Springing Along

Brown-eyed Susans (like me!) are abundant.

Now that we’ve finally bid a not-so-fond farewell to winter, the wildflowers in our neighboring master-planned community are flourishing.

Two of my most-loved wildflowers

I’m happy to report that small patches of bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush continue to thrive.

Bzzzzzzz!

Which means that the little buzzers are sticking around. Which is fine as long as they’re not sticking me!

Indian blankets mix with other blossoms.

Finally showing their lovely orange-yellow blooms are Indian blankets, another favorite wildflower of mine. It always seems like there are no two alike.

A couple poppies mingle with pink evening primrose and red phlox.

New to the scenery are orange and red poppies. They’ve dotted the landscape before, but now they’re out in copious amounts.

Poppies are plentiful.

Every week it seems like there’s something different to see, which makes me look forward to my exercise even more.

Who knows what this weekend will bring. I can’t wait to find out!

Creature Feature

Turtle soup

While I was communing with nature recently, my Nikon 105mm macro lens strayed from the wildflowers. What distracted it? Critters.

First, there were turtles.

Hi, guys!

And then a duck joined the party.

A whistling duck

This feathered friend was fine hanging out by himself on a different part of the lake.

Of course, there’s one critter that always wants to spoil my placid photo party and make me want to shoot and quickly flee.

We both love the beautiful bottlebrush bushes.

Bees! Why does it always have to be bees?

One-Word Wednesday

This was the first time I had seen such a hefty bluebonnet. It stood out among its skinny pals in our neighboring community’s patch of wildflowers.

Chubby!

And now I’ve seen two of them!

Pretty Progress

Bluebonnets galore!

It’s been almost seven weeks since I posted a photo of the first bluebonnet in my neighboring master-planned community.

A lot has happened in that time. As in a bountiful burst of blooming bluebonnets!

But that’s only part of the story.

This is the patch where the first bluebonnet blossomed.

Adding to the gorgeous bluish-purple hue that Texans love so much is an abundance of red and pink.

The pink, as in evening primrose, always joins the bluebonnets this time of year. But that fiery red?

A colorful display

For the first time since I’ve been jogging and walking in this area, Drummond phlox has inundated the scenery. In the past, there might be a half dozen or so of the crimson cuties dotting the landscape. But times have changed . . . at least for this wildflower season.

Plenty of purty posies

Welcome to the neighborhood!

As the Sun Sets

Birds add to the sunset.

Disc golfers love when their discs go into the basket.

The light is fading.

Photographers love when nature complements the sport they’re shooting. Well, at least I do.

Par?

The addition of a disc flying into a basket? Icing on the proverbial cake!

Buzzing Around the Bluebonnets

They’re baaack!

As I’ve written many times in this blog, getting up close and personal with my beloved bluebonnets has a distinct downside: Bees love ’em, too. That means that my sting-phobic self battles its nerves to stay as steady as possible while snapping away with my Nikon dSLRs.

Good thing my Nikon 105mm macro lens has a VR (Vibration Reduction) setting!

Checking it out.

Of course, I’m a fan of bees, because without them we wouldn’t have certain fruits and veggies.

And this one, too.

But I prefer to shoot solo, thank you very much. I don’t like the little buzzers infringing on my space.

See ya! Wouldn’t want to bee ya!

And, apparently, they feel the same way about me!

One-Word Wednesday

These first bluebonnets have company now. Lots of bud-dies!

More!

As one matures, another one blooms.

Soon all of them will be this gorgeous shade of blue-purple.

Love Texas’ state flower, little and big!

One-Word Wednesday

This critter stayed on the front of our house for several days. Freeloader!

Bug!

Bluebonnet Buddies

Looking very purply now

When I checked on the first 2014 bluebonnet last Saturday, I was pleased that it was still going strong. Plus I couldn’t help but smile when I saw what was surrounding it.

The more the merrier

Friends! Hopefully, the first of many. It’s great to know that before long purple will rule the landscape in our neighboring master-planned community.

But that’s not all.

Staying in the same color scheme

I spotted these lovely, delicate wildflowers (linaria, also called toadflax) along the walking path about a quarter mile from the bluebonnets. I haven’t seen them in this area since 2011.

Kind of on the purple spectrum

Once the (hopefully!) last gasp of winter blows through in a day or two, I expect that spring is going to push plenty of blooms our way.

Believe me, I’m ready for them!

Sidebar: I’ve been claiming that it’s the last cold day of winter for about six weeks. I hope I’m right soon!

One-Word Wednesday

It’s still winter in Huntsville . . .

Stark!

. . . but not for long! Spring is around the corner, I hope.