Our Austin house is minutes away from Bull Creek District Park and Greenbelt, a popular recreation destination and one of Austin’s most charming assets. It’s sad that Anita and I haven’t made our way over there after living in the Bobcat Lair for over a year. Today I was working from home and needed a break, so we grabbed my son and his partner, had some delicious barbecue at the County Line. There we enjoyed all the turtles and the massive carp hanging around wanting to be fed.
Then headed over to check out the greenbelt. This was sort of a reconnaissance visit, since we knew we would not have time to go on a long walk or explore much, but we had plenty of fun.
There are beautiful oaks here that you know were here all along, not planted by someone.
What a joy it was to explore the quiet creek and riparian area in peace and quiet. This place can be quite busy, but we shared it only with a mother and her two sons, who reminded me of myself twenty-something years ago. The littlest one was buck naked and running around with a stick, poking it into chunks of algae and laughing in the way only a little kid with all the time in the world, cold water, and a stick can laugh.
Declan and Rylie wandered all around the creek, and though Rylie got her feet wet, all was well. It’s fun to watch the older kids enjoying nature, too.
Anita and I took pictures of things we saw, though Rylie was the best animal spotter, finding both a turtle hiding in the grass and a dancer dragonfly.
I found the kingbird, and got a reasonable photo, considering the lighting. We heard many cardinals, house sparrows, and other birds, which made the afternoon even more pleasant. It was hard to believe we were in Austin.
The false dayflowers were just lovely, and I enjoyed getting some good images of this Texas native in its natural habitat. I was certainly refreshed by the time I got back home and back to work!
Check out a trail or park near you on your next lunch break. It could do you some good!
