A Bluebonnet Expedition (part 2)

If I seem distracted today, it's because I'm trying to watch the Masters while I'm writing this blog. At the moment Fred Couples is tied for the lead at 5 under par. But, on to the blog. . .

 

Today's post will have less commentary yesterday's, since I already identified most flowers we encountered. These first several pictures were taken from Park Rd 4 towards the southern end of Inks Lake, near where it turns east to Longhorn Cavern.

Usually I continue south to FM 1431 and approach marble falls from the west.

But we decided today that we would check out the Bluebonnet distribution on the "unexplored" portion of Park Rd 4 and approach marble falls from the north.

I guess what we were looking for here was large expanses of flowers. For most of the drive what we could see was limited by the trees and hills close to the road.

 As we moved farther east, the landscape did seem to open up a little bit but, so far, no vast fields of blue.

When the Indian Paintbrush are few and far between, it's nice to have the spikes of a Yucca plant or two to add some interest to the composition.

I saw this place from much farther away a couple of weeks ago I my first Bluebonnet reconnaissance, but I didn't really know what it was. Checking it out on Google Maps and seeing it this closely, I'd guess it's a private residence. There was a single mailbox at the driveway entrance. I would guess that it's locally referred to as Somebody-or-other's Castle, but who knows? I can tell you, however, the satellite shot from Google Maps clearly shows that it's even surrounded by a castellated stone wall!

No wide-open fields of Bluebonnets yet, but the increasing area between the road and the trees as we track east has plenty of flowers.

It's certainly a beautiful drive. . .

. . . and there are more flowers around every corner, but I may have to search farther west.

 Perhaps I'll venture out towards Brady or Fredericksburg tomorrow.

These last four pictures are as close as we came to a "field of Bluebonnets".

Since I was blocking the entrance to this guy's ranch, I got out and took a few pictures and skedaddled.

But I have to say, he's got his share of bluebonnets and his ranch is awfully inviting.

That's the end of this set. I may go looking farther afield tomorrow, but we'll see. From here, Mom and I made our way to Marble Falls where we got some pie at the Bluebonnet Café to tide us over on the ride back to Austin.