Evidence of spring is everywhere to be seen in the Lone Star State. This is absolutely my favorite time of the year as the state begins to yawn and stretch and to wake up after its long winter slumber, such as winter may be in Texas.

The dull of winter is starting to give away to the most amazing palettes of color. Trees are shedding their dull and shabby winter coats and putting on their finest greens. This is also the season when Texas rewards us with bouquets of bluebonnets and bunches of wildflowers.

The signature of spring is scrawled across Texas — from the Panhandle to the Rio Grande Valley and from Houston to El Paso. The vast Chihuahuan Desert in the Trans-pecos is no exception. Even there you can see the most amazing colors as wildflowers make their brief debut among chaparral and cactus.

Our Spring-break road trip to our little place in the Big Bend Valley did not disappoint. Of the five species of bluebonnets in Texas, Big Bend is home to lupinus havardii — the largest of the species. The Big Bend bluebonnet grows up to three feet tall and made a proud showing this year.

Highway 118 just north of Terlingua was flanked with the most amazing blankets of blue rising above swaying native grasses. For any true-blooded Texan, bluebonnets just do something inside of us — triggering a mixture of pride and awe and overall feeling of wow, just wow!

In addition to bluebonnets, the desert was ablaze with all sorts of color. Desert marigold added its beautiful golden hue to the desert floor. This desert beauty begins to flower in March and will continue to bloom off and on until November — a beautiful gift to an arid landscape.

Clusters of other desert beauties, including the purple mock vervain, each contribute their respective beauty to the landscape. Moisture, the desert’s alarm clock, is all it takes to wake them up and get them dressed to make their colorful appearance.

There is something soothing about wildflowers. They are good for the soul. Like old friends who happen along at just the right time, wildflowers can make us smile and just feel good about being alive. So, if you have not yet ventured out to enjoy your part of Texas, make sure that you do so as soon as possible. Enjoy the bluebonnets and the colors that make Texas even more amazing in the springtime.