Handy Guide to Taking Bluebonnet Pictures

It's a tradition I knew nothing about until I had a baby.  In central Texas, in the spring, you're supposed to find a patch of wildflowers, of bluebonnets specifically, and take pictures of your adorable child sitting in the middle of them.  It was like the day I learned what brisket was or that you shouldn't pronounce the "e" on the end of Guadalupe Street, or that in July, you can scald yourself with the seat belt buckle if you aren't careful getting into a hot car.

Facebook is lousy with these bluebonnet pictures.  Seasoned parents know where to go.  And you might get some help if you ask around, but really, the best patches are secret.  Some of them are hard to get to, some of them aren't there every year, and if you procrastinate even a weekend or two, you will miss your chance for a whole year.  These pictures, especially for the parents of small children, are guerilla missions into the wild.  So, here are some tips:

1. Start a little before spring break.  Don't know when spring break is because you are blissfully unaware of the local school schedule?  It's probably sometime in March, so aim for finding your own special spot of flowers around the beginning of the month.  By April, sometimes the grass grows so tall that you can't see the bluebonnets anymore.

2. Wildflowers grow in sunny, untended areas.  You'll see them along the highway because they are left there on purpose instead of being mowed down, but do yourself a favor and DO NOT STOP on the shoulder, shuffle your kids onto an embankment during rush hour and try to get a few pictures.

Instead, as March rolls around, take the long way home a few times.  Drive on the street next to the highway, or on the far side of town.  The flowers will be mowed down in parks and yards and grassy hills next to commercial buildings.  You are looking for a flat space, maybe, where a new building might go sometime soon.  Look for the corners where people put up election signs or "Land for Lease" signs.  If you've ever thought to yourself, "Someone could drop a dead body out there and no one would ever find it," that's a pretty good place to start looking.

If all else fails, the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin always has a spot specially created.  You have to pay admission, but it's always there.

3. Keep your camera in the car for a few weeks.  The time might hit you when you least expect it.

4. If you find a good spot, hit it early in the day before everyone has spilled all over their clothes.  Plus, it will be cooler and since you might have to take a walk to get to the right place, you'll be glad.

5. Wear shoes.  I've never run into a snake while snapping wildflower pictures, but I've seen lizards and snakes just seem inevitable.