Spring in the Texas Hill Country

Saturday morning Tom and I headed out with friends for a drive into the Texas Hill Country...

First stop: Willow City Loop. 

It's just another winding country road most of the year.

 Pretty, but no more so than any other little country road...

...until spring arrives.

Then it becomes a wildflower wonderland... 

The residents ask that you don't park, so mostly we drove, oohing and aahing around every curve... and snapping bluebonnets from the window.

But a few times Tom agreed to stop so I could jump out and grab a close up.

Indian Paintbrush

White Poppies and Bluebonnets

We continued down the highway to Enchanted Rock State Park...

...where we sat in a line waiting to drive in.

Fortunately, this cardinal kept us company while we waited.

We had a good view of the Rock. 

I prayed we'd make it in before the capacity limit was reached.

We did, hallelujah!

I already posted several photos on Long Hollow of our adventures on the Rock, but here are a few more.

This one gives you an idea of its size...

White Poppies up close... blossoms delicate as tissue! 

The poppies grew along Willow City Loop, but also decorated the beginning of the trail leading to the top of the Rock, along with the beautiful Spiderwort below.

(Who named these, anyway?) 

Fern peeked out from under a huge granite boulder that rested on the Rock.

Colored lichen dressed up much of the granite. 

Besides this University of Texas orange, I also spotted some blues and reds.

We also found color on the cactus...

I have a feeling the cacti below didn't grow like this on their own.

(See those little fuzzy knobs popping out? Soon those will be gorgeous flowers!)

Leaving the rock, we drove into Fredericksburg for lunch and parked near this beautiful church.

The church school... such an imposing building!

A mysterious little door on the side of the church.

I felt sepia added to the mystery.

Fredericksburg is a beautiful little German town with tons of things to photograph

but we were famished and this was as far as we got.

(I recommend the Reuben Sandwich!)

Now that's the way to spend a Saturday in spring!