Before we get started I just want you to know Eternal Road – The final stop, US Kindle edition, will be on sale for 99¢ starting Today, March 21st at 3:00 AM Eastern time until Wednesday, March 24 at midnight. There are 26 lovely reviews for a 4.8 rating. If you have been waiting for the right price. This will be the time. Now to our regular programming.
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Since yesterday was the first day of spring, it seems like a good idea to go out and see if we can find some signs. We will need to load up on food, drink, and entertainment to fully enjoy the trip.
It seems appropriate that we partake in brunch, given the nature of the trip and the fact that it is Sunday. Today we are being catered by Matties in Austin, Texas. Our brunch buffet consists of all you can eat.
Biscuits+Chorizo Cream Gravy ̊with scrambled eggs.
Milk Punch French Toast macerated strawberries, candied pecans, whipped cream, bourbon maple syrup.
Green Chile Pork Chilaquiles tomatillo sauce, chunky pico de gallo, eggs, cotija cheese, tortilla chips.
Breakfast Plate ̊ scrambled eggs, home fries, bacon, or house-made wild boar sausage.
Fried Chicken Eggs Benedict ̊ buttermilk biscuits, hollandaise, green salad.
Basmati Rice Bowl (V) chickpeas, coconut curry, roasted vegetables, cilantro, tomato, green onions.
Grassfield Farms Beef Burger ̊ aged Tillamook cheddar, tomato-bacon jam, Duke’s mayo, house Frites.
Dessert is an assortment of fresh fruit. (Don’t ever say I don’t care about your health)
To drink we have a nice Bollinger La Grande Annee Brut 2012 champagne and Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon 2017. Our entertainment is Sarah McLachlan.
So let’s all get on the bus and go.
Our first stop is to view this Bradford pear. It is one of the first bloomers of spring.
A better photo of another Bradford pear
A sweet redbud is all alone.
Green leaves pop out in the foreground, and a light green tinge to the background’s live oak.
The deer love the spring green grass.
A murdered cape myrtle beginning to bud with new growth.
Young Bradford pears.
A close-up of the Bradford pear blossoms.
An older redbud bursting with color.
The last time we were looking for spring, The Producer took this photo of bluebonnets just beginning to grow. We had a hard freeze after this photo was taken.
Here are the same bluebonnets recorded by The Producer this week. As you can see, the freezing temperatures did not stop their beauty.
Well, that’s it for today. Other than the bluebonnets, there are few blooming flowers. Maybe later in the spring. Relax with brunch and listen to Sarah. I hope you have a great week.
Fiction Favorites 
Wonderful brunch and jaunt, John. It’s good to see that Texas is coming alive with color, our area is just beginning to show signs of Spring. Concluding with Sarah McLachlan is a special treat — one of my favorites. Happy first day of Spring! 🌻🌼🌷
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She is one of my favorites as well. Spring is a good time for sure. Happy first day of spring to you as well. 🌷
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So delightful to see your flowering trees!
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Yes it is. The freezing temps didn’t stop them. 😁
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🙂
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After that snowfall you all had, I’m surprised the spring buds are out at all, especially this quickly.
I don’t have much to say this morning because I’ve been stuck on the menu and really can not decide what to stuff myself with!!
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My advice is to take one of everything and then decide. Thanks, GP.
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It seems the snow didn’t harm your trees, John. Our Bradford pears are exploding with blooms. They are gorgeous, but do you notice the odor they give off? Not so pretty. Thanks for the Spring Fling Tour, it was beautiful!
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I have not been fond of the scent of Bradford pears. Thanks for coming along, Jill. 😁
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Lovely signs of spring well underway, John. My wife is nudging me toward the rice bowl and chickpeas, but you know me, I’ll have the Breakfast Plate, but can I get a couple biscuits with that?
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“Hey cookie. A couple of buttermilk biscuits for the man.” They’ll be right up, Dan 😁
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🙂
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😁
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Nice to see the first blossoms, John. I shall look forward to seeing ours before (I hope) too long.
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They will be there eventually. 😁
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Great nature shots. Hope the weather stays spring-like for you.
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Me too, Charles. Thanks.
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You hooked me with chorizo because it’s so healthy. Well, it’s good, anyway. 🙂
Love the photos. Our redbuds have started to bloom as well as the dogwoods. Happy Sunday, John!
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Yes chorizo is on the healthy list. 😁
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Thanks for featuring the beautiful and talented Sarah McLachlan. This song made me think of my dear mom who we lost this week. The blossoms are lovely.
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I’m so sorry about your loss Darlene. That song is one that evokes memories with as well. My prayers are to have your sadness give way to heart warming memories in time. 🌷
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Austin has good caterers … thank you … and cheers for spring having sprung for you! Is the zoysia greening yet?
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It is starting to green.
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Wow, those are some beautiful flowering trees! Love how you framed the sweet redbud so that the pink popped in front of the green.
I got all excited and photographed a few buds on some trees… Nothing green yet! Nor flowers…
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Thank you, Dale. I also asked the red bud to smile but she ignored me.
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I think I see a hidden one… she is sneaky that one!
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😁
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OH, John, this was lovely! How I miss spring-flowering trees down here! And how I loathe and detest crepe murder. It should be punishable by stiff fines and/or imprisonment in Tree Butchering Jail. Left alone, crepe myrtles become Bradford pear sized trees, covered in gorgeous blooms during the summer. Chopped back, they end up looking like giant stalks of technicolored broccoli! I’d love to smack the guy who told folks cutting them back produced more blooms. He was dead wrong. One of the loveliest things I saw in North Carolina were the streets lined with blooming crepe myrtle trees. (Ooops. Did I go off on a rant? Obviously, I’ve been harboring great resentment about this issues. Sorry.)
Still, the pear trees are splendid, and I’d LOVE to be able to grow redbuds down here. I tried once, but they just don’t seem to make it in central Florida. Maybe they need that colder winter to set thrive. And that’s the first time I’ve ever seen a close up of blue bonnets. So pretty!!!
Thanks for a great post this morning. Happy spring! 🙂
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Hahahaha. I loved the description of chopped back crape myrtles. There are tow schools and I agree with you. No need to cut them back.
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Not only no need, but they never get into full bloom or offer any shade, or anything. (Other than look deformed and sad.) I forgot to mention the yard full of deer, too. I can’t imagine! Lovely to look at! We’ve had migrating goldfinches by the dozens at our feeders this past couple of weeks, with males in almost full breeding plumage. Looks like a yard full of canaries! 😀 But nary a deer. 😀
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Well we have nary a goldfinch so I guess we are even. Thanks, Marcia.
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😀 😀 😀
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😂
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A great tour, John. Those are some beautiful trees. They went all out with their new spring outfits. Have a great week. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Thank you, Suzanne. Have a great week as well. 😁
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Not a bad cruise. Blue Bonnets and Sarah. Can we go round one more time ?
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You can go as much as you want or just sit in that lounger and the server will bring everything to you.
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I’m delighted to see that Spring is finally on its way! You’re ahead of us in the blooming department, but your pictures give me hope. What a shame about the murdered crepe myrtle, but at least it’s trying to come back. And I’ve got to tell you … if I ever saw that many deer in my front yard, I’d have a hissy fit!!
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Hahaha. This gathering of deer is a normal sight around here. Thanks, Debbie.
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Wow, John — that’s a lot of reviews. Congratulations!
The trees in your neighborhood are beautiful, and the bluebonnets are so pretty. The last snow/cold decimated my cactus garden. But the timing was right to have someone rearrange (and clean it out) in trade for a couple of medium sized cacti. That’s an extended process though, so it’s not finished yet.
Thanks for this beautiful tour. Hugs on the wing.
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Thank you for coming along, Teagan. The tour is much better when you are there with us. 😊
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Nice to see the flowering trees, John. On our way to springtime weather!
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It looks like it is coming. Thanks, Barbara.
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I’m comfortably full after the delicious brunch:) Wonderful to see to see spring arriving after all the cold endured. Another fun tour filled with good music too!
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Thank you, Denise. Glad you came. 😁
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It must be spring if the bluebonnets are blooming – thanks! Your neighborhood is looking good. We haven’t be out anywhere to see them. Must take a drive. My Breakfast Plate was great!
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Thank you, Jo. It was fun seeing the bluebonnets in bloom.
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Nature’s beauty and its treasures! Lovely!
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Thank you, Billy Ray.
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Always delighted to see the first blush of spring, and Sarah McLachlan has the voice of an angel….
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I love thiis song. Thanks, Lori.
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Thank you for so special spring environment, dear John! Deer spring! What a joy! While…it is still frost, wind & snow in Moscow. However, these are local sings of spring here. 😁😁😁😉☕🌸
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I see it is 0 degrees C at 2:00 AM. You need a little spring music. Stay warm.
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😊😊😊 Thank you, dear John! Hot tea & spring tunes are the best to welcome the warmth…when it finally comes. Cheers from a bit frozen Moscow yet! ☕
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You are writing this pretty late in your day. I checked and the temperature is -3 degrees C. Here is a tulip to have you look forward to spring. 🌷
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Thank you, dear John! The flower will help me to warm up! The weather should change to the better by the end of the week. Let’s hope! 🙂
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I hope so. 🤗 If not here is some fire. 🔥
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The Bradford pear trees are handsome things. And yanno, it’s SO nice to see green.
PS- You were a chef once? Your selections . . . lip smackingly excellent, every time.
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Yes indeed. Thank you, Marc
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🙂
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Those Bradford pears are nice to have around. I never need a pollinator my fruiting pear trees.
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They do become a pain when they get big. Their limbs have a habit of falling.
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All pears are brittle and need pruning. Add a hundred pounds of fruit and it’s worse.
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Indeed.
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You always have the best menus. We murdered our crepe myrtles this weekend. Our red bud tree isn’t looking good, and it looks like the frost also got neighborhood Bradford pear trees again this year.
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I was afraid the five days of freezing temperatures would have killed the buds but not so. Thanks, Teri.
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The redbuds are blooming here, too, but what’s really exciting is the sudden explosion of wisteria. There’s nothing that beats that scent, unless it might be the mountain laurels. I’ve seen exactly one bluebonnet, alongside a highway in Alvin. The Indian paintbrush are emerging, though. Spring is tuning up — the symphony will begin soon.
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Yes it will. Time for the conductor to tap his music stand. Thanks, Linda.
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These Bradford Pears always look gorgeous, don’t they? Here they are in full bloom just down the road on Frederick Road. We used to have two Bradford Pears in our front yard, but I wasn’t fast enough with feces around them and so bucks rubbed their horns on the trunks, rubbed off all the bark, and thus killed the trees. I was furious with myself. The people at “Friendly Natives”, the nursery where we usually buy our plants recommended Mexcican Plums for a replacement, because they’re natives and also what they consider “better” trees. Why “better” I don’t know.
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Better means Bradford pears have very weak limbs. They crack and fall without warning. When the trees get bigger they become more dangerous.
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Thanks for the explanation, John. 🙂
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😊
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We have Bradford pears in incredible bloom here, John, along with the redbud. Our redbud used to drop limbs on a regular basis. Thanks for the photo of the bluebonnets. I’d never seen any!
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I’m so gald I shared the bluebonnets then, Noelle.
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Signs of spring and a fresh buffet?! 🙄 Super envious of your signs of springtime.
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Yours will come soon.
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Loved the tour, John, beautiful photos, and it’s so nice to see that spring has arrived. The food was delicious, too, and thanks for holding a plate for me since I’m arriving a bit late. 🙂
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You are never late, Lauren. Just delayed. 😁
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🥰
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The close up of the Bradford pear blossoms was a dream What a beauty! By mid March here in Massachusetts, we celebrate if all the snow is gone. Buds and blossoms won’t happen for a while. Thank you for a taste of what is yet to come. I really need to ride the bus and enjoy the food!
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You are always welcome, Jennie. 😁When your spring does sow up it is fabulous.
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Yes!
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