Plant Sightings – Page 11 – The Hermits' Rest

Deep into Lagoons

Yesterday was very windy along the beach. I had a pretty hilarious hair day.

Good thing my hair is the color of the sand now, since lots ended up in it.

Something in watching the wind sweep the beach clean made me think. It doesn’t take much to at least deflect the winds of change. Look at how tiny obstacles caused bumps yesterday.

With all that wind and sand (neither of which are my favorites) I decided to move inland. It is a lot quieter on the residential/rental streets, as long as no one is running a gas-powered leaf blower (another non-favorite thing).

I was enjoying the big and little houses, the squirrels, and some birds, when I realized the road I was on bordered a long lagoon. A big hint was the sign proclaiming it to be Lagoon Road.

The lagoon was hidden by lots of trees, which explains why there were so many birds around.

The area also had some huge oak trees, some of the largest I’ve seen here. And amid all the fancy houses was a small A-frame house with beehives. This experience helped me get my daily grounding plus some.

I couldn’t get a good angle on this huge tree

One negative of this long walk was that I managed to blister my tors on my left foot. But hey, I made up for leaving my watch at home earlier! I was the beneficiary of a good deed when the bartender gave me a bandage from their first aid kit. I returned the favor by listening to two very drunken rich women telling me their life stories and how much better they predict the US will be soon. I said I hope so. That’s true.

Pansies are for thoughts. I didn’t share mine. What would that help?

Today’s morning walk, which was cut short by rain, featured two lagoons! I turned down a side road, because I heard a Red-shouldered Hawk and a Blue Jay.

It turned out to be a quiet street with quiet condos. One had a contented Great Egret enjoying the nearby fountain.

Right past the heron was an empty lot, where it looked like a building once was. It had a small lagoon and was surrounded by pines and hardwoods. There were dozens and dozens of songbirds and woodpeckers flitting around the trees and myrtle shrubs, along with various crows with very important agendas, I assumed. I stayed a long time, just watching all the action. Those Yellow-rumped Warblers were busy, busy, busy.

It rained a while, but I hid under a pine tree.

I followed the lagoon past where it ended, and lo, there was a connected lagoon. This was a dark, moody area with crowded vegetation around it. I saw a turtle and some fish, but mostly I watched squirrels and birds. I saw yet another Gray Catbird, and even a Hermit Thrush. I bet no one at the Holiday Inn Express next door even notices this little treasure. I did! It keeps me grounded (and it helped that I leaned on a welcoming oak, too.)

I’m sure enjoying searching out these little pockets of nature. Admittedly, I look forward to Lee arriving so we can drive some. I even ordered him some food to eat when he arrives. One day at a time is working out fine.

Gaining Ground through Grounding

I’ve made a couple of resolutions today. You could even call them goals. One’s pretty easy, but vital, and the other is harder if you’re a hermit.

I’m going to spend even more time outdoors to keep myself grounded.
I want to do something kind for someone every day – something that might not occur to me to do if I wasn’t being conscious about it.

How did I do?

Today it wasn’t so rainy, so I was able to get out and about multiple times today as I sought out the quiet, natural parts of this very green but rather loud island where I’m staying (Hilton Head). I was seeking the ability to really ground myself and bring back my sense of peace and lovingkindness.

The first time I went for a walk, I looked for new natural spots. Mostly I found leaf blowers, garbage trucks, and construction equipment, but I did eventually come to a little hidden path where the birds were gathering and there were many interesting plants.

I took lots of photos of seeds, berries, and weird fungi, but I didn’t feel very grounded. Plus I was not thrilled to realize halfway through this rather long walk that I’d left the Apple Watch on the charger. Oh no! My exercise didn’t count! (I realized it did count, health-wise, but not watch-wise.)

It’s weird only working four days a week. It’s even weirder on an island with no transportation. So, after a little rest and putting my watch back on, I headed for the beach. It was an interesting day there, because fog had lingered way past mid-day. I was able to see a cormorant fishing, as well as the usual pelicans, gulls, and Sanderlings. Here is also where I accomplished goal number two and was rewarded greatly.

I saw a woman struggling to put up a shade cover all by herself. At first I thought, oh she can handle it. Then I bravely (for me) went up and asked if she could use some help. She could! So, I wrestled with her wiggly setup and we got it working. As we talked, it turned out she is an editor at a horse magazine and has a horse much like Apache, only larger. So we each enjoyed talking about PPID, working equitation, and horse nutrition. So far, doing kind things is working out great, at least on the first day.

After another rest, okay, actually a long nap, I realized that I still hadn’t gotten to the really grounded state I need to find every day to keep my spirits up and not fall into my doomsday thinking. By now it was near sunset, which is ridiculously early thanks to Standard Time. I headed back out, this time with a plan I was sure would work: I went back to the Presbyterian prayer trail.

This is a magical couple of acres that is chock-full of native trees and shrubs that have been allowed to live out their lives, like Wohlleben recommends. It’s because Hilton Head Island was isolated for most of the time intense logging was done, and occupied just by the Gullah folks who mostly did small farming plots and a lot of fishing. There are still old-growth forests here.

I looked at the map and realized there were more trails than I’d been on last time. I got deep within the woods and was able to set on a Leopold bench and meditate. The trees masked traffic and children playing to where I could just breathe as the Hermit Thrush called and called. I got the feeling I needed.

I knew I was on the right path literally and metaphorically when something moved next to the creek at the back of the trail. It was a very large bird. When it settled, I realized it was an owl, a Great Horned Owl. Merlin doesn’t even have them listed as a possible bird here. But, there it was. No photos of the owl. I was just looking through my eyes, not a phone.

When I realized the sun had set, I headed off to find the beach again, which was not easy, since the nearest beach access was actually closed. I managed to get into the Marriott resort, though, where I found a very loud Mockingbird that led to another random conversation, this time with a like-minded birder from England.

The beach didn’t disappoint me this time, as I got to see the beautiful reflections of the clouds in the tidal pools. I have such fond memories of coming here with Anita and enjoying these views together. The moon was out and reflected in the water, which was magical. What felt like a miracle occurred. I got that feeling of deep contentment that I get when Nature surprises me. I was happy for the first time in quite some time, probably since the last horse show.

You should be glad I edited these down to just four.

We all have things we need to keep going. I’m glad that my needs aren’t to put others down, to think only of my own personal gains, or to dominate. Being grounded and finding ways to be kind to others is what I’ll rely on as times get challenging.

Book Report: The Power of Trees

I started reading The Power of Trees (2021, English 2023), by Peter Wohlleben, the German forester who also wrote The Hidden Life of Trees, last year. I had to put it down, because it was so depressing. It sure sounds like Europe’s trees are messed up and not much hope is shared in this book.

The book and many representatives of tree friends.

So, what a great book to read during an election where the non-environmentally friendly folks won bigly? But I got through it. I learned why forestry, with its great fondness for monoculture and treating trees like products rather than fellow citizens of the planet, has led to massive death in forests and loss of uncountable other species that support trees (what lives in the earth and helps trees do their work).

Wohlleben shows how allowing natural forests to regenerate on their own and create old trees that are allowed to live on would help restore a healthy climate (trees cool it) and still provide for human needs, especially if we recycle old wood products rather than always making new ones.

You’ll learn a lot about the complex interrelationship between trees and the other life around them as well as lessons that apply to forests around the world.

It’s wonderful that there are protected remnants of coastal forest here on Hilton Head. It helps that it was hard to reach for so long.

I always feel drawn to helping woodlands, knowing how many mighty trees in Florida my grandfather sent to sawmills in the early twentieth century. As I have resolved to focus on doing something kind every day, I’m keeping the remaining native woodlands in mind.

My grandfather dwarfed by the trees that are about to be killed.

Retreat, Accidentally

I didn’t intend to spend the day isolated in my condo cave, but I did. It rained a lot today, so nearly all the walking I had planned was canceled.

I did get out for 45 minutes this morning between meetings. I spent it wisely, by going down the beautiful prayer walk at a church just down the road. The church has outdoor services weekly (I heard them on Sunday) and a beautiful, natural grounds.

There were many birds enjoying a break from the rain, so I was happy to watch and listen to them for a while!

I did myself a lot of good by letting myself get lost in the ambiance of a wet woodland. The southeastern US certainly has wonderful wooded areas. I found many shiny leaves and, as always, was amazed at the variety of shapes and textures. Forget about identifying them; just enjoy the variety.

After finishing work for the week, I borrowed two movies from the DVD library. I enjoyed both Fall Guy and the latest Aquaman movie. Both had Jason Momoa in them. Heavy in the action and fake violence, but that was fine. It distracted me and kept me cozily knitting in my cave.

I watched all my favorite television shows, too, so I felt very distracted by escapist media. That’s fine upon occasion and a good way to get some soothing self care. Today probably did me a lot of good.

The Best Way to Spend November 4, 2024

I wish Lee was here, but I had a great time distracting myself from the fact that tomorrow is a scary day. I answered a lot of questions at work, and managed to have a much better birding day than yesterday.

After I enjoyed songbirds, I checked out the park I’d visited yesterday. It was quieter today, and I got to enjoy turtles, an Anhinga resting on a small tree, and a Great Egret on the hunt.

I turned and walked back up the beach to see shorebirds. First I enjoyed the beautiful boardwalk leading to the beach.

I also saw a pretty dark and brooding sea. It reminded me of how American people feel right now.

I did enjoy the birds as they scrambled around for their food. My favorite was this gull trying to get ahold of an acorn. The gull did not want to share with the Sanderling.

They were all entertaining, even the crow, who had some kind of tidbit in its mouth, too.

Later in the day, my relatives whisked me off to lunch in the part of the island I couldn’t get into yesterday. It’s very pretty. And guess what? I found more birds from the restaurant we ate at.

We’re actually not related, but we look like it.

As we were driving off to visit more relatives (including a baby relative) we spotted white blobs in a parking lot. The stepsister wheeled the Acura around like the pro driver she used to be (kind of) and we got to enjoy the beauty of a flock of Wood Storks with a Great Egret buddy.

It was so much fun to get so close to them. They sure looked fluffy and festive.

So yes, today was a good day spent with family and avian friends.

Hugs to all who are stressing. Remember, worrying won’t change anything.

I Love the World Wide Web

What are your favorite websites?

As someone who was there when it was born and started building websites when they were text only, I have a soft spot for it. So, what sites do I love these days?

INaturalist. That should come as no surprise. I just love looking at the photos, helping folks ID their observations, and tracking my own observations. Want to see what’s found in the ranch? You can see it here!
eBird. I use this mainly to look up birds, but my Merlin IDs are there. I just don’t mark everything I see. However, great bird reference.
Wikipedia. This is where I “do my research.” I learn so much from this site, and it’s easy to go find original sources for what’s in there. I usually Google topics then end up on Wikipedia. We give them money, too, since we use it so much.

Notice that I list all .org sites. They tend to have fewer deceiving redirects, flashing popups, and other things I dislike about commercial sites.

So, that answers that question. I’ve spent the afternoon getting settled into my condo for this year’s visit to Hilton Head. I must have screwed up my reservation, because I’m not in an ocean-front room on a high floor. I’d been counting on that for bird observations. My room is also a handicapped room, so the kitchen has interesting features. But that’s okay.

The view is fine. And all the lighting protects the dark sky

I can go out walking if I want birds, and the rooms have been refreshed. It will be fine.

I found lots of birds right across the road from the condo. And this festive grass.

Tomorrow I can go to a nature preserve within walking distance, so I’m set.

Still Having Nature Thrills

My idea of a thrill may not be yours. For me, seeing a new natural environment with new flora and fauna is often thrilling to me. Today’s field trip was to Ringtail Ridge Natural area, west of San Marcos. What an interesting spot!

We did a Bioblitz as part of the Texas Master Naturalist annual meeting set up by the Nature Trackers staff. The park was big enough that we could all disperse and not be on top of each other. I ended up with three excellent birders, and a good time was had by all.

We heard and saw warblers, a Kestrel, and many Black-crested Titmice. Finding interesting plants was a little harder, because it’s so dry right now, but we could tell this place is beautiful in spring and early summer. The topography was interesting, with many berms and old stone walls.

This velvet-leaf mallow really has velvety leaves.

Most of the thrills came from insects, which we found plenty of. There were so many common mestra butterflies that in one place it looked like fairies having a convention. There were also many goatweed leaf wings and caterpillars galore. One caterpillar was huge. It looked like a big ole hotdog chomping on a vine. It’s a future Vine sphinx moth. Spectacular!

We also found nests and not just bird nests! There were many turtle nests, too, with little eggshells. We had fun.

Eventually we returned to the hotel, where I did two normal conference sessions, one on how to have difficult discussions as Master Naturalists and one on nightjars (like Chuck-will’s widows and nighthawks. Such interesting and little studied birds.

The dinner presentation was by Jeff Gessas, one of the leaders of the leaders of yesterday’s moving session. I loved watching him talk, as he reminded me so much of my estranged older son, also a philosopher. Geez. They’re the same age. Still, I learned a lot that resonated with me.

It was a fun day, and I even got to hang out with folks from my chapter a bit!

Our little contingent managed to get together.

Today My World Was Rocked

Oh I needed today. Words have failed me when I’ve tried to describe what I experienced, but I’ll try to summarize.

This morning I attended a field session at the location of the former Aquarena Springs tourist attraction, which has been lovingly returned to a more natural state by Texas State University and is now the meadows Center for Water and the Environment. Before it was an attraction, it was a site of a gristmill. Before that, it was a sacred site for native people who believed they were born from the springs.

I’d met the descendants of this tribe at a conference years ago. They talked about the Sacred Springs and how it had magical qualities. That’s why I wanted to attend the session on Field Environmental Philosophy As An Approach Towards Mindfulness and Reconnection With Freshwater Ecosystems. That’s a mouthful.

Oh my goodness. The session, which was led by three philosophy professors, was exactly what I needed to put together the seemingly disparate pieces of my spiritual practice, personal philosophy, and scientific interests. It’s biocultural conservation. The techniques the presentation demonstrated show how you can integrate mindfulness and connection with nature and scientific analysis. Bingo. That’s my goal.

I got a bit overwhelmed just standing at the sacred site. It felt like one of “my” places. I was deeply comforted and quite moved. One of the professors noticed. I said I felt connection, like ley lines. He said that’s because many sensitive people say the same thing! Eureka. I found my Texas home spot at last. (I know of two others, one in Florida and one in Wales.)

I no longer wonder if I shouldn’t be identifying birds while doing my breathing exercises. I feel validated in my drive to perceive the world around me in all the modalities. It’s just a great feeling.

Anyway, we did an observation exercise then came back and talked about it. I think the philosophers were ticked that so many of us were blown away by what they were sharing with us. There were so many great pieces of feedback and questions. I have many reading resources to look up now. I’m stoked.

I enjoyed hearing the birds and looking at the beautiful plants on this site, too. The university is doing great work to preserve this area.

The rest of my day was full of fine conversations with new and old friends and even some rest. I met interesting people in the vendor area and learned from them. Fascinating stuff about night sky preservation, fireflies, raptors, and native seeds. Bonus was meeting a woman who’s just published a book on karst and caves in this area, another interest of mine!

The Texas Master Naturalist annual meeting kickoff was back at the springs. I enjoyed the glass-bottom boat tide very much. I’m glad they kept the boats from the tourist days. Here are some fish and turtle photos.

After the boat I went into the aquarium area in the building on site. They had examples of all the fish we saw in the river, plus the Texas River Cooter turtles. The garfish were so cool. Plus there was an eel. I love aquariums.

I came on back before the nothing began and joined my friend Mike for a drink. I wish we could see him more often. I caught him up with the rest of our chapter members and he caught me up with his naturalist and ethics work.

I still have time to blog for you! Enjoy this dump of more photos of my day at the aquatic center.

Working for a Good Cause and Making New Friends

Whew. I’m a tired gal. But it was fun getting that way and I was rewarded with a pleasant evening.

It’s time for the Texas Master Naturalist Annual Meeting. So I drove to the Shield Ranch somewhere in Southwest Travis County or Hays County to start my activities. I didn’t really know what I was getting into, but it looked like an interesting spot in the field session description.

It had an interesting stump that looks like an animal head.

When I got there (after having to go through rush hour in west Austin) I found that the session included doing some dirty work. And there I was in my white shirt. Silly me.

That’s me in the white shirt holding the seed sack.

But we intrepid volunteers all had a good time, I think. We prepared ground with topsoil and composted horse manure (much lifting, wheelbarrow wrangling, raking and mixing). I mostly threw native plant seeds appropriate to the part of the world where the ranch is on top of that mix. It sounds easy but that seed bucket was heavy. My left arm is telling me that, right now.

Seed buckets. There was also rye grass seed.

Once that was done, mulch was used to hide the seeds from birds. This was on the roadside, where plants have not been growing. It should be really nice if it ever rains the seeds in. We did well!

After the work, we ate our sack lunches in the impressive dining pavilion. It’s all solar powered and all the water is harvested rainwater. There’s no air conditioning, but it was perfectly pleasant inside. And at one end was a garage door of windows that could be cranked open, to be replaced by screens. Very clever.

I ate with a very nice older woman named Annie who was Texan in the best way, full of stories of her farm upbringing and funny relatives. I just had the nicest time talking to her.

Beautiful little bluestem prairie area as seen from the garage doors.

After we ate we went on tour of the site, which hosts camps for underprivileged young people, we took a hike along the creek then up the escarpment to see the meadows. There were many interesting plants, though they were pretty shriveled from the drought.

Oh, I meant to mention that a Master Naturalist chapter did the welcoming and very decorative plantings around the facility. It’s all native plants, teeming with life, but as attractive as a traditional landscape. They did great work. photos are above.

The drive to San Marcos, where the meeting is being held, was quite enjoyable, mostly on back roads. There were many huge ranches with ornate fencing and gates. Combined with their concrete driveways, you knew lots of money was being used for these spreads. Also there were numerous neighborhoods of very large homes. Land must be less expensive in the Buda area.

When the hour-long drive ended, I collapsed in my very comfy room. It’s a corner suite, which matters because I’m at one of those atrium hotels with all the echoes. Most suites have windows facing the hallway, which is loud. Mine looks out in the back (quiet) side of the hotel, where I can see how much the area has grown since I came here 15 years or so ago for a UU women’s conference. I feel old!

I did venture back out, because we get two free drinks per night! I’m so glad I did, because I ended up talking to the woman in front of me in the drinks line for a long time. We ended up having a great conversation about all sorts of things, even horses! She’s learning dressage. I couldn’t have had a nicer time.

Now I hope I can sleep. I didn’t last night! That was inconvenient insomnia. Tomorrow’s field session involves mindfulness and wetlands. Hmm. And later, glass-bottom boats at the beautiful former Aquarena Springs.

From Birds to Bravery

I’m tired so this is quick. The two halves of my day differed greatly. In the first half, I spent a few hours at the Wild Wings Bird Sanctuary with Ann. We got some excellent new birds to add to the list of sightings there, and did a bit of Bioblitz action as well.

We spent time with Gene and Cindy, who were working at selling chickens until we got to them to talk about wild birds. We went over designs for interesting benches to put out in the seating area to replace some rickety ones.

This is a Leopold bench, named after a famous naturalist who made them for bird watching.

We also talked about a logo. I’d used the AI software they want us to use at work to generate a few ideas. We are going with this one, with different colors.

It should be legible and look good in monochrome.

After all our decisions, I went into Cameron to the annual Steak Stein and Wine event. I got a couple of holiday gifts, which I’m proud of. Such a planner! And I got kettle corn, a snow cone, and later a peach Bellini, frozen. Mm.

As always, I enjoyed the car show. This is a Morris pickup truck conversion. Ooh. Want.

But I also was brave. I supported my friends y volunteering at the booth for the county Democratic Party. Why did I do this, if I’m avoiding politics? Honestly, it’s to let others know we are here and just normal people. We had no candidate signs or pamphlets, just a code you could scan to sign up for the mailing list. Mostly people ignored us or were polite, and we had a few nice conversations. Only after the drinking started did one guy get ugly, and I was gone by then.

I am proud for not totally hiding, to maybe encourage others to not be afraid. You shouldn’t be afraid in this country. I’m still going to respect your opinions if they differ from mine, especially if you’ve thought it out. we need to respect each other!

The event also included giant Dairy Queen treats!

I got to have dinner (the steak part of the festival) with family and workers at our nephew’s business. That means I got to see and talk to my son! And the food was better this year, especially the mashed potatoes.

All in all, it was a good, but long, day. I enjoyed seeing friends and acquaintances and was brave!

Bonus pretty photos to follow.