The Last Wildflower Walk for Awhile

It’s looking more and more like our hike at Lake Somerville State Park two weekends ago is going to be our last hike for a good while. Last weekend we had camping reservations at a state park just an hour from here on the west side of Houston but opted to cancel due to the rain forecast. It was a good decision but I was already concerned about using the bathrooms. Most state parks do a decent job of cleaning up every morning but still…you can only control the surfaces you know, right?

And even up to this weekend I thought that maybe we’d get out and go somewhere less busy to hike this coming weekend, however it is looking like a few things are happening: a) too many people out on trails so we’d have to drive a bit further to get away from people, which is doable. b) imminent lockdown orders. Several counties in Texas are working their way into lockdown mode and though Houston/Harris county hasn’t gone that way yet (later edit as I drafted this earlier—they are now on stay-at-home-mode) (we are a county north and usually follow right after—also an edit: our county says they don’t want to do this yet because they still have faith people are going to be smart *snort*), Galveston county to the south of there did go on lockdown yesterday as did Dallas county the other day. It isn’t long before it happens to us. Which is fine, but still…I’m going to miss getting some hikes in this spring. But I’ll gladly give those up if we can get this damn thing under control sooner.

Every evening I find myself saying that I really need to finish reading the book I’m reading but then my lizard brain just reaches for the phone to endlessly scroll the latest on the virus and to find out which politicians are really idiots (that, of course, we already knew but boy, do these seal the deal. Dan Patrick I’m looking at you. Also, WTF Rand Paul? You’re a damn doctor!). So, I’ll take a breath and revisit these wonderful sights from our hike—and in the meantime I’ll be walking in our neighborhood and seeing what nature is doing around here.

Tradescantia sp.

Pointed Phlox, Phlox cuspidata—this is a nearly endemic species to Texas—all sightings on iNat are in Texas, though USDA Plants Database suggests it can be found in western Louisiana and areas of OKlahoma.

Yellow Star Grass, Hypoxis hirsuta

Nuttall’s Deathcamas, Toxicoscordion nuttallii, I wish I’d caught this one in bloom! They are really lovely when blooming.

Tenpetal Anemone, Anemone berlandieri

No ID on this one yet.

More tradescantia in a rocky outcrop where the trail swung towards the lake.

Texas Toadflax, Nuttallanthus texanus

Smallflower Fumewort, Corydalis micrantha

Drummond’s Phlox, Phlox drummondii

Old Plainsman, Hymenopappus artemisiifolius

Dwarf Plantain, Plantago virginica

Eastern Bluestar, Amsonia tabernaemontana–I was a little miffed we were early for these as I would have love to have seen them in full bloom!

An unidentified carex near Nails Creek—large clusters of them in this area.

Suffice to say, my nature will consist of taking notice of everything in our neighborhood and in the backyard and when I do get out to drive to the store I will probably be in awe of the changes going by that I’m not witnessing on a daily basis.