Wine and Wildflowers...2012....

April in the Texas Hill Country, means wildflowers and the 

Wine and Wildflower Tour.

We did a marathon tour, last year, with our friends, Mike and Jorj.
This year we cut it WAY back.

Mike had been in San Antonio all week, working.  Jorj was with him.
We went down one day, to show her the missions.

We got up on Saturday morning, sat around with coffee, then went to breakfast.

After breakfast, we headed over to Driftwood, TX, and the Duchman Family Winery.

This used to be Mandola winery.  The vinyard is quite large, and in a lovely place.

The view across it is serene on a spring morning.

There is an upscale restaurant there.
Trattoria Lisina
It's very good quality Italian.

And, they have a beautiful garden, filled with native and adapted plants.
I always like to walk around this garden.  This year it's looking especially nice.

Being right after breakfast, we opted not to do a tasting.

So, we drove around a bit.  Dropped by Kings Feed, so they could get a big
Talavera pot.

Then back to the house to pick up the picnic basket, and head out again.

Just down the road a bit, to
Driftwood Estate Winery.

I've taken you to Driftwood Winery before.

The wildflowers are looking good, this year.

Everyone was patient, and let me jump out and get a few shots.

Calylophus

Chocolate Daisy?

Don't you love these?  Wild Foxglove.

The butterflies were swarming around.

Not sure which I liked more....the flowers or the butterflies.

We headed on up the hill, to the winery.
Jorj and I found a table, while the guys went in for some wine.

The afternoon was lovely.  The sky was a bit overcast, and there was a little breeze.

There were wildflowers, just over the edge of the wall.

We could see some workers, out in the vinyard.

A closer look and it seems they must have been weeding.  I believe I know how they feel...
on a much smaller scale, of course.

We had a great time.  Not the marathon of last year but,
good friends, good wine,
and a good time.

'Til Later...
~~Linda~~

Flutter Bies.....

I wanted a few verbenas, for a small bouquet in an antique bottle on the kitchen window sill.

So, I headed out to Elli's Meadow, where there are lots of Prairie Verbena blooming.

A Blogger doesn't go anywhere, without a camera.  So, I could show you this lone Mexican Hat blooming among the many verbenas.

But, standing in the midst of all these blooms, I realized there were swarms of butterflies.

A few of these orange ones.  What are they?

Lots of Red Admirals.

And, this hard-to-photograph moth.  Very big and very pretty.

It was amazing.

We're off to the Wine and Wildflower Trail, again this year.

I think we're not doing so many as last year.

But, there will be way more of the Wildflower part.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Have a Great Weekend...

~~Linda~~