Attractions
Better Places for Bluebonnet Pics
By Mandi Dietz
Spring season is upon us and soon our state flower will make its big, annual entrance and briefly beautify roadsides, causing adults to scramble for their camera and find a safe place to stop with the kids before the spectacular blue blooms disappear again. In lieu of highways and highly traveled streets, there’re alternatives for great family pictures with the symbolic and rarely seen bluebonnet.
For a handful of weeks March through April, grand patches of bright blue blanket North Texas, mostly along thoroughfares where they’re intentionally planted thanks to the wife of United States President, Lyndon B. Johnson, “Lady Bird,” and her support of the national Highway Beautification Act.
“Where flowers bloom, so does hope,” Lady Bird said.
The Johnsons were both Texas natives.
At first appearance, it’s an exciting feeling, a sign that spring is here and summer is near, and they’re definitely pleasing to the eyes, considering the dreary look of winter left behind. Blue is also a special natural color. The shade is spotted almost daily in the sky, lakes, rivers and tributaries. But the allure of bold blue wildflower patches within reach, especially since they’re only temporary, are more than welcoming. Much of the countryside offers an array of bright hues, such as green nearly all year, red and golden yellow and orange in the fall and a little white in the winter. Similar to the changing of leaves and surprising snow, a sporadic splash of blue is unique and refreshing.
Some call the bluebonnet a “buffalo clover” or “wolf flower”, and the bluebonnet’s name stems from a resemblance of its petal shape to the pioneer woman’s sunhat, like the one worn by Holly Hobbie, a popular 1970s doll.
To read more pick up a copy of the March 2017 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
It’s already March and the smell of springtime parties and special events is in the air.
Everybody knows in order to have a great party, you’ve got to have the right music.
Well, that’s where my friend Katie Dieter comes to the rescue.
Katie, aka DJ KD “The Spinner,” has been spinning the right mix for parties and special events throughout North Texas for years now. Her passion for music helps to make your special event one your friends will never forget. Whether you’re planning a wedding, banquet, school event or just a backyard get-together with friends, DJ KD “The Spinner” is the right call for you.
To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
Seems lately these days Texas is becoming the envy of musicians from around the world.
With the overwhelming response to “Yellowstone,” the television series, Texas once again finds itself under the microscope of the world, much like the late 1980’s TV series know to all around the globe as “Dallas.”
With that said, the musician population in Texas is beginning to grow as many aspiring performers turn their sights on Texas instead of Nashville. Meet my newly-found friend and fellow musician Grace Partridge. This youthful 19 year old has recently made Texas her new home. She began fiddling at age four in Rigby, Idaho. Grace worked her way through the National Fiddle championships in Weiser, Idaho, becoming a five-time national champion. She’s even played on the Grand Ole Opry. Still yet, her desire to become a true Texas Fiddler has brought her to the Lone Star State. I’m pretty sure we can thank Bob Wills for that.
To read more, pick up a copy of the January 2024 issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
On Nov. 4, 2023, the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra will present an evening of Texas Cowboy, Country and Western Swing with yours truly, Dave Alexander and the fabulous Quebe Sisters.
Enjoy the music of Bob Wills, Willie Nelson, Gene Autry and many more of your Texas Music favorites performed with a full symphony orchestra. We also will feature music from my latest CD, “From The Saddle To Symphony Hall,” along with some of my own compositions. It is guaranteed to be a night to remember.
To read more, pick up a copy of the October issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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