It’s spring here in Texas.

Like most of the country we had a strange winter, long and dark and cold (even by non-Texas standards) and while rain is always welcome here, it’s been a relief to see to see the sun peeking out and to feel the warm breeze blowing under blue skies. This is why I moved to the South.

But beyond even the sun and the sky…there are the wildflowers. For a few weeks in springtime the Texas countryside erupts into a riot of color – blues and purples and reds and yellows – bright blossoms amidst the dark green grass. It’s sheer arresting beauty, like New England in autumn. For a few weeks the wilds put on their very best show.

And we went out to see it.

We set out on the last weekend of March – my friend Amanda and I – in the early end of the season when the flowers were just beginning to bloom.

But flowers aren’t the only reason to see the Texas Hill Country. It’s wonderful to be so close to the city and yet to feel so far from it, to take a big deep breath in wide open spaces and remember all the things that made your home-back-home so wonderful, like little homes on big land and quiet country roads.

And cows. Lots of cows.

I never realized how much I missed seeing cows every day.

We took a rest stop in Mason and walked around the town square. 5:15pm on a Saturday and everything closed up for the evening? Sounds about right.

Even on the sidewalks, the bluebonnets are thriving.

We headed east out of Mason back toward Llano, stopping for some photos along the way.

(For these shots I got several burrs in my jeans and stepped on an anthill. C’est la vie.)

And then at sunset we found it…the spot.

Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush and nothing but the sound of our own footsteps and the singing birds: this is the gift of spring in the Texas countryside. This may also go down as one of the more magical moments in my 30 by 30 journey.

Eventually the sun sank down and we managed to pull ourselves away.

(To be back next year? Oh yes, I think so.)