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Texas in the Springtime by Dave in Texas
It gets goofy here. Normally the bad weather week is middle of March, when the kids are on spring break. Not so this year. We had a freaky snowstorm last weekend, 6 inches of the bad wet stuff. This weekend we had thunderstorms and tornados. That’s called “normal”. I haven’t seen a “white” Easter in my life. Probably won’t ever see one again. The weather dude said last time it snowed in central Texas was 1928, but that’s one of those things you can just say and who the hell is going to challenge you on it? Anyway the snow’s gone now, and the weather is lovely. And my favorite thing about spring in Texas are the flowers. Shut up you dork dudes. Just shut up. We had lots of rain, and it shows. Trees, grass, weeds, and wildflowers. Including the bluebonnet, our state flower.
Personally I would have declared the dandelion or Johnson grass our state flower, there’s a hell of a lot more of them than bluebonnets. Still, bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush are all over fields and along the highways, and they look lovely. 17. Does the State of Texas actually seed the roadways and highways with bluebonnet seeds?
1. Yes they do. One of the few things they spend money on that I endorse. That and schools. It’s not terribly expensive, and it is quite pretty.
The bluebonnet is our official state flower. The mockingbird is our official state bird. I don’t know why states need these things but apparently they do. I am reliably informed the state bird of Louisiana is the mosquito. Some of those suckers are way bigger than a mockingbird. Many Texas parents will take their kids out on a day like today, and plop them down in the flowers and take cute pictures. Be careful moms and dads. There are other things in Texas fields in the springtime, and they don’t like surprises.
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Comments
Yeah, our state flower is the Columbine. Sort of an unfortunate choice, as of 1999. Nowadays you see more Columbines on license plates than you do in fields.
Posted by: Seetwist | April 17, 2007 8:23 AM
Our state flower is the poppy. Unfortunately it's not the good kind of poppy.
Posted by: Philbrick | April 17, 2007 3:27 PM
The Indian Paintbrush.
Posted by: Timmer | April 17, 2007 4:09 PM
I never knew Columbine was a flower.
So, anybody else? What's your state flower?
Timmer, Indian paintbrush is native here too - they also look really pretty in the spring
Posted by: Dave in Texas | April 17, 2007 4:13 PM
The Provincial flower of Newfoundland is the Picture Plant... it eats bugs and is pretty cool looking too.
Oh right, State flower. Sorry. The Canadian backs away..... So, um, this is cool that I know your State flowers but what State do you live in, you know? These are the flowers of what states?
Dave I got you figured out.
Posted by: Dan | April 17, 2007 5:18 PM
It's the California poppy, Dan.
Posted by: Philbrick | April 17, 2007 6:54 PM
Thanks Philbrick I knew you were cool... So that's like the poppy poppy, I guess? the Flander's Fields type poppy?
Posted by: Dan | April 17, 2007 7:17 PM
Drats. From now on I'll try to only leave intentionally stupid comments.
Posted by: Philbrick | April 17, 2007 7:45 PM
dude we know you're smart as you wanna be yo
Posted by: Dan | April 17, 2007 7:53 PM
The mockingbird is our official state bird. I don’t know why states need these things but apparently they do. I am reliably informed the state bird of Louisiana is the mosquito.
Some of those suckers are way bigger than a mockingbird.
I think our state bird should be the grackle...so many of those useless roaches with wings flittering about...they're worse than pigeons.
Posted by: Darth Monkeybone | April 18, 2007 9:22 AM
Vermont. State flower: red clover - makes for great honey. State tree: sugar maple - makes for great maple syrup... do we see a trend here?
Posted by: Pat | April 19, 2007 12:31 AM
Grackles. Gah. Filthy creatures. And because they are migratory, they are a protected species.
Our small central Texas town is trying to run them out of roosting areas in trees downtown. Filthy mess, but they can't "disturb" them, can't kill them. Goddammit.
Vermont - trends.. sweetness?
Somebody told me Vermont is an "open carry" state (for firearms). I was like "really? Vermont??"
Posted by: Dave in Texas | April 19, 2007 9:29 AM