discover that the Village Creek Natural Historical Area's Wildflower Area was blooming a lot of color.

Today I was pleased to discover, as you can see in the photo, that the precipitation that precipitated since my last walk with the Indian Ghosts, has coaxed the bluebonnets in the Village Creek Natural Historical Area's Wildflower Area to tardily, in large numbers, put on their annual display of an otherworldly shade of blue.

The unusually cold temperatures that blew in with the rain is likely slowing up the wildflower blooming, again. I suspect the return to warmth in the next day or two will have the wildflowers back on track to be in full show off mode by the time of Prairie Fest 2013, on the Tandy Hills, Saturday, April 27.

Speaking of being cold. This morning I switched my interior climate control device from cool back to heat. I do not remember ever resorting to artificial heat before, in April, in Texas.

Paradoxically, even though the temperature was only 37, this morning, when the sun arrived, I had myself a really fine time in the cool pool, with the cool pool feeling as if it was a heated pool, due to the water being so much warmer than the almost freezing air.

Well, I must cease this blogging now and move on to something else, as in, I see Elsie Hotpepper has tasked me with an important task that I must attend to at once,  lest I get heat from the Hotpepper....

A Village Creek Indian Ghost Walk With A Bluebonnet Snake Or Alligator

With the return of blue sky and a warmer outer world I decided to return to Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area, today, even though I'd walked with the Indian Ghosts yesterday.

As you can see the Village Creek jungle of ultra green foliage has returned. For me, this is the most pleasant time of the year to be outdoors in Texas, particularly in an area with jungle-like foliage.

I think the rapidly growing greenage puts out some sort of negative ion energy into the air that sort of amps up the endorphin inducing feel goodness I get from a good bout of aerobic activity.

In other words, walking with the Indian Ghosts today put me in a very good mood.

That and I saw my first bluebonnet of the year.

Is that not an otherworldly shade of blue? I believe the bluebonnet is either the State Flower or State Wildflower of Texas. Maybe both.

Yesterday I saw a long necked big white bird in the Village Creek Blue Bayou. Today I saw something in the Village Creek Blue Bayou that seemed a bit more sinister than a long necked big white bird.

The critter that was floating along in the Blue Bayou was too distant for me to know, for sure what it was. A big snake? An alligator?

A pair of ducks were swimming towards the sinister critter. When the ducks got within about 15 feet the critter came into their view, with the ducks quickly making a U-turn, then going airborne.

So far I've had myself a real fine time on this first Friday of April, even though I did not attempt going swimming in the cool pool this morning. At pool time the outer world was chilled to only 6 degrees above freezing.

An incoming heat wave, blowing north from the Gulf, should start warming up the cool pool soon, as you can see, via the 7 day forecast, below....

The Final Wednesday Of March Dawns Dark With News Of Fort Worthington Bluebonnets

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell at the outer world on this final Wednesday of the 3rd month of 2012, I can see the lights of the pool are not on, thus making the pre-dawn darkness appear darker than the norm.

I hope the lights being out in the pool are simply a timer switch issue and not a dead light bulb issue requiring a partial pool draining to repair.

Currently the temperature in Fort Worth and Phoenix are only one degree apart, with Fort Worth being the the hotter town. temperature-wise only, at 62.

The humidity in Fort Worth remains high, at 86%. With my air-conditioner back working the humidity is not bothering me when I am in my interior space.

Speaking of Fort Worth, I got an amusing blog comment this morning from someone named Anonymous telling me about yet one more thing in Fort Worth causing spasms of Green with Envy syndrome in other cities...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Hiking The Slightly Muddy Tandy Hills Admiring Fort Worth's Iconic Downtown & Bluebonnets": 

Fort Worthington Bluebonnets?

Years ago the Worthington Hotel in downtown Fort Worth commissioned Texas A&M to create a new variety of Bluebonnet that is/was a lighter shade of blue. I think it was named the Worthington Bluebonnet and all other cities were, of course, green with envy over Fort Worth's very own variety of Bluebonnet. Whatever became of that Bluebonnet I cannot tell you. 

The Bluebonnets I found yesterday, blooming bright atop Mount Tandy, appear to maybe be a lighter shade of blue than the Bluebonnet norm. Could these be a patch of the fabled Worthington Bluebonnets that cause spasms of Green with Envy Syndrome in towns that don't have their own town specific brand of Bluebonnet?

Fort Worth really needs to think about dialing back on its incredible specialness that is making way too many towns way too envious.

I think it is time to go swimming now, in the pre-dawn, light-free pool.

Hiking The Slightly Muddy Tandy Hills Admiring Fort Worth's Iconic Downtown & Bluebonnets

The Stunning Skyline Of The Downtown
 Of The Museum Capital Of The Southwest

I was back on the hills of the Tandy Hills Natural Area today for the first time in weeks. The hills were still a bit muddy in places from last week's heavy rain.

The wildflowers are being a bit more sparse than I thought they would be, what with all the rain.

Today was my first look at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth since I learned that Fort Worth's arty aspects are the envy of many other older, larger cities.

I must concede, that, just like New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Paris, Seattle, Moscow and countless other cities, the iconic skyline of Fort Worth is recognizable world-wide, with constructions as well-known as the Empire State Building, Golden Gate Bridge, Space Needle and Eiffel Tower.

It really is no wonder that Fort Worth draws art lovers from all over the world to experience the brilliance of the Amon Carter Museum, the Kimbell Art Museum and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth; the triumvirate that collectively makes Fort Worth the Museum Capital of the Southwest.

And soon, when the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle becomes clear, in addition to being the Museum Capital of the Southwest, Fort Worth will also be the Vancouver of the Southwest.

Imagine the waves of out of control envy that will bedevil cities, far and wide, when Fort Worth becomes the Vancouver of the Southwest.

Mysterious Un-Natural Arrow Point To What?

I can hardly wait.

Changing the subject to something else that makes Fort Worth the envy of the world. That being the Tandy Hills Natural Area.

Part One of the 2012 Prairie Fest takes place this coming Saturday. From 4 PM til the sun goes down there will be music, wildflower hikes, plus food & drink from Chadra Mezza & Grill, Good Karma Kitchen and New Belgium Brewing and Rahr & Sons Brewing.

Today, on the Tandy Hills I saw the arrow you see in the picture, spray painted on the ground. This did not seem very natural too me. There were additional flags stuck in the ground, in addition to the one you see in the picture.

A Bed Of Bluebonnets Glowing Blue

Marking off what? I could not help but wonder.

Mother Nature was also marking her territory, with the State Flower of Texas, the Bluebonnet, being the wildflower most abundant.

Changing the subject from something blue to getting  cold.

The A/C fix-it guy fixed my A/C today. So, I'm ready for a HEAT wave.

Missing My Camera On The Tandy Hills Looking At The Stunning Skyline Of Beautiful Downtown Fort Worth

You are looking at a rare middle of the afternoon view through the bars of my patio prison cell.

As you can see it is yet one more nice blue sky day in North Texas. Heated, currently, to 83 degrees.

More often than not at this time of the day I have downloaded a picture taken on the Tandy Hills, Veterans Park, Village Creek Natural Historic Area, or some other park.

I went hiking on the Tandy Hills today. The hike went much longer than the norm. Longer than the norm because of my picture taking camera.

I was at the western most part of today's Tandy Hills hike, looking at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth. I reached into my pocket to get my camera to take a picture of the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

But.

There was no camera.

Earlier on today's hike, heading down a steep trail, I had a bit of a stumble. I did not fall. But I stumbled enough that I thought the camera may have fallen out of its pocket.

So, I backtracked to the scene of the stumble.

No camera.

When I got back to my current location I was not too shocked to see my camera sitting in its usual location on my desk.

I am pleased to report that overnight the wildflowers have suddenly grown more numerous. I saw several large patches of bluebonnets along the freeway. Indian paintbrush is sprouting out in large numbers on top of Mount Tandy. I think it is going to be a good wildflower season after all.

The First Bluebonnet Of 2011 Coloring Up The Tandy Hills Caused Me To Be Viciously Attacked With Dozens Of Wounds

Today is feeling like it is being the hottest day of the new year. It was definitely the hottest day of the new year on the Tandy Hills today. I think it was almost 80.

I entered the Tandy Hills from the top of Mount Tandy today. As I was walking along I thought to myself  that I should be seeing wildflowers. Thinking that by this point in time, a few days before the start of spring, in years past, there would already be wildflowers.

But, all I'd seen, so far, this year has been a purple flower I saw for the first time a couple weeks ago, on the Tandy Hills and a bright yellow flower at Oakland Lake Park.

As I was hiking the currently mostly colorless Tandy Hills I wondered if maybe the harsh winter had dealt a death blow to the Texas wildflowers this year. A time of year which is my favorite part of the year in North Texas. The usually drab landscape puts on a show of color for several months, usually with some colorful thunderstorms to add a soundtrack.

Well, on the way back up Mount Tandy today I saw the blue beauty you see above, which I'd walked right by without noticing on my way down Mount Tandy.

A bluebonnet. The State Flower of Texas. The harbinger of spring and the start of wildflower season.

You may be wondering what that is on the left.

Well, that is me. The underside of my right arm to be more precise, with the narrow part being my wrist, which is connected to my right hand.

See the red bumps?

Well. To take the picture of the bluebonnet I had to get real close. With the camera set in macro mode. I pretty much got down on the ground, on my knees, leaning on my arms to take the picture.

It is not a wise thing to get on the ground in Texas without first carefully examining the ground you are are getting down on.

Today I was not wise, which is not the first time I have been un-wise in Texas.

I had kneeled down over a fire ant nest. I quickly had dozens of the little beasts on me. I thought I'd brushed them off before they could do their burning thing. I thought wrong.

I felt no stinging, I saw no signs I'd been stung. But by the time I got back here both arms had developed dozens of fire ant hot spots.

I am almost sure I will recover from this latest attack by Mother Nature. I am willing to do some suffering to get a good picture.

Getting Lost With Bluebonnets On Fort Worth's Tandy Hills

For reasons not of my design, I spent more time on the Tandy Hills today than any day previous.

And I saw the Tandy Hills first bluebonnets of the year. A big patch of the State Wildflower of Texas was coloring up the top of Tandy Mountain, near the Fort Worth Needle.

One of my informers had informed me that I needed to check out and possibly photograph something possibly nefarious going on on the Chesapeake Energy Thomas Pad Site at the end of Scott Avenue.

So, that was my Tandy Hills goal today. To hike from Tandy Mountain to Ben Avenue to look down on the Chesapeake operation to see what those bad boys are up to.

To get to that part of the Tandy Hills requires hiking on the west side of the main entry trail. This is the Tandy Hills zone less traveled. I can't really get lost on the Tandy Hills, you can always get your bearings. But, I can manage to get off trail and then have to blaze a new one to find my way back to civilization.

It is sort of like finding your way out of a maze.

It's not like when I've gotten lost at a place like Dinosaur Valley State Park. There, I have lost my bearings. I got lost there, so bad, Christmas Day of 2002, the sun was setting, I was panicking, almost ready to leave my bike and see if I could hike out of there, but suddenly the confusing trailmarkers quit being confusing and I realized where I'd been turning wrong and I got out right as the sun left for the night.

My little semi-lost escapade today turned what is usually about 45 minutes of hill hiking into an hour and a half.

On the wild west side I did come upon a really bright wildflower I do not recollect seeing before coloring up the Tandy Hills.

After about a half hour of going up and down and around and under various hills, valleys and areas of thick brush, I finally popped out into familiar territory, seeing my vehicular transport in the distance.

That is a zoomed view, looking east towards where my mechanized mobile device is parked. It's the white dot slightly to the right of the flag. The zoomed view takes out the hills and compresses the distance. But, without zooming the mechanized mobile device is not visible.

So, I have had myself an unintentional amp up of the exercise regimen today. It's fun getting semi-lost. And aerobic.

Texas Bluebonnets & Wifebeaters at Tandy Hills Park

It is another windy, gray day today in Texas. I needed to escape this chair and computer screen, so I went to the Tandy Hills around noon and saw my first Tandy Hills bluebonnet of the year, up close and very personal.

Bluebonnets are very photogenic. The one you see here was up by the Fort Worth Needle, that being a really tall communications tower. This was the only spot I saw bluebonnets today inside the Tandy Hills Park. I saw a lot of bluebonnets along side the roads on the way to Tandy Hills.

Bluebonnets are the State Flower of Texas and are very strongly protected by strict Texas law. You can look, you can take pictures, you can see if they smell good, but if you pick a bluebonnet there is a chance you may do a stint in Huntsville.

Imprisoned for picking a bluebonnet? And yet some wonder how America manages to imprison 756 inmates per 100,000 Americans, at a rate nearly 5 times the world's average.

Speaking of crimes and jail time. For months now there has been a white wifebeater t-shirt hanging from a bush. Today it was blowing in the wind like some sort of ghostly apparition. Why would someone take off their wifebeater and leave it behind at this location in the Tandy Hills? Or did it blow in from some domestic dispute in some distant location? It's a puzzlement.

The first new Tandy Hills wildflower of today's hike appeared even before I exited my vehicle, in the open prairie zone viewable from View Street. I don't know what the name of this wildflower is, but it looked like an orange Indian Paintbrush that had been dyed pink. I'm pretty sure no one went to the bother of painting a field of Indian Paintbrush a new color.

It's less than a month til the 4th Annual Fort Worth Prairie Fest, Saturday, April 25, 2009, 10 AM - 8 PM.

First Texas Bluebonnet of the Year

This morning's Dallas Morning News had a picture of the first Bluebonnets blooming on the first day of Spring.

At noon, on my way to Tandy Hills Park, to hunt for wildflowers. I saw my first Bluebonnets of the year. They were blooming along side Interstate 30. Currently they are looking a bit puny, compared to this same location last year. I suspect it will grow way bluer in this spot in the coming weeks.

In the foreground of the picture (you'll have to click the pic to see the bluebonnets) is another Texas Wildflower staple, the name of which escapes me right now, maybe something with primrose as it's last name. You see a lot of this particular wildflower. In fact they were my introduction to Texas Wildflowers, way back in the Spring of 1998, when I drove into Texas via Amarillo and began seeing these fragile looking flowers lining the side of the road.

Now that Spring has officially arrived with the first Texas Bluebonnets I can relax and eagerly anticipate the first 100 degree day of the year. And the first Tornado Warning Sirens of the year.