just me...jan

I suppose this is my weekend for checking things off my "Bucket List". After years of reading dozens of blogs by others, I've FINALLY taken the leap and am sitting here at 5:45 a.m. attempting to set up my own. Hmmmmm...we'll see what I end up with! LOL

It's raining here in North Texas...but that only aids in the splendor one can see blooming along just about any road (rustic or paved) throughout the state...yes...the wildflowers are out in full force! My husband and I decided to take a mini road trip yesterday to discover just what "Antique Alley" was all about. Another check mark I could make on my Bucket List! If it was a bust at least the wildflowers would provide a show worth the trip.

According to the information I had, Antique Alley is a 25 mile stretch of road winding through back roads connecting three small Texas towns...supposedly an antique junkie's dream come true. First town up was Cleburn...Ralph actually dragged himself into an antique shop without groaning and was ready to purchase the $300 chandelier I had my eyes on with no questions asked. Hmmmmm...too ready to buy...I saw us headed back home and towards a new restaurant he wanted to try...was he workin' on his own Bucket List? I looked at him and said, "What are you...nuts? One NEVER buys at the first stop! There's ALWAYS somethin' better down the road!" Ummmmm...I should have grabbed that chandelier like a thief in the night and told him to floor the gas pedal all the way to the restaurant! ROFLOL Antique Alley turned out to be a bit of a bust for me...guess I'm not much of a "junker"...either that or I need my sister to drag me around on some of her little jaunts..."shit shopping" is what she calls it. Well...I walked through some "shit" yesterday when we attempted to shop!

Somewhere between Cleburne and Granbury we pulled off the road to seek treasures with dozens of other hunters. Unfortunately we were forced to park our vehicle amongst horses and goats and one lone roaming mother dog scavenging scraps from the ground. It was here that the "shit shopping" became a reality. I soon realized "treasures" weren't going to be uncovered at this location...at least not by me...virtually everything these people were selling were items my purging soul (did I mention I'm anal retentive?) would have tossed into the nearest trash bin with lightening speed. Back into the Buick Ralph!! From that point onward we spent our time enjoying the scenery and attempting to identify the wildflower blooms in the fields we passed as we headed on towards Maypearl.

I was born a Yankee, but I've lived in the South for well over 30 years now...as much as I love the changing colors of tree leaves in the fall...there is NOTHING that can compare to a vast field of Texas wildflowers! Be they bluebonnets or indian paintbrushes...the colors just burst forth and grab your heart. While the bluebonnets are amazing in our neck of the woods, the paintbrushes and spiney daisies were dominent along the roads of Antique Alley. Lady Bird Johnson certainly left one incredible legacy...because, during this time of year, one knows when they've reached the borders of this great state...the flowers abruptly end...it's something so uniquely Texan.