Bebe
I didn’t know if the people in Bebe pronounce the name of their town Beeb or Beebee. This morning I checked a Handbook of Texas article which says the name “supposedly derived from the B. B. Baking Powder signs that lined the road into the place,” so I presume the name is pronounced Beebee. In any case, there can be (or be be) no doubt that the front and back yards of the Oak Vally Baptist Church there on March 13 and 15 (yes, we returned) were covered with great wildflowers. The red ones are Phlox drummondii and the yellow ones are buttercups (Ranunculus sp.) The little white flowers are a species of Aphanostephus, probably A. skirrhobasis, known as lazy daisy.
© 2023 Steven Schwartzman
Portraits of Wildflowers 
So pretty! Being Texas, I thought Bebe might be from the Spanish, meaning ‘baby,’ (pronounced bay-bay). Words have many avenues!
Eliza Waters
March 18, 2023 at 4:57 PM
As you’ve been seeing, it’s wildflower heaven here now.
Spanish bebé is a possibility I somehow hadn’t considered, even though I was explaining to visitors with us in Bebe that Texas was a part of Mexico until 1836. Words have many avenues indeed.
Steve Schwartzman
March 18, 2023 at 5:03 PM
I also thought bebe could be Spanish. What a riot of colours. It’s so good to see so many wildflowers.
Heyjude
March 18, 2023 at 5:38 PM
Sorry I can send only pictures your way, and not the real thing.
Steve Schwartzman
March 18, 2023 at 10:06 PM
Improbably, Bebe is featured in a New Yorker photo essay from 2018. Scroll down a bit, and you’ll find a terrific portrait of the woman who ran (runs?) the combination post office and store in Bebe. She looks like many of the ranch women I’ve known, and I’ll bet she loved the flowers, too.
The names of these small towns are fun. Wrightsboro, a settlement on TX108 that runs parallel to highway 97 a little southeast of Bebe, received its name because a certain Mr. Wright allowed his burro to roam the area at will. There’s a historic plaque affirming that one.
shoreacres
March 18, 2023 at 7:02 PM
I’m impressed that you remembered or made a new connection to that article about Keith Carter, with its photograph of the woman in Bebe. You might follow up to see whether she’s still there, and if so, interview her and make a portrait of her.
It might have been you who mentioned FM 108 recently, or I might have seen it in a post on the Facebook group for Texas wildflowers. I was tempted to turn off onto it when we came to its junction with TX 97 but went straight, as there’s only so much I could do in one day. And speaking of TX 97, when we got to Cost for the second time I followed your suggestion of following the country road down to the actual battle site. Unfortunately there were no wildflowers there, either.
Steve Schwartzman
March 18, 2023 at 10:20 PM
What a lovely description of the wildflowers in Bebe! I had no idea about the origin of the town’s name, thank you for sharing. I’m curious, have you come across any other interesting tidbits about Bebe during your visits there?
Cheers!
Steven
Texas Tows Inc.
texastows
March 19, 2023 at 3:01 AM
About the only thing I’d have been able to say about Bebe is that it has good spring wildflowers, as shown in the photograph. In addition to the Handbook of Texas article, check out the comment by shoreacres before yours for more information about the town.
Steve Schwartzman
March 19, 2023 at 5:48 AM
The field is Beautiful! I love nature’s bouquets.
circadianreflections
March 19, 2023 at 10:41 AM
We have more of nature’s bouquets here now than any florist would know what to do with.
Steve Schwartzman
March 19, 2023 at 10:58 AM
To Bebe or not to Bebe, there is no question that is a beautiful collection of wildflowers photographed beautifully.
Wally Jones
March 19, 2023 at 3:20 PM
I’m be-holden to you for be-ing so be-witched with this be-autiful scene.
Steve Schwartzman
March 19, 2023 at 8:08 PM
Are the bees as bountiful as the flowers? If so, you could spot each bee by calling out the name of the town…..Be…e, Be….e.
Gallivanta
March 19, 2023 at 9:56 PM
Be-cause I was be-sotted with all the flowers I be-held be-neath and be-yond me, I don’t be-lieve I be-took myself to be cognizant of bees in Bebe.
Steve Schwartzman
March 19, 2023 at 10:18 PM
Very cute. I’m looking forward to spring here. Still raining and cold.
Alessandra Chaves
March 20, 2023 at 7:49 AM
I’ve been hearing about your California weather on television. Too bad you couldn’t have wangled a visit to Texas.
Steve Schwartzman
March 20, 2023 at 8:04 AM