As the bluebonnets fade into memory...

Bluebonnet season doesn't last long, maybe a month from first pop to stragglers still hugging the roadsides. 

It creates a weird dynamic - a sense of urgency to step on the brakes... 

...to forget that you're already running late to the next somewhere... 

 ...to step outside of your normal, hurried day... 

...and just soak up the sight and smell of them, 

before it's too late. 

From top to bottom, these photos were taken at: my neighbor's yard on my way home, a field near a client's weekend home after delivering option money, the Smithwick cemetery on my way to a new listing, and Turkey Bend recreation area on Lake Travis after a Chamber of Commerce meeting down the highway. They were already past their prime; next year, I'm going there first!

Mountain Pinks

Alas, I think the mountain pinks are beginning to fade. 

Thanks to a few scattered showers, the Hollow will stay green for awhile, but I'm sure going to miss these splashes of pink... 

"Who would have thought it possible that a tiny little flower could preoccupy a person so completely that there simply wasn't room for any other thought."  

-  Sophie Scholl 

May All Your Weeds Be Wildflowers

My friend Jill has been having Garden Parties for almost a month now, but I keep missing them. 

I was determined to attend this week, though, because even though the wild wildflowers of Spring have mellowed, there's still plenty of color.

So grab a bottle of water (it's hot out there) and let's go for a walk.

I'll show you what's blooming in my garden.

(Forgive me if I don't know the names of all of them! I'm headed to work and will tag them later!)

Yucca blossoms...delicate white bells. 

(Nothing yucky about them! Sorry...couldn't resist.)

My front yard, full of Mexican hats and Indian blankets. Lots of diversity!

There are fields of Mexican hats right now.

They'll last all summer, rain or drought.

Cactus are blooming, although lately the deer (or something) are eating the blossoms before the bees can get to them.

The one below was taken last month.

This is a tiny little cactus that hugs the ground along my favorite walking path. 

It's easy to overlook.

I'll try to get a photo of it fully bloomed...if I can beat the deer to it.

Yellow is the color of the season, for sure. 

My miniature rose bush is blooming. Still just a single bud, but that's okay. I'm just grateful it's still alive!

It's survival of the fittest around here.

Hope you enjoyed the walk!

For more beautiful gardens, hop on over to She Who Carries Camera.

And I hope you have a beautiful Sunday!

May all your weeds be wildflowers! 

~ author unknown

May Day, May Day

On a whim, 

coming home from work on May Day, 

I pulled over

and photographed the wildflowers 

waving to me from the roadside.

The next day, 

the roadside had been freshly mown. 

I'm so grateful I listen to whims.

On an early morning walk...

Life is busier than ever right now, but I'm hanging on to my morning walks as often as possible. 


Grab a bottle of water (it's hot, even first thing in the morning), douse yourself with bug spray (we're in the woods, after all), and come along with me...

Purple thistle still adds bright splashes of color to the hollow. 

A dandelion vagabond is resting on the stem of this one.

The ponds are drying up fast. We need rain!

About a dozen different types of yellow flowers are blooming, though. 

They love the sunshine!

These odd little plants grow near the bend in our road. 

I loved how the morning light caught them and brought out the different colors.

Doesn't this web look like a tattered sail? 

I'm not sure if that's a spider weaving a web, or a bug caught in a spider's web near the bottom. 

What do you think?

This large daisy is growing all alone. 

I hope more follow its lead!

Woods bokeh.

Morning light coming through the trees is magical.

I startled this heron and barely captured its escape in my camera.

Wild chicory, I think. 

It only opens in the morning.

A reward for early risers.

This tiny beauty is about the size of a marble.

Thanks for tagging along!

Time to grab another cup of coffee, sit on the deck while the puppies eat, and listen to the birds for a few minutes before revving it back up to full speed.

Hope you have a beautiful day!

An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day. 

~ Henry David Thoreau

Springtime Serendipity

I looked up 

just as the sun 

broke through the trees 

and shined its spotlight on these Indian Blankets.

ser·en·dip·i·ty

   [ser-uhn-dip-i-tee] 

noun

1.

an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.

2.

good fortune; luck

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!