Not even the intrepid Jo was immune to the chilly grope of early spring (granted, some of our excursions began well after nightfall).
That’s the story of why I have been remiss in posting to Rides and Tales for the past month, that, and the dog peed on it.
Sunday, last, the luckiest girl in Flour Bluff and I snagged a couple of cameras, a couple of warm jackets and one big yella bike and went in search of spring. More to the point, we went in search of wildflowers.
There was a rumor of color of color in, what we considered, and unlikely area. We rode south and west of our town buffeted by wind that blew unimpeded across empty fields, the only color being John Deere Green and Massey-Ferguson red. Plumes of dust against the sky marked where tractors, too far away to be seen with the nekkid eye, plowed.
We made the town of Bishop on US-77 and the optimist in me, who had never crossed 77 at this particular spot, was still hoping for the best. It’s purely coincidental that 666 was the designation of the rode we traveled from thence (thence?)
The view from the saddle improved as we drew closer to the town of Banquete (Spanish: Banquet). The roadside flowers contrasting vividly against the lingering winter browns.
On this end of the road, buttercups flourish, including a white variety I never have noticed in the Bluff
The land rolls, slightly, here, probably due to the number of creeks that flow through the area. You can tell that the land drops, a little, behind the field of yellow and lavender flowers.
As we rode north we discovered that the most vivid displays were not on the right-of-way, but in fields and farmhouse yards.
Reaching an intersection we turned west passing through the bustling burg of Orange Grove on our way to F-M 534, which follows close to the west side of Lake Corpus Christi. We were fortunate that traffic was very light since there is no shoulder and I didn’t want to go off-roading on the Valkyrie.
I’ve been told that the aforementioned town of Orange Grove was name so by German settlers who were impressed by fields of these flowers, rather than by the “proximity” of the orange groves in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, 140 miles away.
What’s a post on Texas wildflowers without flowering Yuccas?
F-M 534 is well maintained, interesting and runs along an area not yet over delvel0ped.
The names of the wide spots along the road are interesting, as well. “Lagarto” is Spanish for “alligator; “Dinero” means “money”, or course and “Swinney Switch is English for “Swinney Switch”.
Swinney Switch is also home of “Horneys”, a very friendly honky tonk where the ever-present smoke from the barbecue pits wafts by ever-present motorcyclists.
Horneys is our turn-around. After leaving, we again found F-M 666 and traveled through San Patricio, home of some of pre-Republic Irish settlers and then onto the super slab and home. Just another day in paradise.
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