A Day In The Sun

It’s springtime, I know it is. But I would have had a tough time convincing anyone around here of that yesterday. It felt an awful lot like summer. It got hot, and do I mean crazy-hot, in the upper 90’s and humid. It was extremely unusual for this time of year, we don’t usually see temperatures like that until late July or August.

On a day like that there are really only so many things you can do. You can stay inside with the air conditioning running, kvetching and moaning and waiting for sundown... or you can get on the back of your husband’s motorcycle and cool off at 60 mph.

North of here along some lovely backroads is a little town called Brownsville. There’s a pub there where Joey swears they serve the best steak-fries on the planet... I think he might be influenced by the fact that every time he eats them he’s on a motorcycle ride, but they are mighty tasty. Brownsvilles a pretty little town, with some lovely old homes, and some equally lovely old trees.

Like this one.



Several years ago, the first time I saw this tree, it puzzled me no end. I couldn’t figure out what it was, or how it happened to bloom in such an unusual pattern.



And then one day when we were walking through town, I actually got close enough to see what was really going on.



On the left is the tree trunk. On the right is a wisteria vine. Here, look again.



When you plant these two things close together, give them plenty of water and light, and exercise lots and lots of patience, you eventually get something that looks like this.



Not only is is beautiful, but it’s a great way to keep the tourists coming back to your little town to eat steak fries and take pictures.



I have to say it was a wonderful day. Beautiful twisting roads, a nice lunch at a pub, a chance to photograph one of my favorite things. And that’s not all...

If you follow cute cowboys around, eventually they might just lead you to the yarn stores...