Traveling with the Longdogs: Wildflowers

Showing posts with label Wildflowers. Show all posts

2026-4-23 Texas Chainsaw Massacre Film Location

One day a group of us went to Hoopers for lunch. The "Texas Chainsaw House" in Kingsland, Texas, is a restaurant called Hooper's, named in homage to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre director Tobe Hooper, serving Southern pub fare in the original house from the 1974 film, which was relocated from Round Rock in 1998.

The food was good and the decor is all themed from the movie. They even had souvenir T-shirts and other items for sale.

We gathered on the front porch for a group picture after lunch.

On the way home Pat and I took the back way around park road 4 to check on the wildflowers.

Bluebonnets were scarce but there were other wildflowers.

It was a nice drive and we enjoyed the flowers.

2021-05-30 Dancing Divas

On Saturday, my son and daughter-in-law were driving up to Brownwood for my Granddaughter Morgan's dance recital. From there, the three of them plus Angus were heading west to New Mexico and Colorado for a little summer vacation. Hmmm, I would like to see her dance too. No big deal, I will just drive up there myself, meet them for the recital, and then drive home. DH didn't want to drive 4 hours each way but I like roadtrips. Rather than caravan with the kids, we just headed out separately. I told them I would meet them at their motel in Brownwood. Angus was going to chill in the hotel room while we were at the recital. Our timing worked out perfectly. We arrived at the high school auditorium close to an hour early as it fills up early with all the parents bringing their dancers.

Morgan was in 5 different dances. I just mostly took photos of the parts she was in but it was a lengthy program with tiny tot dancers up to high school girls. There were even a couple of boys. Morgan's mother and grandmother own the dance studio and they have a large crowd of students.

"Bad Dream"

"Rainbow Hanging Over Your Head"

"99 Red Balloons"

"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" (my personal favorite dance)

"Money, Money, Money"

"Finale"

As part of the Finale, 5 of the backstage personnel donned these unique costumes. The other four all raised their arms straight up as they danced but this is my grandson Cameron and he is too tall to raise his arms straight up. It was very interesting. The program ran long as often happens so it was 5:30 before I was able too give Morgan hugs and head out.

The GPS sent me a different way out of Brownwood. It was a very small rural road but the wild flowers were beautiful. It was surprising to see so many flowers still in bloom. We have had an unusual amount of rain this year.

There were flowers all along the roadside and even whole fields of them.

Aren't they beautiful? No more bluebonnets but lots of red, orange, and yellow flowers.

The cacti were also blooming. Lots of people don't realize just how beatiful cacti can be when they are blooming. The cacti flowers don't last long but are gorgeous at just the right time.

It was 9:30pm when I arrived at home so it was a long but very enjoyable day. I love road trips.

Wildflower Extravaganza

At the same time that the Coronavirus is stealing all the headlines and occupying everyone's thoughts 24/7, we sometimes forget other things going on around us. This was also a banner year for blue bonnets and other wildflowers in central Texas and the Hill Country. 2010 was the last really huge extravaganza of flowers even though we do have wildflowers every year. I never did get to make the drive up to the Willow Tree Loop near Fredericksburg due to the Stay at Home guidance for all of us over 65 with other health issues but I did take a few drives close to home that didn't require me to stop anywhere. One of the properties out along 3009 between Schertz and Highway 46 had a really spectacular show this year. I don't remember seeing it like this before.

I love the blue bonnets the most but the Indian paintbrushes and other yellow and orange flowers are beautiful too.

A couple of these were taken by my daughter-in-law Helen from the motorcycle out on the Willow Tree loop. There were no crowds there as they went during the week.

Indian Paintbrushes usually come out after the bluebonnets are blooming but they stole the show in this yard.

These were taken along 306 heading towards Canyon Lake.

There were a few other people pulled off in this rest area along 306 but we all kept our distance and just enjoyed the show.

A young couple plopped their baby down in the midst of the bluebonnets to take some photos that I'm sure will be treasured. I just hoped that there were no rattlers anywhere near where they were crouched down along with the grandparents.