Texas
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Hale Hollow Creek | Lost Maples State Natural Area
Hale Hollow Creek branches off the Sabinal River near Campsite A and heads west through the northern portion of the park before running into private property. We didn’t walk that far down it, but to kill some time before setting up our tent and waiting on our friends we decided to explore the creek bed a little bit. Maidenhair fern line the walls of the creek, some in better shape than others. Virginia creeper provided a nice contrast in color along the way. Even the maidenhair fern were providing some fall colors throughout the creek. We are fairly certain this is an orchid, in particular I think the chatterbox orchid.…
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Along the Sabinal River | Lost Maples State Natural Area
We arrived at Lost Maples, which is pretty much in the middle of nowhere west of San Antonio, to find we were definitely not the only people at the park. This park is known for its fall color and people from all over flock for day or overnight use. A line to check in, lines for the bathroom up front, a full parking lot—this place was busy! There are few and far between state parks that I have been too that have ever been this crowded and usually they involve a beach (Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park comes to mind). We found a parking spot and got our gear…
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Monkey Rock | Lost Maples State Natural Area
A couple of weekends ago we went to Lost Maples State Natural Area which is located in Vanderpool, Texas, a town west-northwest of San Antonio and south of I-10. Along the east loop, not far from campsite A, we found a sign delineating something called Monkey Rock. A middle aged couple were coming from the opposite direction headed towards the rock too, and I asked them if they had been before, to which they replied they hadn’t and were just as curious as us. The sign didn’t specify distance or anything else so I had no idea if we were in for a hike up the bluffs or what. Instead…
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Farm Fest at the Last Organic Outpost
About a month ago I saw a post or link via Merriwether’s blog or Facebook feed regarding something called Farm Fest held at the Last Organic Outpost urban farm near downtown Houston. Ever since, I kept an eye out for it in hopes that I would be able to go. Timing worked out and I was able to go on my way home from Beaumont where I’d been visiting Chris over the weekend. (Merriwether was also there and I talked to him for a few minutes, learning about beautyberry jelly and the uses of the horrible invasive Chinese tallow.) I was a little nervous when I exited the highway and…
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A Pre-Cold Front Evening Walk
The elephant ears line the pond in the area. Chasmanthium latifolium Spanish moss Blue mist flower, Conoclinium coelestinum Bidens laevis Bushy blue-stem, Andropogon glomeratus This little pond is across the street from our house. Would love to explore these woods but I’m unsure who owns them. Pre-cold front the air was humid and thick, temperatures in the mid to high 80s. Post cold front the air is crisp in the mornings and evenings, days are mild and pleasant, skies are stark and blue. Enjoyable…
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Salvia lyrata | Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Salvia is one of those plants in which I could have a bed of many varieties and species…much like passiflora, brugmansia/datura, tomatoes, and probably too many other plants to name. I’ll take one of each please! Take in the spring of 2012.
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Asclepias asperula | Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
I may or may not be still working through photos I took in Austin last spring. Yeah…. I love milkweeds not only because of their host food abilities for monarch caterpillars but because they are just a beautiful native plant to grow. A great Texas milkweed website for reference.
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Magical Maidenhair (and Miscellany)
These maidenhair fern photos were taken at Westcave Preserve back in March. I still haven’t finished out the photos from that day, but slowly I want to work back to doing that. I find myself feeling like I am on top of the pile again, not suffocating below it, but then I find something else thrown on top and there I am again trying to get up to breathe. While going through my old ‘writing desk’ (which turned into an art desk at one point) I found a journal, one that was surprisingly not tattered and beaten up, but still rigid and pretty with its seashell adorned cover. Inside was…
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Rambling at Kleb Woods
It had been far too long since I’d spent any considerable amount of time outside, so last Sunday I decided to brave the 100* heat and go for a walk at Kleb Woods. I almost left to go at 1pm but waited an hour, thinking I would postpone until later in the evening, but I needed out and so at 2pm I left for the woods. Chris and I had been here back in the Fall on a weekend. It was busier then and the hummingbirds were around, sipping nectar from the feeders and the flowers in the hummingbird garden. This time the heat of the day brought stillness over…
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The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center | Part I
So way back in March when we went to Austin we went to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Sunday morning before driving home. And yes, here it is late June and I am just now posting photos from them! I can’t believe I have been so unattentive to my photo processing and writing about our adventures. Nonetheless here is round 1 of our trip: Lady Bird herself on the rain barrel. Not to be confused with this Ladybird. Lace cactus, Echinocereus caespitosus Horse rush Horse crippler cactus Echinocactus texensis Gregg dalea, Dalea greggii Foxglove, Penstemon cobaea Columbine Trumpet creeper Blackfoot Daisy, Melampodium leucanthum Antelopehorn (butterfly weed) Asclepias asperula And…