What do YOU want to do after 60 years?

Today I did what I wanted...ate breakfast with friends...attended Tai Chi class...shopped for socks...lunched on Chinese food...but what I really wanted to do was to walk in the wild and check on the wildflowers. And on your day, you can do whatever you want.

We fought evening rush hour traffic on our way, but it was worth the battle. Paddy, DH, and I took our usual trip to the creek and back. Paddy followed every scent and distraction. She found all sorts of bones, carried them around, and then dropped them as her attention was diverted by a bird, or cricket, or butterfly.

DH walked ahead of me (I lagged behind - attempting photos in the wind) and called, "There's some red here!" and "Here's purple!" He may not know the names, but he knows I want to see all the different varieties starting to bloom.*

We found a few game trails and noticed that the swampy areas were mostly dry. It won't be dry for long as showers are expected over the next few days. This area stays wet once it gets a little rain. We got lucky and stayed dry - the mist started as we headed home.

An empty nest...

Paddy and DH head across the field.

The dewberry vines are blooming (the birds always beat me to the berries).

Paddy had a wonderful time!

She still comes running when we call, "Cookie."

She's not a young dog any longer, but she can still run wild on the prairie.

Some of the bluebonnets were lovely. Others looked sickly - perhaps buggy or suffering from lack of rain.

We will check the bluebonnet meadows in the woods on our next trip

Growing among the prickly pear.

The trees are just beginning to bud.

Bluebonnets

Another pea

Blue and yellow

Large buttercup with bug.

"Here's some red" (Indian paintbrush)

Indian paintbrush

Large buttercup

Large buttercup

Large buttercup

Dewberry vines

Wild mustard growing near the creek

There are so many dead trees. I worry about potential for fires.

An allium - wild onion? wild garlic? Something else maybe.

An allium

Dried grasses from last season.

NOTES:

*I don't know all the names, but I have a number of books and know how to look up what I don't know. There is a Master Naturalist course offered by TDP&W. It is something I might want to do.
http://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/wildlife_diversity/master_naturalist/