Getting there

This blog is not for Texans.  They already know how outrageously awesome the landscape of their highways and byways is in March and April.  This is intended to try and describe how magnificent and exciting the mosaic of the ever-changing colors that blanket the entire state - especially on the highways, appears as you travel.



As a photographer, I am challenged to try and capture images that move me. And, as you can see, I was compelled to photograph every darn mosaic meadow we passed. But it was like being in a blender with Crayola crayons - the tapestry of colors kept changing and changing.....for MILES! An assortment of yellows, then suddenly a mix of yellows, blues, purples and whites mixed with the lush green grass. We pulled off the side of the road several times, exclaiming things like, "look - a pink one! Hey, have you seen this orange puff ball thing? (horticulturalists, we are not) Look at this different kind of purple flower!"


And the landscape itself kept shifting - from meadow-y mixtures of a riot of colors, to forests of trees with a blanket of blues and oranges beneath them, to fields of arid cacti sprinkled liberally with purples, oranges and blues. It was an exponential mosaic quilt - an absolute riot of colors. And Andrew and I have been like two kids in a candy shop, wanting to capture it all.


The flowers are Lady Bird Johnson's legacy. She inspired the passage of the Beautification Act of 1965–a “gift” from LBJ–which cemented environmentalism as a top priority in the United States. Her dreams are a "gift" to us, as we get to be inspired by the millions of blooms planted in Washington DC as well as, in the sweeping banks of wildflowers lining U.S. (and especially Texas) highways.
 Bad drive-by image, but it helps allow you a feel for the experience. 



Stay tuned as I plow my way through over 1,000 photos at Big Bend National Park (our ultimate destination - but the trip was as wonderful as the destination)

I'm beginning to see Texas as a bit of heaven on earth (and I NEVER thought I'd say that!!!) Put a visit to the Texas Hill Country in late March, early April on your wish list!

Happy shooting, friends!

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