The last two springs have been bone dry in the central part of the sovereign State of Texas hence our Texas Bluebonnets, Lupinus texensis, haven’t produced a wild crop, but hooray, after our record rains of the past twelve months, they are back this year! So are our Indian paintbrushes and wild yellow sunflowers.

Lady Bird Johnson was LBJ’s First Lady and on her return to Texas after his last term as President, she started something that has become a tradition in our State. She persuaded the State Government to seed bluebonnets and other wildflowers along the highways. Every spring the flowers return as a legacy of the First Lady, but, the really “wild” bluebonnets and other flowers are wherever you find them away from the roads.

Right across from my place, one of my neighbors has a few wild, bluebonnets.

And, as I drove south toward the Colorado River, the grounds of the Big Valley Baptist Church and the Big Valley Cemetery were alive with a wealth of colors, all wild flowers.

In 1901 the bluebonnet variety, Lupinus subcarnosus, also known as buffalo clover, was recognized as the state flower of Texas. However, Lupinus texensis, Texas bluebonnet, emerged as the favorite of most Texans. As a result of this popularity, in 1971 the Texas Legislature made all the species of bluebonnet the State flower. However, our Lupinus texensis remains dear to all Texan’s hearts.

Another interesting fact about our Texas bluebonnets is that in the wild they are almost exclusively blue. A random genetic mutation can occasionally create an albino, white bluebonnet. Texas A&M University researchers were successful in breeding red and white strains, creating a Texas state flag in bluebonnets for the 1986 Texas Sesquicentennial. Further research led to a deep maroon strain, the university’s official color. Good ole Aggies!

Last Sunday afternoon I heard a familiar buzzing, turned to the side and there was a male hummingbird, a black chinned hummingbird, the common kind we see around here. Checking my past year’s records the hummers usually show up between April 3rd and 7th, so this one, on April 4th was right on time!

Fixing the birds food and putting up one feeder, who showed up but “The Boss”. Black chinned hummers live for around seven years so we’re pretty sure that its “The Boss”. Here “The Boss” is taking care of bidness!

We had a cool spell blow in on Wednesday and the lows tonight will be in the mid 30’s with a chance of frost in the lower places, not cold enough to bother the hummers. Already having to mow the yard once, its already time again. I’ll plant the garden next week and within the last five days I’ve had to replace the hummingbird food twice!

Hello summer!

To get the day started off on the right track I went to my Church’s, Men’s Prayer Meeting and after that I got a hair cut and caught up on the local gossip. My plan for the rest of the day was to try to find the general location where a heifer had just dropped a calf, then go to Georgetown and play softball, drive to Cabela’s and pick up some stuff, stop by the grocery store in Lampasas, then come on home in time to go scouting for turkeys.

Back home before 8:30 AM, I jumped on my four wheeler and went out on my place to try and find a heifer and her calf. Not wanting to “find” the calf because the mother wouldn’t return to it, I was just wanting to locate the general area that the calf was in. This searching would leave me plenty of time to find the cow, get back to the house, change clothes and then drive to Georgetown, the game starting at 1:00 PM.

Driving slowly along the trails I didn’t find the heifer, but I found something sharp, the results being a flat tire on my four wheeler, my first of the day. Calling Layla, I told her to get into my new truck and come out and pick me up. She complied, but called me several minutes later inquiring as to the status of the keys? They were in my pocket! She brought the Jeep to pick me up and, not changing clothes, I had to hurry to get on the road.

After passing through Lampasas, I was speeding along U.S. Highway 183, a nice four lane job, when I noticed two cars ahead of me signaling for a left turn. As usual, before turning left, both cars swerved over into my lane forcing me to head for the shoulder. That was too close! On the shoulder I encountered some type of very hard object, resulting in a loud thump. Not two hundred yards down the road, clump, clump, my second flat of the day!

After two hours of prayer, phone calls to the dealer, grumbling, eighteen-wheelers roaring past me within ten feet and manual labor, I successfully changed the tire. I had just purchased the ruptured tire, a special brand, five ply with a Kevlar lining. This type of tire is a must for driving on our local dirt, County roads and plowing through mesquite and it didn’t have over a two hundred miles on it, having only been on my new truck since last Thursday.

Being too late for softball, I headed on into Georgetown and, one hour later, the tire dealer replaced to damaged tire. Heading on toward Cabela’s, the radio announced a fire on Interstate 35 in Austin. This was bad news! Austin’s traffic is horrible at best and with a fire it would be impossible! After my shopping this would cause me to route around the city and add an hour to my trip. If I got back home before dark I would be lucky However, I wasn’t lucky and the moon was up when I rolled in at 9:30 PM.

Counting my blessings, I got home safe, I only had two flat tires today, I avoided an accident in my new truck, I didn’t hit a deer and best of all, I didn’t get squshed changing the tire along the busy highway! The heifer showed up too, just a little worse for wear, but the calf is still in hiding. Overall, a pretty good day!