Tag: limestone

Antidote to the News: Go on a Hike

I sure feel great today. Even with a broken toe, I managed to hike two trails and really, really get away. Meridian State Park has an impressive number of places where you can be entirely alone, surrounded by nature, with only the wind and birds making sound.

Look, a cave for us hermits!

I just had a blast wandering through woodlands and meadows, climbing up limestone ledges, and carefully heading back down. I didn’t see any yellow-cheeked warblers, though I certainly was in their natural habitat.

An Ashe juniper forest

What I did see were dozens and dozens of butterflies and moths. Some didn’t pose for me, like the tiger swallowtails, something very orange, and an actual monarch. However, the juniper hairstreaks made up for it. They’re posers, and quite beautiful. I also got photos of excellent moths that either blended in with the forest litter or the limestone formations. They could only be noticed when they flew.

Invisible moth
Limestone colored moth
Many juniper hair streaks
One blurry sulphur

The highlight of my hike was the wildflower meadow on the Bosque hiking trail and Little Forest Junior Trail. It had so many bluebonnets that they perfumed the air enough to feel intoxicating. Wow. It was also so nice to see so many flowers in a mostly natural-looking setting. I just stopped and breathed it all in. So cleansing!

Bluebonnets and More Bluebonnets

There was also lots of water to look at. I hiked along the lake quite a bit and in the Little Spring trail, I actually found the little spring. It reminded me of our little spring at home. It just trickled away.

The spring!

All the trails were beautiful, with lots of limestone outcroppings, caves, various oak trees, and bright green spring understory plants. What a nice time of year to hike.

More Texas stork’s bill
More pink paintbrush
Mexican buckeye
Yucca
Parking lot beauty
Mixed wildflowers
Blooming tree
Blue means Bisque Trail
Trail steps
Trail
Limestone
Understory
Trail
Ashe juniper
Oak motte
Cave again
Lichen
Bird blind
A stump I liked
There weren’t many of these here
Trail
More trail
Milkwort
Moss!
A limestone ledge
Prickly pear

In other news, we met a nice couple who go to lots of Texas parks, and showed them our RV, since they want to upgrade. We’re going together tomorrow on a nature walk led by a fellow Master Naturalist. I hope he shows us where the warblers are.

I did see this wren, a cheerful chickadee, a titmouse, many cardinals and a crow.

Thank goodness for the privilege of getting away from things on a regular basis. Also thank goodness that the cell service lasted long enough to get my work uploaded and questions answered! Whew!

Why Am I Here?

sunsetToday my husband and I were talking about our long-term personal goals. I said that my most important one right now is to remember to live in the moment. It’s becoming more and more of a habit over the past few years, and while my meditation practice has helped, I honestly give most of the credit to spending time at the Hermits’ Rest.

Being away from all the traffic, people, and noise in Austin is a real balm for my soul. And while there are things I must do, like feed the animals, water the plants, and such, even those chores provide me the opportunity to just enjoy what I have here. To me, nothing smells better than my horse on a hot day, and it’s hard to be all involved with outside issues when you are looking for beautiful eggs in the hen house.

Plus, the darned dogs make us smile all the time.

Part of what I like about this place is that it isn’t all fancy or full of spectacular beauty (I was comparing it to a friend’s hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where my dad came from and where the natural beauty is so thick it is almost overwhelming). You have to look for the amazing natural wonders in central Texas. And that looking makes you slow down and really SEE what’s around you.

That’s been a real gift for me. I’ve always been an observer, but the years spent on this ranch have helped me hone it to where I just can’t help but stop and really look at what’s going on around me every day. I think my mental health improvements alone have made the purchase of this land and construction of our house worth it! After all:

sign
I like the sign, even though it refers to “wild Apaches,” but since it’s humor, I forgive it. And actually a lot of the people who lived here before weren’t Apaches. They showed up later.

By the way, if you look at the limestone on the house, you’ll see it is full of fossil shells. This layer of the limestone is called the “rattlesnake” layer, because the fossil shells look like rattlesnake rattles. This limestone came from a quarry near Georgetown, Texas, which is not too far from us. I love being surrounded by fossils. I’ll post more on them another time.

This informally Zen-like goal of taking the time to enjoy where I am and who I am at any moment is why I am so fervent about protecting our natural areas, our plants, our wildlife, and all who live here. People need to connect to the earth. I think it’s a basic need.

What about where you live?  Is it easy to live in the moment? Can you find the beauty wherever you are? I hope so, because it’s everywhere (including the Bobcat Lair, our Austin house).