flower time once more

The time has come again. I saw a single paralena blossom sticking up through the gravel on Zack's driveway. Back in 1994, I worked for Johnny and Maggie Langdon, sort of gardner, lawn keeper, antique restorer, you name it. But being outdoors most of the time on their beautiful acreage, fields sloping down to Mary's Creek in a hide-away in Benbrook, stable with goats and a donkey, many dogs in and out of the house, cats, tropical plants in great urns, paintings by Nancy Lamb and a Dallas folk artist, Bob Wade, and more.... Quite an establishment. But the wild flowers. I got to examine first hand and conceived this plan to learn the names of one of Texas's most abundant resourses, it's wild flowers.

I started in March, when a flower popped up I took a photo, checked in my guide book, found the name and pasted the photo on a 36" x48" piece of card board, with a calender page of that month. All the flowers I saw, and the date I noticed them in bloom. I sort of added some other info. I went to the Hill Country, through San Saba and Llano to Enchanted Rock, mainly to be amoung that red cristaline granit. Pictures from that trip, and the unique flowers blooming down there, made it on the April page. I think I will do the same on my blog this time. With photos. The photo above is of course the familiar Indian Paintbrush which blooms later when the bluebonnets come along.

Maggie took me along on a expedition trip to Austin and vacinity before Christmas that year, with a morning at Lady Bird Johnson's fine Wildlife Center. We took her huge Airdale, Honey Bear. (Who embarassed us by peeing on the Creche outside the Johnson City Babtist. Almost got cought by the pastor!) We also went to Fredrichsburg and through Johnson City, and Marble Falls, admiring the Christmas light displays, examining rocks and furniture, and sculpture by Bob Wade, personal friend of the Langdon's. Yes, Daddy-o came to visit often, and I snapped a picture of him and two friends, writer brothers, as they were putting together his book. Bob liked my photo and used it on the dust jacket. The major work of his, the Langdon's owned, was his "art car", a laundry van painted bright orange and riddled with bullet holes, Bob and friends I am sure enjoyed preferating the vehicle with. And the title of this work of art? Why, "Bonnie and Clyde Mobile". It sat nobly in the pasture, and Bob gave it to them for a wedding present.....

I still have those 13 months of flower calenders. Sorry, but they are not really works of art, just flower diaries.....