roadside attractions: texas wildflowers and grasshoppers

we spent a lovely long weekend in texas with my sister and her family.  they've built a new house and needed to christen it with houseguests.  we are very obliging in that way and she is an awesome hostess.  since it was such hard work taking care of us (or more likely due to the fact that her husband's work had called all night long), she decided to take a nap the morning after our arrival and we took the opportunity to take a walk.  she expected us to be gone twenty minutes, but obviously she is not familiar with our propensity to take photos.  the two mile walk to the end of her road and back took a good hour and a half.  i am hesitant to say that everything is bigger and better in texas, but most certainly the grasshoppers are.  g enjoyed capturing those for me to document.  and while there were still a few straggling wildflowers, now i am anxious to visit in the spring or early summer to see them in their glory.  bluebonnets have been on my bucket list for quite some time.

i've seen these flowers before!

 woah!

we have these in florida, but they're pink.

getting a close-up of the freckles from his fishing/camping trip the weekend before.

not a grasshopper.

 his favorite.

my favorite.