#2 of Why I love Texas!

Wildflowers! 

The wildflowers along the highways in Texas are absolutely beautiful!  Each spring thousands, maybe millions, of wildflowers bloom along the highways providing beautiful scenery for drivers.  Bluebonnets, Indian paintbrushes, and beautiful small pink flowers - I have no idea what they are called are gorgeous. 

The Texas Department of Transportation maintains these wildflowers.  They are not only beautiful but provide great environmental benefits.  Some facts about the wildflower program from the TDOT website:

There are over 5,000 species of wildflowers in the state of Texas.

TxDOT nurtures them through their carefully planned mowing policies.

All species of the Bluebonnet are considered the State Flower. There are also white bonnets and pink bonnets. These will not necessarily bloom the next year true to color if they are mixed among bluebonnets. This is due to their being pollinated by bees and if the bee goes from a bluebonnet to a white bonnet and pollinates the white bonnet, then it could come back as a bluebonnet.

More than 20% of wildflowers are in the Sunflower family.

Indian Paintbrush comes in colors ranging from orange to yellow to purple.

Goldenrod is often confused with ragweed which causes hayfever. However, the goldenrod is not a wind pollinated plant. It is pollinated by bees.

Yucca plants are often found in West Texas and items such as soap and baskets can be made from them.

Prickly poppies have branched, prickly stems and are an abundant supplier of pollen for insects. They come in white, red and pink colors.

Horsemint is in the Mint Family and tea can be made from its leaves. It also attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds who are seeking nectar. It blooms from May to September.

Sideoats Grama is the State Grass of Texas. It is a warm season grass growing from July to September.

Little Bluestem has an extensive root system.

Buffalograss is excellent for erosion control and can survive short mowings.

Sand Lovegrass is sometimes called "Ice Cream Grass" because livestock love to eat it and the tops of it look like ice cream.

The department mows and cares for 800,000 acres of right of way.

So take a trip in Texas and see some beautiful flowers!!

Why I love Texas!

Having not lived in the state for 12 years, I am remembering all the things I love about Texas as I move back.  I think I will use a series of posts to tell you all what I love. 

1.  The people!  I met many wonderful people in each of the three states that we lived in over the last 12 years.  But, I believe that people in Texas are a special breed.  I find myself smiling all the time as I am reminded of what makes Texans so special. 

Friendly - Texans have a friendly streak a mile wide.  I find that people speak to me all the time here.  My sister would tell you that it's crazy to speak to strangers but I can't help myself...I love people and Texans are wonderful!  You can talk to a stranger in the grocery store and they don't think it is weird.  I was reminded last night of one of the ways that Texans show their friendliness.  I was driving and let someone cut in front of me and they actually waved to thank me.  I missed that while in Ohio.   

Courteous - I am a self sufficient female.  I can do many things including opening my own door.  I can, but I truly appreciate it when a man opens it for me.  I believe that he opens it for me as a sign of courtesy, not because he believes I am incapable of doing it myself.  It makes him happy to open it and it makes me happy to have him open the door.  So it is a win for everyone. 

Accents - I am FINALLY back in the land where my accent is not "weird".  When I told one person in Ohio that I was leaving they actually said something like, 'well at least your accent won't be weird there'.  Now, I have people tell me they can hear the East Texas in my accent.  Funny, since I haven't lived in East Texas for close to 20 years. 

Don't get me wrong.  I was blessed with many great people and experiences while in Georgia, Oklahoma and Ohio but you can't beat coming home! 

Wow, I've been away for a long time!

I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted.  A lot has happened since I last posted.
 
I am now sitting in a different hotel room waiting to start a new job.  Sounds familiar, huh?  However, this job is not with Whirlpool.  After almost 7 great years, I made the decision to leave Whirlpool so I can be closer to family.  I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to join Alcoa Fastening Systems as the HR Manager in their Waco, TX plant.  I am very excited about this new chapter in my life. 
 
But, I left Whirlpool with a lot of tears.  I made some great friends while I was there.  And, while I know that we will stay in touch, it will not be the same as working side by side day after day.  I will try to do better about staying in touch through the social media tools that we all have access to. 
 
What I learned during my time on the North Coast is that there are good people everywhere.  People are as friendly as you allow them to be.  For the most part, they react however you approach them.  I am blessed to have made friends in 4 different states now.  I look forward to making more here in Waco.