The annual Evolution meeting took place this week in Austin, TX. I spoke about the lab’s work on the genetic basis of differentiation in critical photoperiod along elevation gradients in annual Mimulus guttatus. Nic talked about his recent work on how M. guttatus and another closely related species M. alsinoides impact each other’s evolution when they occur in the same habitat. As always, it was a wonderful meeting for learning about exciting new science and catching up with many colleagues and friends. The big bonus though was that it happened to be in Austin at the time of year when wild Texas sunflowers are flowering (because they are long-day sensitive unlike in other areas of the country, as my work has shown). So I went a day early and had a good time hunting for sunflower populations. I was rewarded with not just with endless fields of the common sunflower, H. annuus, but also two Texas endemics, H. debilis and H. argophyllus. Final benefit of the trip: SO MUCH TEXAS BBQ!