Spring time in Texas - Favorite Wildflowers

Texas wildflowers never cease to take my breath away!

Hillsboro Texas - Another county seat, courthouse, and town square

There are numerous counties in the state of Texas in which the counties in the late 1800s seemed to have had a competition for who could build the most awesome courthouse. Many of them are on a square with shops and restaurants surrounding the area. Of course, a century plus of time can take its toll on buildings. Fortunately, the state of Texas has grants they award every year for the restoration of these courthouses. This often brings a restoration to the town square and the economy. The courthouse in this photo is about a 45 minute drive south of my house. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve driven through the town on I-35, but have never stopped in downtown. Well, all this quarantine and shelter-in-place stuff can get a little old and I needed to go somewhere and so I took a few hours to go visit the Hill County courthouse in Hillsboro and a paleontology museum called Texas Through Time. The museum is not large. But, they have some fascinating acquisitions and models. It’s very kid accessible and it’s free admission. The town also has a museum called Roadside America which is near the town square. It looks interesting. But, I’m saving that one for a little road trip with Cindy when she can go.

My County Courthouse - Ellis County

One of my “faves” about Texas are the many beautiful courthouses. Texas has a program in place that makes money available for restoration of these old courthouses. This has led to economic renewal in many of these communities because coffee shops, restaurants, art stores, antique shops, and festivals have drawn tourists in the renewed old town centers. Here are just a few photos I took of the restored Ellis County Courthouse in Waxahachie, Texas, a few miles from my home. I love this building. NOTE: There are three images here in a “carousel” format.

One of my favorite things about Texas

There’s a joke that Texans love to tell and it goes as follows:

Never ask a man where he’s from. If he’s not from Texas, you don’t want to embarrass him. If he is from Texas, he’ll tell you anyway.

Well . . .if the truth be told, I’m not from Texas. But, given that I’ve learned a lot about this state and its people over the 22.5 years I’ve lived here, the natives have not run me out. Texas is the third state where I’ve lived for a while (more than five years). I’ve lived in Illinois, Arizona, and Texas. A few more years here and I will have lived here longer than I’ve lived anywhere in my life and that’s just fine with me. The irony in my tenure here is that there’s never been a place that I’ve disliked living more than my first three years here. So, what caused the big turnaround?

We moved here for me to go back to school for a Master’s degree and we lived in Dallas proper. That’s not particularly bad in and of itself. But, the reality was that I was working full-time, going to school, and we had a one-year-old son. My life was a constant mix of concrete, computers, books, and family stuff. We had little time to get out and when we did, it was to local destinations such as the zoo or a park. But, being in such a limited area provides little opportunity and time to get out and get a feel for the region and state as a whole. To add to this challenge was the fact that I’d driven through various parts of the state on the Interstate highways and they appeared to me to be the most God-forsaken areas on earth. I just didn’t understand why Texans were so infatuated with their state. What was so great about it?

Well, for me the turnaround came after we moved out of the city to a remote suburb south of Dallas and we took a trip to south Texas via the “Hill Country.” All of a sudden, I felt like I’d entered a whole new world. The strange thing about it is that is was different, but so familiar in a good way. I felt “home” in a number of places I’d never been before. I’ve joined numerous Facebook pages with a Texas theme and I see questions from new transplants to the state that are essentially asking for everything they need to know to “be Texan.” The problem is that you can’t read a book and get it. You can’t even ask a fifth-generation Texan and expect an answer that will be remotely helpful. One has to get around a bit. Drive through the Piney Woods, spend a night in the Hill Country, explore the wildlife preserves along the gulf coast, go visit Palo Duro Canyon near Amarillo (the second largest canyon in the United States), or go marvel at the wonders of Big Bend National Park in west Texas; the only national park with an entire mountain range enclosed within its borders. Wherever you go, never be in such a hurry to not take time and meet the local citizens. The people and the small towns are where “the gold is.” That’s not a knock against the cities. They have virtues all their own.

Lastly, come to Texas in April and check out the wildflowers. In the photos below are bluebonnets (state flower) and Paintbrushes. I took these photos just today. I’d be happy living here the rest of my life just to see these bloom every Spring.

Click the photo to see more Texas wildflowers. Photos taken by David Largent. April 4, 2020