Various places and dates in and around South Texas.
Reporting from Douglas County, MO
Last Saturday CaptBLI posted a Daily Bucket titled "A Moment Outdoors Put to Music” which reminded me of some of the lovely places in Texas that I haven’t seen since at least 2011 when we moved away from there. So I dug back into my archives looking for photos. At the time, when I tried to upload a few of those photos my internet would not cooperate. Since then it has been raining or cloudy and overcast, which continues to make it difficult to upload anything, but here goes...
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The first place I remembered was Mercer Arboretum and Botanical Gardens in Humble, TX (pictured above and below). We went there quite often because it was very close to home.
Mercer Arboretum, Humble, TX (March 2006) (bigger)
These are just a couple of the many photos we took there over the years.
Mercer Arboretum, Humble, TX (March 2006) (bigger)
Bluebonnet season was our favorite time to go to the next place I remembered. We chose that time because of the gorgeous display of fields full of bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush along the way.
Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush from near Brenham, TX, April 2004 (bigger)
Another field of bluebonnets with cattle in the background:
Field of Bluebonnets and cattle near Brenham, TX, March 2007 (bigger)
The Antique Rose Emporium in Independence, TX, near Brenham, home of Blue Bell Ice Cream, is an actual nursery, but the gardens they maintain were reason enough to go there with a camera.
A winding pathway through the Antique Rose Emporium (March 2007) (bigger)
Another winding pathway through the Antique Rose Emporium April 2006 (bigger)
One of the gardens of flowers at the Antique Rose Emporium from April 2006 (bigger)
The final place I remembered was The Round Top Festival Institute, or “Festival Hill”. The Round Top Festival Institute is a musical institute established in 1971 by pianist James Dick in Round Top, Texas. It provides musical education programs in summer months, and hosts several concerts every year, but also allows people to wander through the many gardens and structures that have been created there.
One of the many brick without mortar structures at Festival Hill, Round Top, TX 2004 (bigger)
Bridge and walkway at Festival Hill, Round Top, TX 2004 (bigger)
Magic Lantern Tree at Festival Hill in 2004 (bigger)
There are so many more photos I would love to share, but I think I should stop now and let you all participate. I will leave you with this peaceful image of a tree frog enjoying his home on a branch at Festival Hill. I believe it was a branch of the Magic Lantern tree above.
Tree Frog sleeping peacefully on the branch of a tree in the Festival Hill gardens in 2004 (bigger)
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Now It's Your Turn
Do you have memories to share of places from the past or present that have become your favorites? What have you noted happening in your area or travels recently? As usual post your observations as well as their general location in the comments.
