THERE'S A BRIGHT GOLDEN HAZE ON THE MEADOW

I call this our meadow. An area above the house which has relatively few obnoxious invaders, unlike our septic field.

I don't even know what this carpet of flowers is, except that it belongs to the Asteraceae family of which there are so many members. It is too common to appear in my wildflower books.

There are also large stands of prickly pear cactus. There used to be more but before we bought the lot someone came along and stripped a whole area to put in their garden! I heard this from my neighbor.

There is always incredible activity inside the flowers. These same beetles show up ever year wallowing in the pollen. Their activity will mean plenty of tuna in the fall. That is another thing that disappears overnight and I don't think it is the deer!

There never was a more fascinating flower than the antelope horns milkweed, Asclepias asperula. I must go up there when the seed pods form as their resemblance to antelope horns gives them their name.

The Mexican hats, Ratibida columnaris are beginning to flower. Summer must be on the way.

The native Texas mullein, Verbascum thapsus, will soon send a shoot with pretty yellow flowers but I will be careful to remove the seed heads. I don't need a field of triffids.

The retamas, Parkinsonia aculeata, are having a tough year. Although this branch has healthy blooms the lack of rain has taken its toll by producing smaller flowers than usual. Everywhere is bone dry and yet all these plants have flowered with the minimum of rainfall. Way to go Texas natives.