The other day, I took a short walk down the neighborhood trail, pointing the camera down more than up. It was a gray and humid day that suggested rain but none ever really fell in our neighborhood. Even if it had, the drought would still be way ahead.
I really like this little bridge that connects two neighborhoods with the main trail. I’ve gotten a few nice shots looking downstream from it and sometimes I even see a few snakes hanging out nearby.
I probably should learn to ID some of the wildflowers around here. Until I do, though, they’re just going to have to be pretty white flowers. Whatever they are, they jumped out of the surrounding dry green like sparks.
There used to be a really nice log like this farther down the trail, but it’s gone now. Probably in someone’s house or on their porch. I hope this one goes unnoticed a little longer.
As dry as it’s been, you’d think the cacti would be loving it, but the prickly pears are suffering as much as everyone else. I saw more dried up and dead ones than usual.
A further reminder to learn the names of some flowers.
Somewhere in the archives of the City of Austin, there is probably a notation that could point some bureaucrat straight to this tree. I think the trees with numbers are the good ones.
I keep seeing this single bone in a clearing and finally took a picture of it. A mile farther down, I found a deer skeleton last spring. I wonder if this is part of the same.
There weren’t many birds out other than the Turkey Vultures, which I enjoy watching as they sail overhead.
James Brush is a teacher and writer who lives in Austin, TX. He tries to get outside as much as possible.
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The lilac-purple one looks like a native verbena if that helps!
Someone sent me a link to international vulture awareness day, Sept 5, 2009 – so your post seems very timely! http://www.ivad09.org/
No rain here either, but some East side friends had 2 inches.
Annie
My dad thought it was verbena also. I missed Vulture day. I’d heard about it and intended to post but forgot.
Lovely photos, it looks like a nice place to walk. Our trees are numbered too, the council keeps very close records of them,
Thanks. It really is. I know that little trail pretty well and it still throws out surprises fairly regularly.
your photos are great reminders for me to go hiking with my camera. i just have to wait for it to be less rainy. your photos are great, btw. i enjoy watching the vultures fly over the neighbors field when it’s been freshly cut for hay. when they come low enough for me to snap a picture, even better. have a great day.
Thanks Michelle. I always have to remind myself to take the camera too. I don’t know how many times I’ve missed a great shot because I had thought, “Oh it’s just the same old same old out there.” Someday I’ll learn.
I can feel the crackling, brittle dryness. Poor old prickly pears!
Hopefully they’re feeling better now. We’ve had 6.5 inches of rain since I took these pictures. Thanks for stopping by.
Sorry to hear about the drought conditions, James. We had a pretty wet spring and summer, but we’ve suddenly dried up, too. Just the time of year, I guess. Enjoyed your walkabout. I especially like that log photo – it’s very beautiful. Only a few more months until LOST starts back up! (I see that you added the “notify me of follow-up comments” functionality – awesome!)
Yes, I added that at your suggestion. It just took me a few months to find the right plugin 🙂
I’m looking forward to LOST as well. I guess I need to get around to reading that O’Connor book Jacob was reading in the finale so I can get my post up about it.
[…] Mercury took advantage of a break in the rain to hit up a trail in his neighborhood. Post includes pics of this odd, springlike flora […]
My dad emailed me with possible IDs for the flowers, “I think the white one is Frostweed (verbesina virginica) and the other one is Prairie verbena (verbena bipinnatifida).”