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Friday, October 02, 2009

Stopping to Smell the "Tyler" Roses


Yesterday I was at the Capitol and couldn't resist stopping to smell the Tyler roses after spotting them in the Tyler Rose Garden just outside the State Law Library. The Tyler rose is native to and is grown primarily in east Texas but especially in the town I was born in, Tyler, the Rose Capital! They were planted by Cherokee Indians to mark tribal trails in the early 1800s. If you're from Texas, you know all about these roses - how fragrant they are and all the beautiful colors you can imagine. Pink, white, orange, red, and of course, yellow.

The roses at the Capital are in full bloom now and their fragrance took me back to a special time in my childhood. My younger brother and I used to play in the rose fields near our house and would run barefoot on the hot blacktop road to get there. I also fondly remember buying dozens of them in all colors from roadside "honor" stands on any given day. Drop a dollar in the bucket in exchange for a dozen roses wrapped in paper.

Now I'm headed to Austin City Limits festival. There's a full lineup this afternoon that I just can't miss.