Brazos Bend Nature Walk | The End of the Trail

The abundance of wildlife at Brazos Bend State Park attracts nature lovers and photographers...

with serious lenses! I can only imagine the detail that you can get with such a high power zoom...imagine and dream.

I stepped over when this photographer was finished to see what she was shooting. 

It was a heron perched in a dead tree. This was the best I could do--lens zoomed all the way out--no crop--more of a scenic shot, than a bird photo.

A very brief drizzle of rain convinced John and I that it was time to head back. We had gone as far as the observation tower, just on the edge of 40 Acre Lake.

Retracing our steps down the Spillway Trail, I once again admired the swamp sunflowers against a backdrop of cattails.

We rejoined Elm Lake Trail where we left off and finished the loop around the lake...

stopping to watch a flock of whistling ducks...

and to photograph the only turtle we saw all day.

The trail ends back at the recreation area in a grove of mature trees thickly draped in Spanish moss.

A dead tree nearby in silhouette against a drab sky gave off a spooky vibe that is entirely appropriate for this Halloween weekend.

Brazos Bend State Park is a great place to get up close and personal with nature. We had a lot of fun and plan to go back soon.

I hope you are able to get out and enjoy a nature walk in your area. I'd love to see your pictures!

Bonus Snap:

An armadillo we saw in the campground on our way out...a strange and weird looking creature...perfectly creepy for Halloween.

Brazos Bend Nature Walk | Scenery on Elm Lake Trail

Despite the cloudy, overcast skies on Friday, John and I decided to go for a nature walk at Brazos Bend State Park. We haven't been here in a long time.

I noticed there's a new sign at the entrance featuring one of the park's main attractions. If you've never seen an American alligator in the wild, this is the place to come. They are abundant here.

We began our nature walk at Elm Lake. We didn't have very far to go before we came across our first gator sighting. John pointed him out to me.

The alligator was in the water at the edge of the trail, partially covered with plant debris. He was huge! He never moved the whole time we were there. We kept a safe distance while taking our pictures. I was glad to move along. Alligators fascinate me and scare me at the same time.

There were so many things to see and photograph. I tried to snap a few pictures of birds, but soon gave up on that. I may have said out loud more than once, that the shot was well beyond the range of my lens. I wasn't hinting around or anything like that. Truly.

Instead I focused on scenery shots that evoked the feeling of Elm Lake Trail. The bald cypress trees were showing just a tinge of fall color.

This is a pretty spot where the trail bends along the lake. There are several of these decks along the trail. They extend over the water for better views and for fishing. The white tube mounted on the side is for discarding used fishing line. 

For the most part, we had the trail all to ourselves, but it wasn't quiet. The music of nature--constant calls of birds and bullfrogs--played in the background as we continued down the tree-lined path under a drape of Spanish moss.

To be continued...

The Beauty of the Dunes

I am struck by just how beautiful the dunes at Matagorda Beach are this fall.

Shades of green, yellow, brown, and red cover the sandy hills like a patchwork quilt.

The beach morning glory thrives in dense clusters at the base of the dunes, stretching its tendrils toward the shore.

Ripening sunflower seeds provide the birds with food.

The variety of colors and textures is a treat for the eyes.

This garden on the dunes, designed and cared for by God, is as beautiful as I've ever seen it!

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher visited me the other day.

He flew high up in the cottonwood tree, well beyond the range of my lens, but I snapped a shot anyway. 

He's such a pretty bird--pale gray with dark wings and a dark tail, and a pop of color on his flanks that's a little bit orange, a little bit pink. He's known best for his very long forked tail, which you can't even see in this photo.

Lucky for me, he flew down from his high perch and landed on a dead plant near the river. I snapped a few shots, stepped closer, snapped a few more, stepped closer...hoping to get a halfway decent shot before he flew away.

This is the best of the bunch...

Doesn't he look regal, sitting there so tall and proud? And that tail...it must be at least twice as long as his body! 

It was a real treat to see and photograph this bird. 

All in a Day's Walk

I wear a fitness band to track my steps. My goal is 10,000 steps a day. As long as I dedicate 45 minutes to a brisk walk, then the remainder of my steps are accumulated throughout the day with moderate activity...when I'm at home.

But, it's a completely different story at the trailer. It's tiny inside a travel trailer and it only takes a couple of steps in any direction to get where you're going. So when it rained the other day, I did a lot of pacing...10,000 steps worth. 

The next day started out like this...

Can you see the river? Neither can I.

and I began to think I would have to change my plans...again. But it was only fog and eventually it cleared.  

Crocs for the Beach

I grabbed my walking shoes and headed for one of my favorites places to walk...Matagorda Beach.

Now this is more like it. Look how gorgeous it is! Miles and miles of beautiful, undeveloped beach. I will get plenty of steps today and have fun doing it. 

The water is so clear. The waves gently roll. The rhythm is just right.   

I set a brisk pace and scatter the shore birds occasionally.

I stop along the way to snap pictures of interesting things I see...

like patterns in the sand

and shrimp boats working the surf.

At the end of the my walk I leave with lots of photos, 8770 steps on my fitness band, and...

five cents in my pocket. Not bad.

That Time of Evening

It was that time of evening

just after sunset

when the horizon glowed golden

the sky above deepened to blue

birds flew to their evening roosts

and all was beautiful.

Miles of Smiles at the Oklahoma State Fair

Strolling through Centennial Plaza, our first stop was an indoor exhibit called City of AGtropolis where we saw...

a large mesh tent filled with butterflies. Geep bought our tickets and in we went.

There were hundreds of Blue Morpho butterflies inside! They would often land on you, especially if you were wearing bright colors.

I wondered if this was the first butterfly Myles had ever seen. It is certainly the largest.

We each took a turn feeding a butterfly...

Geep demonstrates the upside down method.

I opt for the right-side up approach. (photo taken by John)

The Butterfly House turned out to be the highlight of the day for me, but we also saw...

chicks hatching,

goats grazing,

butterflies emerging from chrysalises, and...so much more...that I stopped taking pictures after a while.

However, I do wish I would have remembered to photograph our fair food...

We ate two Indian tacos on fry bread, one turkey leg, several fried ribs, some curly fries, a boat of fried okra, and one ear of roasted corn...to start with.

Later there was funnel cake, liquid nitrogen churned ice cream, and a jug of homemade root beer...and then we were full.

When the midway opened we went to find the Merry Go-Round for Myles to ride. We took the long way, so I'm sure we must have burned off all of those calories.

It turned out that Myles wasn't tall enough to ride the Merry Go-Round, not even to ride sitting on Mama's lap on the bench. We were slightly disappointed, but we didn't let it spoil our fun.

Miles of Smiles, the theme of the Oklahoma State Fair, described our day perfectly!

Snowy Egret and Rippled Reflection

A Snowy Egret wades gracefully along the shore near Matagorda Bay Nature Park.

The Snowy Egret is recognized by its 
beautiful white plumage, 
a slender bill,
a small head on a long, graceful neck,
and long thin legs.

It's the epitome of elegance, despite those big yellow feet.