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Growing up my Daddy liked to pile us all in the car after church was over and then drive us what felt like hundreds of miles out into the country to eat Sunday lunch at a family style restaurant in the Hill Country.
Funny how the ride home was always so much shorter than the ride there.
Along the way he would point out flowers that caught his eye, every single cow or horse or goat grazing behind a fence. My little brother and I would sigh and complain and sure, yes, we would ask "are we there yet?". I would roll my eyes and wish for the earth to swallow me up and get me A W A Y from these old people in the front seat who thought driving out to the boonies was a reasonable enterprise, much less a fun way to spend time.
Fast forward a few decades and predictably enough, the Hub and I are now the geezers in the front seats, enjoying the countryside, pointing out livestock and wondering aloud what the name of this or that flowering plant might be.
Our own experiences as kids taught us a thing or two. Our children are all grown up now. We don't drag them along, heck, last go round we didn't even invite them.
This past weekend specifically, when we took the opportunity to check out the relatively new
Canyon of the Eagles Resort out on Lake Buchanan, set in a 940 acre nature park.
I'll let you peruse their web site on your own if you're interested.
We had a nice lunch in the all but deserted restaurant with spectacular views from a high bluff overlooking the North shores of the lake.
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| We were both quite taken with the Senna Lindheimeriana. These were in bloom all over the Hill Country. |
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| I'd never seen climbing snapdragon before. I think it is charming. |
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| Art imitates life or life imitates art? You decide. |
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| Pollinators were busy everywhere we looked. This hummingbird was really working over the Turk's Cap. |
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| The grounds featured very lightly landscaped mostly native plants. |
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| Not sure if this was intended to be scenic or is the resort's actual firetruck. |
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| Down by the water there were huge slabs set out as tables and benches for picnic lunches. |
Truth be told however, what we enjoyed most was the overcast day bringing cooler temperatures. The change of scenery included a good look close up at the after effects of so many inches of rain from Hermine on the Texas Hill Country. Many plants I knew or could easily identify. There are a few however that I simply can't get a handle on. Anybody want to help out?
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| I think this was a blue heron (left) sharing shoreline with an egret. |
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| Final Update: Winner winner chicken dinner! This is (according to Mr Smarty Plants again - this guy is absolutely THE go-to guy for help with plant ID - Croptilon divaricatum, otherwise known as Slender Scratchdaisy. How fun is that for a common plant name? |
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| This was my first sighting of Spurred Butterfly Pea (Centrosema virginianum). |
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| Update: I have on authority (Mr Smarty Plants himself!) this dragonfly is a Flag-tailed Spinyleg - probably a male. |
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| Update: Mr. Smarty Plants and Lancashire Rose have both IDed this as Bull Nettle. Thank you! |
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| Yet another heron - they were all along the shores of the lake. |
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| I think these large fellas are quite handsome when they are found far far away from my own plants. |
Please feel free to chime in with the missing plant names in the comments section. All part of the fun.
