The Texas Bule Step, Day One

Day One of the Texas Blue Step was an exhilarating success. The manicured old house was the only thing that remained calm. The cars arrived with people with happy smiles on their faces and, “Oh my gosh, this is beautiful!” and “Oh, the fragrance floating in the air!” coming out of everyone’s mouth. The children spilled out of their cars and rushed into the field of bluebonnets.

The bluebonnets were insisting on taking center stage while allowing the Indian paints to be supporting actresses. I am sure that they were actresses and not actors because they were so well dressed. My grandmother would have called them “fixie.” “Fixie” was an adjective she used to describe a woman that liked to dress up who was always dressed stylishly from head to toe. Well, these bluebonnets and Indian Paints were mighty fixie. Of course, the grasses had to get in on the show. They were waving and bowing and whispering sweet words to all the children hoping that they would run through their long tickly fingers. The old barn was happy to stay in the background and just look worn and full of experience. The wooden fences loaded with pale yellow antique roses called some to just peek through the boards and leave the bluebonnets to take an intermission. The last little girl went swinging on the old red gate laughing the whole time while grasping her bouquet of bluebonnets that she was taking to her grandmother. She was quite sure that her grandmother had not EVER had a real live Texas Bluebonnet Bouquet. I wish I could have been there to capture the look on Lily’s grandmother’s face as Lily handed her hand picked (literally) gift to her grandmother.

Which leads me to why you drive a little over an hour for this bluebonnet experience. Sure you can find a place on the busy intersections in Houston or a spot near the airport. Why just imagine those wonderful four wheelers whizzing by to complete the picture and the car fumes wafting through the air! Instead, the drive out to Bleiblerville gives you a chance to leave those big-city cares behind and recharge. The last turn takes you by the two bearded goats that I am sure appear occasionally in the play “The Three Billy Goats Gruff.” Or gives you a chance to wave at the palomino horse that is grazing in the grasses with the light rimming down his back and mane. The smells of the country complete the picture. Well, I guess I can’t forget the Texas flag that was waving at everyone that passed by the entire time I was shooting. When I got up this morning to photograph in the early light, he was still asleep…..worn out from standing guard over this beautiful Texas countryside.

I hope that every time “they” look at their portraits, they will recall an over the top experience that their family will talk about for years to come. And maybe they will join me in thinking, “Thank God for Texas!”