camping – The Hermits' Rest

Heading South Like a Bird

Not that I want it to be warmer; it’s plenty warm still where I live. Nonetheless The plan for today was to head down south for a repeat visit to Choke Canyon State Park. I accidentally rebooked this park, perhaps I had a subconscious plan.

This very anxious cow had both me and the dogs concerned during birding time.

But first we had to get there. The farrier came early, which messed up my careful plans for getting both my work and my travel preparation done (and photography of pollinators for Texas Pollinator Week). Then, of course, work needed me and that got me more out of sync. I kept up my planned work/prep until I went to feed the chickens and give them water.

Of course I stopped for pollinators. This clouded skipper was diving into a flower.

As I turned the water flow on, I saw a brown lump in the grass. Was it something else Vlassic had dragged in from the pasture?

Oh my gosh, no! It was a newborn calf! On our side of the fence! It was doing the classic baby calf thing of laying low and not moving. I knew it was just born, because Tyler V tags new ones as soon as he finds them and he’s looking at least twice a day right now.

No wonder that cow had been mooing so hard this morning! And her milk bag was very full. I got in touch with Tyler then finished working and getting ready. Just as we were finally leaving, Tyler arrived and I showed him where the calf was. The poor thing was getting hot and breathing hard, so I’m glad it got rescued. All it took was for Tyler to walk up to it and it scooted back through the fence. I hope there was a family reunion and the baby got tagged.

That made me as happy as I assume these bee flies were when I took this shot.

Four hours later, we arrived to the familiar sight of Choke Canyon’s scrubby beauty. I quickly realized why I subconsciously rebooked a place we had already been—this time we are just two spots away from the bird blind! The really good one! And there’s javelina poop on our site! Yes! This place has its own beauty and excitement.

Bonus: the leveling system worked and my bedroom slide went out. I can get to my pajamas and art supplies! It’s like we have our motorhome back, though the generator still won’t start.

I did get to walk around just a little bit, and found a lot of climbing milkweed, lantana, and cow pen daisies. I hope these will convince some of the beautiful butterflies I’ve been seeing to stop and pollinate. So far I have a dead queen butterfly and a brown moth. I must do better!

I figure I’ll enjoy a few more birding hikes this weekend as well as take a lot of insect and plant photos! Enjoy scenes from my sunset walk.

Bonus Post: Camping Photos

I had a request to share some of the plants and scenery from camping at Lake Bob Sandlin State Park this weekend, since posting them on Facebook doesn’t reach many of you. It has been a pleasant weekend with lots of peace and quiet and not as much heat as there could have been.

I spent a lot of time looking at water reflecting in the lake.

I did find some new plants, though no new birds. There were 35 different species, including a Black-and-White Warbler and a Great Horned Owl making a high-pitched call I hadn’t heard before (I heard it two different days, so Merlin mustn’t be lying).

This pond reflection looks too perfect to be real!

Most of the weekend I hiked paths and walked around all the campgrounds. The piney woods has many different hardwoods, including hickory, many oaks, buckeyes (if that counts as a tree), sweetgum, Osage orange, and no doubt more. Plus loblolly pine and red cedar.

For the time of year, I saw many flowers, some quite beautiful. Some of my favorites bloom in the fall, of course, like false foxgloves and asters.

I saw deer and squirrels and even a toad. The deer were not pleased that I separated them, hence the action shot. I have no squirrel photos—the ones here aren’t very tame. There was armadillo and raccoon evidence, but no sightings.

Here are more random pictures I liked. Mostly it’s a lot of green stuff here, but that’s fine with me.

View from the best campsite in the park. Private lake access

Back home tomorrow. I could stay here much longer.

Flooding Adventures

What an interesting 24 hours it’s been! We set out from Clinton and powered our way through Mississippi and Louisiana. As we were doing so, the news from home was not good. Of course we needed rain, but flash flooding and tornadoes we could do without. Friends and family kept us updated, and the ranch survived okay. Friends did get damage from wind and lightning.

We were all as alert as this mockingbird who wasn’t threatened by the fake owl.

We started getting notices of flood warnings on our phones. At lunch I even got a phone call from the weather service! I guess that hadn’t been cut yet. By the way, yesterday’s lunch made us both very sick. Pepto Bismol to the rescue.

We tried to make it back to the Hermits’ Rest, but the rain got pretty scary. We had planned to make a stop at Lake Martin Creek State Park on the way but it was so bad that I spontained and decided to stop and let the weather pass.

We got a cabin with heat and air conditioning, and got soaked unloading and going to the restroom. Luckily we were the closest cabin to the facilities and had spare clothing to change into. We got all cozy and listened to the rain and lightning.

By early evening the rains had ended but the roads were still pretty bad and flooded in spots. So we stayed put and I wandered around to check out the pretty park on a big lake with a bigger power plant.

I was glad I had a nice long book to read and that we each had a blanket. Even without a pillow I slept great.

I didn’t want to sleep too late in case these guys would come after me (joke).

I threw on clothing I could get dirty and headed out to the trails on the cool island in the lake, which has a convenient bridge.

While the trails were challenging due to all the water, it was well worth it.

There were many trees of many kinds, which is typical in the Piney Woods region of east Texas. There weren’t many flowers, even in the grassy meadows, but it was very beautiful and secluded. The best part? Forty-eight species of birds!

Most of the birds hid, however. My new lifer, the Hooded Warbler, however did NOT hide. Its face is like the opposite of a Yellow-breasted Chat, so I was thrilled to ID it. Of course it didn’t sit there long enough to photograph.

Yeah, that was a good tromp through the mud. We are finally going to make it home, though we are seeing pretty impressive flooding and swollen waterways. One town we went through had obviously been hit by a tornado and had a television crew filming.

A Camping Dilemma

Any day out I nature is good. It did rain much of today, then got cold, but rain sounds good on the roof and I have warm clothing stashed in Seneca’s closet. However, the rain was not enough to dampen the spirits of our fellow campers.

Two, perhaps three (hard to tell) groups of incredibly enthusiastic Scouts are here, with one taking up three sites across from us. They are having FUN. So far I haven’t detected any actual scouting activities from this group, unless bellowing, screeching, and making siren sounds can earn you a merit badge. The adults coped by yelling back.

I coped by trying to leave, but it kept raining on me.

The other group was set up in the other camping area by the lake. They even had on uniforms as they blasted through empty campsites screaming instructions. One of them saw me and yelled, “Stranger Danger.” I was annoyed by then and reminded them that scouting encourages them to respect other campers.

I’m under a shelter. They’re scampering off.

They were on their way to a ceremony (I’d heard, ha ha), so by the time Lee had picked me up from standing in the rain and we drove by, they were doing a lovely ceremony with flags and saluting. Of course, THAT is when the park police went by. Such good little citizens.

I got to see a gun millipede while in the shelter in the rain.

Note that I did get a little walk in between rains and found a couple of interesting plants. I was trying out the new and improved iNat app, too. It identifies what I see immediately, so I don’t have to do it when I get back from a walk. Fewer Master Naturalist hours, but that’s fine.

Meanwhile, Lee and I took a drive around the area and looked at a couple of cute small towns. When we came back, the local kids were back outside, now throwing a football. I left again, and had a pleasant, if chilly, walk on the Nails Creek Trail, featuring lake views, more fun plants, and an owl.

A better picture of Sandyland Bluebonnet

The dilemma for me is whether I should have gone over and talked to the adults about the noise levels. I see two sides. One is that these are children who are outdoors. They don’t need to use their “inside voices” and that’s probably fun. Knowing how structured and protected the lives of kids are these days, this was probably a rare opportunity for free play with their friends, and that’s exhilarating for sure.

On the other hand, those of us who weren’t in their party could not enjoy our campsites when it wasn’t raining. In fact, we could only enjoy inside the RV with music or television on. I’ve been told that the training for the adults covers how to act when camping. I didn’t see a lot of buddy system or respect for the leaders.

I’m just not sure if I should have asked the park staff to talk to them or talked to them myself. I know how people react these days, so I said nothing. I honestly don’t mind kids having fun at reasonable volumes and staying in their own sites or the road. They were running all over the campground while the adults mostly sat in their chairs. I wish they’d gone on a hike or something but they’d have scared all the birds and animals.

My fervent hope is that they all pack up and leave early to go to church. Fingers crossed.

By the way, I want to thank any readers who went to peaceful protests today. Sign creativity was high! Since 2020, I can no longer do big crowds. But I’m grateful to those of you who fought through introversion and showed up.

And hey, here’s the first row of the 2025 temperature blanket. It’s warmer!

Nature Church

I’m easily excited, I guess. When I see a new or unexpected plant, bird, or insect, I get a thrill in my heart. I smile in the middle of nowhere, all by myself. Yesterday was full of such moments. The only thing that could have improved it would be to have had a companion also iNatting and Merlining with me. I made those verbs up. It’s good to have a companion in your spiritual experiences occasionally.

On my first walk yesterday here at the Nails Creek Unit of Lake Somerville State Park, I took the Overlook Trail, after revisiting the Lake Trail, where all the White Pelicans, Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Forster’s Terns, Northern Shovelers (charmingly shoveling away), Blue- and Green-winged Teals, and mystery sandpipers were in full force.

Forster’s Tern. Lee took the next few photos.

The Overlook Trail was breathtaking in its subtle way. First, it smelled wonderful, thanks to the blooming trees. There were Honey Locust, Honey Mesquite, Eve’s Necklacepod, and a lot of yaupon. That stuff smells so good.

Every turn I took revealed new vistas or secluded nooks. I realized that I felt spiritually a-tingle, like I was in a religious service and being moved. Mother Nature’s church was what my soul needed.

I enjoyed the viewing platform and all the lake views, though the little plants also enchanted me. I couldn’t have felt better. No news, no noise, no distractions.

Next we took an exciting trip to the grocery store in Somerville. This yard where someone planted a LOT of wildflowers was a highlight.

In the late afternoon it wasn’t too hot, so I went on the Cedar Creek Trail. It goes into the middle of the park, through beautiful post oak Savannah. The prairie parts were covered by wildflowers that like sandy soil, a few of which were new to me. The photos don’t do the scenery justice, plus all those little pointed phlox smelled better than perfume. I was often stopped in my tracks by the views. Wow.

I realize this isn’t the Grand Canyon or Rocky Mountains, but to me this part of Texas is incredibly beautiful. I hope you enjoyed the photos.

We Can Navigate Challenges with Positive Reflection

It’s funny. The day we left for the weekend’s camping expedition, Lee and I were annoyed at everything the other did, even though nothing was really wrong. It made the day harder on us both.

Today, though, all sorts of challenges and opportunities to get angry presented themselves, and neither of us took the bait. As each little (or big) issue arose, we just dealt with it and kept going. I prefer days like today! Duh.

We’re like two old trees communicating through our shared root systems.

Here are just a couple of examples. First, after getting Seneca the motorhome ready quickly and efficiently, we drove off, waving at the neighbors and promising to stay in touch. We did, because just as Lee spotted it in his mirror, we got a text saying one of our storage doors was open. I got out, ensured that nothing was missing, and off we went. No one blamed the other one for the mistake. Why should we?

That’s right, Suna. Take it from a sparrow that roams the Savanna.

Later a bigger boo-boo happened. We had pulled Seneca up to gas pumps so we could refuel the Gladiator, which went ok. But as we pulled out, the corner of the big vehicle hit one of those concrete posts that guard gas pumps. It turns out there is a blind spot we didn’t know about.

Gas stations are scary. Photo from Pexels.

What good would it have done to get upset? We just assessed the damage, made impromptu repairs, and kept going.

Sigh, as it turns out, the accident that only seemed to have dinged the water heater cover must have caused a short, because there are power issues. We may miss our next trip, but hey, we made it over two years before any major oopsie!

I wish my reward for this achievement could be this belt buckle I saw in Boot Barn. Someone has a sense of humor.

Here’s what today reminded me. You reflect the treatment you receive. Friday, Lee shouted at me because I wasn’t where he expected me to be, I shouted back, and then I was on edge, leading to further misunderstandings. I reflected what he directed at me.

I’m sure this deep thought is not original, just like this free photo.

Today, on the other hand, we each took unexpected issues in stride, with no blaming or justification. And we enjoyed a pleasant trip home. We reflected understanding and forgiveness. That worked.

Goodbye lake (and last photo of pristine Seneca).

I did encounter more great birds before we left Lake Brownwood. I listened to a Greater Roadrunner calling for at least an hour, punctuated by Wild Turkey calls. A Black-and-white Warbler plus a Pyrrhuloxia also dropped by.

I’m not a Pyrrhuloxia but I also dropped by.

Still, I’m glad to be back with my familiar bird buddies, my chickens, and the horses, each of whom collected a few burs to welcome me home. Dusty was particularly glad to see me and almost beat Mabel in the race to say hi. He even cantered! It turned out he needed me. His winter coat needs help getting off, so I rubbed significant quantities of fuzz off him while he ate.

I’ll be back on him and fuzzy/sweaty Apache tomorrow!

Exploring New Territory

Yesterday was challenging, so I didn’t get the gumption to write anything, which isn’t good for someone who’s supposed to be writing at least something every day. That leaves lots for today, though! A bit of traveling was just what I needed, once we were able to settle down.

There were many communication issues that made getting out of town a challenge for me and Lee–as it often happens with couples, each of us was trying to do our best to help the other, but not in ways that were appreciated. That left me unsettled, but we got over it.

The drive to Lake Brownwood State Park was pretty, though. All the redbud trees were blooming along the roadside, and we went by many properties that looked like they were being managed sustainably, with lush acres of long grass and a few cattle every so often. It’s nice to see that some of the effort our Parks and Wildlife folks (among others) are putting into education is working.

Wild redbuds in bloom make everything better

Lake Brownwood is very big, and I have to say that Brownwood and Early look like fun Western-themed towns to visit, too. I’m glad I decided to camp out here without knowing anything at all about this part of the center of Texas, because it was a pleasant surprise. We will have to come back, and as you’ll see, there’s incentive!

Here’s where we are. They call it the heart of Texas.

After we arrived, we had to clean up a lot of leaking water from a repair that doesn’t seem to have worked, no matter how hard we try to get the “shark bite” thing on. We now think there may be other water issues, so bletch, as I used to say as a teen, we have no water. But hey, we are close to restrooms and have plenty of bottles, so it’s not the end of the world.

I managed to get a couple of short walks around the lake in, while Lee went to the hardware store, etc. There are lots of birds, but it’s heavy on White-winged Doves, Cardinals, Bewick’s Wrens, and Red-winged Blackbirds. In other words, nothing to write home about. I did take lots of plant photos, so iNaturalist is happy, and I learned how many kinds of oaks bloom at the same time (lots).

Today I got up early because there was going to be a ranger-led hike called “Sneak Peek.” I wasn’t sure what that was all about, but I got in at the last minute and headed over to the park headquarters. It turned out that two families who all knew each other and I were to go look at the overs 800 acres that have recently been added to this park, thanks to sales tax funding. I was a bit apprehensive about doing the hike with all the children (all boys except one teen’s girlfriend), but it turned out they have been trained very well by one of the dads, who is a very experienced outdoorsman and is in the large RV extremely close to ours with many children.

The new land is just beautiful, with a few cabins already on it and lots of acres that have already been cleared of mesquite. Great views of the lake were everywhere, including the spots where they are considering adding camping loops. They even have a new park headquarters location scouted out. We just now have to see if funding for THAT gets passed in today’s nasty climate for anything educational or good for the ecosystem.

We saw deer, many raptors, much hog dung, and evidence of ringtails (thanks to the outdoorsman and his ability to read footprints). There was a cool boxcar in the middle of one field that seems to have been used as a hunting base, too. I took lots of plant photos and identified birds for the ranger, who is a herp expert. Actually, this guy, George, is a super skilled nature interpreter with loads of knowledge about the area, so I learned a lot.

I came back to rest, at which point Lee got attacked by a yellowjacket that had crawled up his pants leg. It got him at least three times, which is not good at all with all his allergies. Benadryl ointment helped, though, and he made it. That let me go back out and enjoy a snake and turtle demo by Ranger George, which was very well attended. We especially enjoyed one toddler who was completely taken with the snakes and was very happy to touch and look at them. Her little eyes were just shining, and she could not look away. The lady next to me said she must be a future biologist.

That was enough outdoor life for me, though I did wander around over a pedestrian bridge and pathway that had a hedge of dewberries leading to it. There were so many flowers that the air was perfumed. It made the bees and butterflies happy, too. You can’t beat that if you love nature!

I came back and had a nice conversation with our other next-door neighbors, who are friendly retirees from Cedar Park. We had the usual conversation about how the area has changed, and complained about the legislature wants to dismantle the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Grr.

Yeah, who needs nature, education, and recreation?

Tonight, rest. Tomorrow, hiking!

Rocks and Water Both Heal

It was a good day at Inks Lake State Park today. Jennifer stayed until she had to check out at noon, which was good. We enjoyed having a fellow camper to talk to.

I took a little walk this morning to check out the campsites farther down the road, many of which were beautifully wooded or right on the lake where all the ducks and geese are.

I enjoyed a half hour or so on the fishing dock, which was nice and quiet, other than quacking and honking. There was a pair of white pelicans as well as entertaining coots, a cormorant, and many ducks, including a Lesser Scaup in the mix. I greatly enjoyed the diving and popping back up that they were all engaging in. Just being around water and the life it supports made me feel better.

After lunch I embarked on one of my really long solo hikes I impose on myself. I went on a trail that went next to the lake for a while then way up into the karst formations and around a hill. It was very windy, but I did manage to find some Black-throated Sparrows, which excited me. They were ones I enjoyed at Southern Llano River.

Mostly I just had fond memories of hiking this same trail soon after I met Lee and other hikes when all the interesting plants were blooming. The red rocks with lichen growing on them, the tiny plants that grow in puddles when it rains, and the hardy little trees are just so much fun to look at.

And then there were so many views of the lake and surrounding hills. Ahh. It was just me and the vultures (many) for most of the hike.

After four miles, I was tired, so Lee and I made dinner and ate outside while listening to hundreds of Great-tailed Grackles shrieking. Such ambience!

We topped it off with sunset viewing on the dock, and finished the fifth and final season of the West Wing. I’ll miss the characters as well as the ideas of democracy the show portrayed.

I’ll let you know how tomorrow goes, but all but 15 minutes of it should be fine. If I’m not grounded and healed from all these rocks, I don’t know what will do it!

We don’t have to leave until mid afternoon. That’s great!

More Excruciatingly Dull Birds

Sorry. All I have is more bird pictures. I spent most of the day relaxing, but hit all my exercise goals walking around looking at stuff.

I didn’t enjoy the Super Bowl much since we had to try to stream it on bad connectivity. I missed most of the good commercials and the game was too embarrassing to enjoy. Ugh.

This coot butt is more interesting than that game.

I did encounter 53 species of birds today, which is impressive. I especially enjoyed sitting at a shady picnic table next to a big oak tree and some scrub, and just watching bird behavior.

This tiny Downy Woodpecker must have pecked this entire sapling.

The most fun part of the interlude was when I heard a new sound and there was the bird I’d been looking for here at Choke Canyon the most, the Audubon’s Oriole. It’s so striking. And it proceeded to put on a little show of cuteness for me. What a joy.

Not wanting me to forget that it’s also cute and colorful, a Green Jay popped in for a puffing and preening session. Yep, it was indeed cute.

I wandered around the lake a while, too, seeing ducks, a pair of Anhingas, Least Sandpipers, Coots, a Cooper’s Hawk, and Ospreys.

Of course, while chatting with neighbors, I did other observations. Enjoy. I enjoyed the neighbors. Many seem as starved for friendly conversation as I am.

Red Admiral. I saw other butterflies, but they were busy.

Heading home tomorrow.

Made It to the Wilds of South Texas

I think I’m in south Texas, anyway. It’s far from our house, anyway, and getting here was a slog. There was much construction and extra bumpy roads. Yah, we were roughing it, ha ha.

A picture from before we left: Brown-headed Cowbirds in a tree, gurgling away.

Once we finally found Choke Canyon State Park, I was excited, because it would have interesting birds, and I hoped some interesting animals, too. But first we had to get Seneca the motorhome set up. I guess all the bumps jostled the battery cables, plus there’s a water problem caused by our recent freeze (our prep work wasn’t quite good enough), and… the generator still isn’t working. Verdict: going in for repairs next week.

View from the campsite. The lake is behind that brush.

While poor Lee was trying to finish setting up, I ran around trying to see what the place was like before it got too dark. Merlin found a Great Kiskadee, which I hope to see while I’m here, along with green jays and other southern birds.

I did spot five bunnies, many deer, and three roaming javelinas. The most fun, I think, were all the bats swooping around at dusk. I love watching them!

Other campers reported alligators, so I have things to look forward to at this park, which is next to a very large lake surrounded by…I’m not sure what, but I’ll find out tomorrow. Though it was a hectic day (lots went on at work, too), I can’t complain about getting some nature time in!