The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Round 2!

I've posted about the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center before, and I truly love it.  My oldest boy, A, literally asks EVERY SINGLE DAY after school if we can go.  I try to keep it to only one visit a week.

Don't miss this well designed sign at the entry tower.  The boys ran right up to it and started naming letters.  I whipped out the camera, because I thought it was a great way to show we were helping "pass on to generations in waiting" the joy of plants.  Isn't it great?

On the Ballet Skirt post, I showed you a picture of the owl at the front of the entrance arch.  Well, he was there again today!  And actually, it isn't a "he" at all.  It's a mama Great Horned Owl, and she had a chick with her today!  Rumor has it there are two babies - I consider us very lucky to have even seen one.  Amazing.

Look at those gorgeous eyes on that chick!  And how ticked off does that mama owl look?  It was amazing to see. So glad I brought my camera this time. I debated leaving it in the car, since we've been there a million times.

We hiked through the savanna trail and got some great photos of the spring wildflowers beginning to fade into the summer wildflowers.

If you look REALLY closely you'll see a bee between the flower heads.

We love the windmill.  It creaks and groans in the wind when it first gets going, and A thought it could be a heffalump, so off heffalump hunting we went.

Some pretty flower buds...

The bluebonnets are on their way out, and already going to seed.  I'm sad to see them go, but happy to see the Indian blankets, coneflowers, and coreopsis take their place.

We spotted a friendly caterpillar on the stone walls and snapped a few photos.  Anyone know what he's going to turn out to be?

We also ran across this photogenic little beauty, on the subject of caterpillars.  There are butterflies EVERYWHERE right now, and the Center is swarming with them!

If you make it to the central Texas area, namely Southwest Austin, stop by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.  It is amazing year round for it's architecture, plantings,  and events.  Their annual plant sale is this weekend - guess I won't be allowed to take the truck for that one?

And on a completely non-nature note - the coolest dumpster I've ever seen.  They painted a honeycomb and some bees all over it.

Thanks for keeping up!  I'll have some new projects coming soon.