Texas and Rockets in the Spring

One of the great things about Texas (and there are many) is the amount of wild flowers that appear in the spring, particularly the end of March and beginning of April. Most are either blue bonnets (which is the state flower and are, not surprisingly, predominately blue) and indian paint brushes (which are predominately red). At my clubs launch last Saturday, we had a field of indian paint brushes as the back drop. Here is one pic from the launch, but it really doesn't do it justice.



Greg

That's BEAUTIFUL...

Texas wildflowers in the Spring, especially in the Hill Country around Austin, are truly breathtaking. The goofy weather here in north Texas this year has kind of put a damper on the bluebonnets and we have a possible hard freeze predicted Tuesday morning. And yes Greg, photos just don't do justice to the panorama. Thanks for posting!

Thirty years later - I still miss Texas.

H_Rocket said:

Thirty years later - I still miss Texas.

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Ten years later - I still miss Texas.

I haven't missed Texas yet-no matter what freeway I take to the East Coast-there it is. One time I tried to drive around it and wound up in Canada. Not my idea of a shortcut to Georgia....but it still beats the Dallas rush hour trafffic. I call it Fortitude Worth-you gotta have guts to drive there just about anytime....
(didja hear the one about the rich oil baron that had his windshield ground to his prescription? Everything in Texas is big!)

I can't leave Texas soon enough, too hot & humid for me. The school system ignores real problems while giving lunch- & "in school" suspension at the drop of a hat.
Unfortunately I do not see it coming any time in the foreseeable future.

Nice launch shot as well Greg. My level 1 flight was recovered from one of the trees about a half mile down the left side of the field in '08; fond memories !
The Texas wildflowers are definitely in the "plus" column for our state and have inspired a lot of great art. I saw a Hill Country painting by a guy named Onderdonk receive a 6 figure appraisal on a recent episode of Antiques Roadshow (https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/archive/201307A37.html).
T-Rex - sorry for your detention issues but while you are here I'd strongly encourage you to get a hall pass to see the flowers.

T-Rex said:

I can't leave Texas soon enough, too hot & humid for me. The school system ignores real problems while giving lunch- & "in school" suspension at the drop of a hat.
Unfortunately I do not see it coming any time in the foreseeable future.

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Sounds like you're working at Needville... LOL

Never solve a problem you can conveniently ignore... that should be their school motto up here...

That, or "we operate just like lighning-- path of least resistance."

It's about like when I used to drive a schoolbus up here... they didn't care if the kids were killing each other, jumping around like lunatics, or screaming their heads off and making it IMPOSSIBLE to drive safely, just so long as they didn't eat or drink on the bus... some drivers even banned electronics like phones, Gameboys, ipods, etc...

Boss called me in one time to ream me out for letting kids eat on the bus... I turned a "blind eye" to it, JUST SO LONG AS THE TRASH WENT BACK IN THE LUNCH KITS OR IN THE TRASH CAN, NOT ON THE FLOOR OF THE BUS! That was the deal between the kids and I... and in large part, it worked... and I told the boss as much... Drivers that banned all eating whatsoever only caught maybe 3% because the kids would slink down in the seat and then munch away, and instead of having the common sense to put the wrapper back in their backpack or lunch kit, they'd simply let it drop to the floor or stuff it down in the crack of the seat by the wall or between the back and seat cushions, which would simply push out the last 2 wrappers stuffed down there by someone previously, making the bus full of litter... at least with my "agreement", 90% of the trash ended up in the trash can, and the bus stayed clean... some buses you couldn't even SEE the floor there was so much garbage in there... the school payed a cleaning lady $40 to come clean the buses on Saturday, but it was SO bad she couldn't get but half of them clean... when they raised h3ll with her, she quit... not worth it for what they were paying her she said. I don't blame her... not much money for having to work all friggin day Saturday...

The boss didn't like it, but he did have to grudgingly admit I had a point... it took another year, but he finally decided yeah it was better to "look the other way" than having buses with foot-deep trash on the floor...

Later! OL JR

I’m starting to develop some real ill will* towards anybody that lives someplace where they can actually launch.

Five months and counting; with no relief in sight. I’m beginning to wonder if 2014 isn’t going to be “The Year Without a Launch”.

*Perhaps “Ill will” is stretching it a bit to make a point but envy and annoyance are definitely involved.

boomtube said:

I’m starting to develop some real ill will* towards anybody that lives someplace where they can actually launch.

Five months and counting; with no relief in sight. I’m beginning to wonder if 2014 isn’t going to be “The Year Without a Launch”.

*Perhaps “Ill will” is stretching it a bit to make a point but envy and annoyance are definitely involved.

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Yep, it's not fun.

In 2011 Texas had one of the worst droughts in recent memory. Not much we could do other than PFR (pray for rain). Flying was something that we could only dream of.

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?25966-Record-Temps-in-Houston

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?26186-Fire-Near-Austin

Greg

gdjsky01 said:

...Now where's that long launch report with MORE pictures!?

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Well, there is more here:

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?64825-Micro-Buttons-(RailButtons-com)-Beta-Test

Greg