Be careful picking flowers

Springtime brings flowers to fields and roadsides and a question to the minds of nature lovers is it really illegal to pick bluebonnets?

The answer is no there is no law against picking our state flower.

However, there are laws against criminal trespass, so make sure you're not on private property when you stop to take your annual kids-in-the-bluebonnets photo.

There are laws against damaging or destroying rights-ofway and government land and property.

Remember, Mother Nature and in many cases, your fellow Texans, scattered wildflower seeds along medians and roadways so that everyone could enjoy spring flowers.

For the safety of yourself and others, as well as to limit your ticketability: There are laws against impeding traffic so be careful about slowing down to enjoy the view. Pick areas with light traffic conditions for stopping.

Signal before leaving or entering the roadway. Park off the roadway (off of improved shoulders), parallel to the road in the direction of traffic, on the same side of the roadway that the flowers are on. Don't walk or run across lanes of traffic to get to the flowers.

Obey signs that prohibit parking on a particular stretch of roadway.

Remember that in addition to a ticket, snakes and fire ants also could put more blue in your day than you bargained for.