It Might As Well Be ...Uh ... Spring?

[mrdreamjeans]

I question that it's Spring. We topped out at 85 degrees today. If this is Spring, what's Summer going to be like? The weekend was busy ... work, finances, gardening, grocering, housework and a trip to visit my sister in College Station. The weekend was also peppered with phone calls ... to check in on Steve's recovery from his cardiac surgery; to check on my friends Linda and Marybelle who are going through tough times; and nice chats with redbearmark in Virginia and lovesongman, who is in his final week in Seattle before moving cross country to Rhode Island. A real highlight of the weekend was a visit from new Round Rock, Texas residents arkanjil and Richard. It was wonderful to see them, to show them the house and have lunch in Brenham at "Must Be Heaven". Thanks for treating, Trey!

Everything is in bloom here, especially the Bluebonnets, the Texas State flower. I took a few photos of the fields of blue and of a wonderful bush blooming in my backyard. I thought I'd share them with my friends.


A Stormy Twilight


Native bluebonnets have white tips


A bush in my backyard. Anyone know what it is?


A closeup of the bush's flowers

Comments

[designerotter.livejournal.com]

What wonderful pics ! I think the bush is commonly known as "mock-orange" ... do the flowers have a sweet kinda smell? I'm going to try Wikipedia to see if I can find anything about the shrub. I grew up around them in Pennsylvania and remember the name and the four-petal flowers.
I also went to junior high and HS in Dallas ... so I got know a little about blue lupine, Texas Bluebonnet, and loco-weed (the name, if I remember right, used by some livestock ranchers). Really pretty stuff !

While I don't exactly envy the 85 degrees, it's been cold, damp and rainy here all weekend, with a tornado warning last night (but - knock wood - nothing worse than a thunderstorm appeared). Spring is a springin' here, slowly ... it just doesn't look like it a whole lot - yet.

Thanks for sharing the flowers - Hugs!

Mock Orange..

[notdefined.livejournal.com]

That was my first thought. If it is cherish it as the fragrance is heady and delightful, especially at dusk after a warm quiet quiet day. If you have ever smelled orange trees in bloom, that's the fragrance. I planted a hedge of those back in Virginia but they had not bushed out much before we moved. The did blend well with the Siberian Honeysuckle shrub's that I planted though.

Re: Mock Orange..

[notdefined.livejournal.com]

That's it!

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.cambridge2000.com/gallery/images/P6247299.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.cambridge2000.com/gallery/html/P6247299.html&h=600&w=800&sz=83&hl=en&start=3&tbnid=5e2jvafUGEb6wM:&tbnh=107&tbnw=143&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmock%2Borange%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

Re: Mock Orange..

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Thanks for researching that for me! I had no idea. I'll have to go out in the backyard tonight, dodge the bees and take a whiff!!! It's funny ... I had a home on acreage and never took much of an interest in gardening or the yard and pasture; for some reason, this space which is already heavily landscaped, has captured my interest. I've been buying gardening implements and tools, been in Lowes more times in two weeks than I have in a lifetime:) I guess I was too busy being a horndog before. You can't be out in the garden, if you're on the hunt for sex all of the time. Priorities change ...

HUGS!

Re: Mock Orange..

[notdefined.livejournal.com]

My previous partner put the brakes on my play time for 16 years during which I became a gardening maniac. Our house in Chesterfield looked like a small park. During the brief period when my sexuality awoke, the gardening went out of the window, and now that I'm back on the celibacy wagon, I can't seem to find the time to get into some serious gardening. It is coming to a head though as we are in some serious need of good landscaping at our dwelling in the burbs.

Re: Mock Orange..

[designerotter.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the added note about the scent ... your description is quite accurate, as it brought back some childhood memories.

I did check Wikipedia and, yup, the flowers seem to match the photo. The Genus name in Latin is "Philadelphus" ... and there are at least fifty different species, ranging from California to China and British Columbia to Guatemala.
There's a Philadelphus hirsutus ... the botanist may have been a bear from Philadelphia ;0)...and there's even a Philadelphus texensis - perhaps the species in Neil's Texas garden.

A Furry Mock Orange..

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Perhaps, it's a Philadelphus Texensis (since my home and garden are in Texas) tended by a Erie Hirsutus (since I'm a furry guy orginially from Erie, PA:)

Re: A Furry Mock Orange..

[designerotter.livejournal.com]

Aw gosh...I'm gonna get all hot and bothered, what with the dreamy scent and the furry bear image...;0)

BTW - I also checked my favorite online picture files - no, not one of THOSE ; this is the one I frequently use for design research:
Corbis.com
I typed in "Mock Orange" and they showed a number of nice pictures .... but not one of them was as impressive as the photo you showed. Looks like your specimen is a prizewinner. Goes to show what you get when a furry bear is involved :0)

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

So funny to be reminded of how many things we share in common ... a childhood in Pennsylvania, growing up in Texas, young adulthood in New York, theater, books ... the list goes on ... I certainly owe bruinwi for introducing us! Here's to friendship! HUGS!

[designerotter.livejournal.com]

Amen, Bro !
Hugs back !

[eggwards.livejournal.com]

We're getting some of the bluebonnets up here, but I know how they grow around Brenham. I love this time of year, and this year seems like it will be a bumber crop of roadside blue. Thanks for the pics!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! They are really vivid right now here in Brenham. Btw, it's really nice to get a comment from you. I know you've been busy and having some challenges in Dallas, but I miss your erudite posts:)

Big HUGS!

[use2bshy.livejournal.com]

It really seems everything bloomed earlier this year.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I've lived in Texas 40 years and this is one of the warmest Springs I can remember. With all of the rain, I just get my lawn mowed and a couple of days later, it needs it again.

[tbone1961.livejournal.com]

oh be quiet!! the forecast this morning had snow in it later in the week!!!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

You need to move South with the boys and Randy!!! :) You could move into the house next door to me:) Gorgeous historic plantation home built in 1891, restored and landscaped, 2855 sq ft, on the market for $280K. You wouldn't be worried about snow; the kids would be in one of the best school districts in the state with several award winning sports programs, including football, soccer and baseball. We could get you a job with Bluebell Ice Cream or one of the other industries here. Come on down!! HUGS!

[tbone1961.livejournal.com]

Next, on Bravo!!

Neil, your personalized Life Planner!!

LOL!!!

You thought of everything!!! Except my son who plays hockey!! LOL!!

Of course, I'd have to have the neighbor over to help out with the curtains!!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Houston and Dallas both have professional ice hockey teams!!

As to the curtains, I could choose and help hang, you could iron and Randy could drill. Hehehe ...

You know that I'm only half teasing about coming this way:)

Big HUGS!

[tbone1961.livejournal.com]

Randy has often "teased" along the same lines. He lives in what is known as a mini-climate, where the majority of the inclement weather goes right around. That's why the wineries fluorish right there. The Finger Lake region of NY!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

But, when it's really cold and snowy there, I bet he wants to call the area the ... "The Give Me the Finger" Lakes Region.

Hehehe ..

Hahaha ...

*sigh*

ah, sir

[arkanjil.livejournal.com]

t'was msot good to get to catch up with you- I feel we may be passing through your neighborhood much more often, so watch the skies, je?

Re: ah, sir

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I will do so! Thanks again for lunch and the joy of having company!