This hike was much more beautiful than I had expected. Mayfield Nature Preserve had a lot to offer in a relatively small place. I found mushrooms, wildflowers, the lake, a creek, a cave, small waterfalls, and plenty of mud to hike around in due to all the recent rains. Too much fun! 🙂
This was a cool event. Celebrating World Belly Dance Day on the south steps of the Texas State Capitol. I also roamed around a bit…
It was a nice day for photos at the Pflugerville Pfarmers Market. The Green Red Barn in Pflugerville is home to the Market. This event happens on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 7:00 pm during certain months of the year. Check out the link if you find yourself in need of fresh vegetables or groovy photos.
Wednesday is Earth Day. To celebrate in Austin, there were farm animals, trees, a lake, cloudy skies, kites, flowers, a Lion Dance Team, Capoeira, Belly Dancing, Drummers, The Mayor, food trucks like Load A Bowl, snacks like Jim-Jim’s Italian Water Ice, Teslas, a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus, booths, and tons of other fun.
Here are some more photos from walking through the neighborhoods of Georgetown in search of yards full of red poppies. This will give you a better idea of how crazy this town gets for these flowers. It was nice and sunny this afternoon, and this part of Texas is starting to warm up a bit, so I am not sure how much longer these flowers will be on display.
So, it turns out that Round Rock has a small brewery. Bluebonnet Beer Company opens its doors to the public on Friday and Saturday evenings and invites the Sweet-n-Cheezy food truck along for the ride. The brewery has been described as “homebrewing on steroids”. They currently have four different brews on tap that they produce for some area bars and restaurants. In addition to that, they offered a seasonal beer which was my beer of choice this evening – a Belgian Wit that is “brightened with the zest of fresh, seasonal Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit”. Definitely check this place out if you find yourself in the area. As a bonus, there is a nice thick field of Bluebonnets just next door. 🙂
I am motoring around the Round Rock Outlet Mall today. As usual, I hit up the Starbucks, this time for an iced green tea and some internets. There is more red in the beautiful blooming rose bushes outside then you would imagine possible. On the inside, they are playing music I’ve never heard before and one groovy lyric stuck with me.
The YouTube video of the song “Eye” by Brandi Carlile is linked below if you want to give it a listen.
The story goes that red poppy seeds were brought to Georgetown from Europe soon after WWI. In the springtime, it is relatively easy to find small fields of poppies, patches along fence lines, or maybe even gardens that people have nourished. In April, the town holds a yearly celebration called the Red Poppy Festival. Today I learned that poppies have large flowers on tall thin stalks, making them like sails in the wind. It is difficult to get a nice picture on windy days like today. The fringe benefits, in case you want to pursue the profession of red poppy photographer, are that you get to hang out with the neighborhood cats. 🙂
I have a confession. I am starting to fall in like with the East side of Austin. Yes, it is filling up with hipsters, but they are people too, and they haven’t completely taken over yet. This slightly rainy Sunday, I visited the HOPE Farmers Market. I planned on walking through and maybe getting a coffee or something. Then I ran into Jackie Venson on stage – and hold it – the guitar music and vocals are amazing. I ended up staying for both of her sets and enjoying her performance. I did also get some coffee and had some fun walking around the Market. There were lady bugs, flowers, guitars, music, fountains, vegetables, coffee, tea, monsters, people, and dogs. Hurray East Austin!
There are many fields of Bluebonnets here. People were photographing their babies, their dogs, their whole family units, and of course taking selfies with the Texas State Flowers. My strategy was to find a quiet field and take a seat on the ground to enjoy the flowers and their awesome fragrances.
earthrobert 