A Trip to Rosebud

My friend's mother died this past week. 

She lived in Rosebud, a little country town less than two hours away from me, so of course I attended the services to support my friend.

If you've ever driven in Texas, you know how diverse the terrain can be. 

This is where I started early Tuesday morning, in the rolling hills near my house...

...and in little more than an hour, I was here, driving through flat farmland...

I had never driven out that way before.  

My heart just soared to see so much farmland untouched by encroaching housing developments, and horizons that stretched for miles with nothing blocking the view but prairie grass or cornfields.

This little cemetery is where my friend's mom was buried. 

This weekend... as on all Memorial Day weekends for who knows how long... the community will gather here for prayer, a picnic, and a sprucing up of the cemetery. Even family members who have moved away will come back to pitch in. 

Now that's the way to celebrate Memorial Day, don't you think?

These blooms spiked out from a tree at my friend's mom's house - I can't remember what it's called, but I fell in love with it.
(*I finally looked it up - it's called Texas Lilac Vitex.)

 I have a soft spot for old buildings, so before heading home, I stopped on Main Street and snapped a few photos.

This church and cemetery in another small town caught my eye on my way to Rosebud that morning. 

I promised myself that on the way home I'd stop for a photography break.

You have to keep promises to yourself, you know. 

Life's just too short not to.