Texas - The Bluebells of the Texas Hill Country

In the new edition of Hemispheres, that bastion of quality journalism that fills United's seat back pockets alongside the spent chewing gum, used napkins, and broken drink stirrers, I see that the managing editor has penned an article about Texas, also known as the former home of Continental Airlines.

Extolling the virtues of the Texas Hill County, and Highway 71 in particular, the fearless and knowledgeable author notes the profusion flowers that can be found there, such as the famous Texas bluebells...

Maybe he was talking about ice cream?

OR, he could have been discussing the Texas bluebells also seen on the side of the highway in the Hill Country. We shouldn't assume the author meant bluebonnets.

OR, he could have been discussing the Texas bluebells also seen on the side of the highway in the Hill Country. We shouldn't assume the author meant bluebonnets.

Haven't seen too many bluebells on the roadside in the Hill Country... much less on Hwy 71 near Llano...

tee hee...bluebells...:rolleyes:

while the author may well have meant bluebells, texas isn't famous for them. it's famous (as it were) for bluebonnets (http://www.google.com/search?q=texas+bluebonnet&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=VKf5T7rUNZKy8ATtt7CFBw&ved=0CFwQsAQ&biw=1159&bih=597), as noted above.

I thought highway 71 was famous for the remnants of the bastrop fire.

I had no idea, but Hemispheres has an online edition! The reference in question is:

"Route 71 West out of Austin belies the notion, held by the uninitiated, that Texas is all low scrub and big sky. The road takes you through dramatic terrain, past ostentatious stone and iron ranch gates and between pools of bluebells (even going at a good clip, you can smell them) gathered amid the gentle green hills. We saw half a dozen families that had pulled over to just sit in the fields of wildflowers."

(http://www.hemispheresmagazine.com/2012/07/01/wild-horses/)

From the context, it's obvious that the author meant bluebonnets. I drive the stretch of road in question 10-15 times a month. I've also never found them to be notably smelly... but my nose is pretty bad.

A month or two ago, it was '3PD: Houston'.

Now that made me laugh!

What's the least substantive, most irrelevant thing you can complain about: wildflower identification edition.

I live out 71 West of Austin and the bluebonnets (not Bluebells) are fantastic when they are out.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oJZ4bw8xXMs/T1VxeUkvpkI/AAAAAAAABnc/MY6zBR7PzwQ/s1600/texasbluebonnets2.jpg

The writer is off about the flowers and his navigation skills. 71 runs Northwest out of Austin, no where near Fredericksburg. They must have got lost and finally saw a sign pointing South to Fredericksburg and had to drive for another 45 minutes.

The hill country isn't even the best place to find wildflowers. The Brazos valley (around Hempstead/College Station) has far more, but it is pretty flat so it might not be as attractive overall. Hill country is being overrun by those stupid yellow flowers.

The hill country isn't even the best place to find wildflowers. The Brazos valley (around Hempstead/College Station) has far more, but it is pretty flat so it might not be as attractive overall. Hill country is being overrun by those stupid yellow flowers.

Hill Country is being overrun by tourists, Houston lawyers and Northern tax refugees.

You can always count on a New Yorker to teach us, the "uninitiated," about Texas. Does he really expect us to be surprised that Texas isn't "all low scrub and big sky" as he seemed to be himself?

What's the least substantive, most irrelevant thing you can complain about: wildflower identification edition.

There's probably no hope in replying, but to draw an analogy, the bluebonnet mistake is as if an article about San Francisco praised the wonderful Water Gate Bridge, or the city's famous rye bread.

If you're from San Francisco, you'd probably get a wry laugh out of such a mistake.

There's probably no hope in replying, but to draw an analogy, the bluebonnet mistake is as if an article about San Francisco praised the wonderful Water Gate Bridge, or the city's famous rye bread.

If you're from San Francisco, you'd probably get a wry laugh out of such a mistake.

Mm, I think that's too strong. The Golden Gate Bridge is truly world-renown, so that's off. Rye vs. Sourdough is closer, but (if we're working with SF examples) I think it's more like saying California-style Burrito vs. San Francisco/Mission style Burrito. The California Burrito is actually a distinct type from San Diego, but most people probably associate Mission-style Burritos with CA, hence a mixup. Californians would get it, though.

Yee hah, I've used "The Google".

Mm, I think that's too strong. The Golden Gate Bridge is truly world-renown, so that's off.

You're right. The bluebonnet is only the official state flower of Texas. But since certain more-worldly people don't know that, it's a-okay to call it "bluebells." Heck, why not call them blueberries? Everybody knows and likes blueberries. :rolleyes: I live in and love California, but to read this is kinda embarrassing.

Personally, I don't find 99.9% of the burritos in California to be worth eating, and I suspect the style of burrito that Californians are most familiar with is the Del/Taco Bell-style.

Don't mess with California. :)

The smells of bluebonnets? (BLuebell smells great...:eek: )

Surprised he didn't mention the speed traps on 71.

All this talk about Bluebell made me had to grab a bowl of Dutch Chocolate out of the freezer. Thou I like Braums better but they are already closed.

Maybe he was eating Bluebell while writing the article.

For those not familiar with Blue Bell. Here is a Blue Bell Commercial showing Brenham cows roaming in a field of Bluebonnets.
http://youtu.be/zIRsvm3r7lo

A month or two ago, it was '3PD: Houston'.

Now that made me laugh!

Why?

In the new edition of Hemispheres, that bastion of quality journalism that fills United's seat back pockets alongside the spent chewing gum, used napkins, and broken drink stirrers, I see that the managing editor has penned an article about Texas, also known as the former home of Continental Airlines.

Extolling the virtues of the Texas Hill County, and Highway 71 in particular, the fearless and knowledgeable author notes the profusion flowers that can be found there, such as the famous Texas bluebells...

The bluebonnet, of course, is the state flower of Texas. In this state, it is practically viewed as sacred. People will take trips to rural sections of the Hill Country, and East Texas, to see the fields, when the bluebonnets are in full bloom. (My personal favorite is the drive along Highway 6, south of College Station.) Come March and April, newspapers will print guides as to where to go, to see the best bluebonnets, based upon climate in late winter.

Really, this might seem like a harmless joke to outsiders. But seriously, to Texans, this is really, patently offensive.

Whoever is in charge of Hemispheres may want to invest in an editor. Or maybe two.

Now to be perfectly fair, there is a famous brand of ice cream in Texas called Bluebell. And ironically, it is made in Brenham, which is in the heart of bluebonnet country. Could this be the source of the author's error? Perhaps.

Next United will be featuring them "Indian Punkbrushes" and the willowy "Mosquito Trees". The only "Bluebells" with which I'm familiar along Texas highways are not flowers, extend through all seasons, and are discarded convenience store-purchased pint cartons from the "Little Creamery" in Brenham. When stopping to water the flowers (It can be a long way betwixt rest stops.), one has to take care to avoid stepping on the little plastic spoons discarded by ice cream-eating travelers. For the bare-feeted**, they can leave a nasty gash.

**No not "barefoot boy with cheek", but who has ever seen a boy wearing one shoe, hence barefoot?

The Bluebonnets of the Middle Brazos valley tend to be thicker, lusher and more luxuriant than those of the Hill Country, but out there on the edge of the Brushado, the sight of them springing each Spring from the stony, harsh land is a grand counterpoint.