Escaping the escape - time to be home

Travel is not always pretty for us. We like to spread out. And with too much space, we spread way out. And then we have to gather ourselves back together and load up. Nope, not pretty.

Then we made one last pass through town, to see one shop for DH. He loves that shop and we often stop.

We jokingly call DH "march or die." He is goal oriented. He focuses on the destination. Wandering is hard. He's not a "rabbit trail" kind of guy.

I, on the other hand, am all about the "rabbit trail," the distraction.

Still, we were ready to finish the drive and get home.

There are entirely too many bags here...and one Buddha "raising the roof."

Oktoberfest begins tonight...and we are going to miss it. Thank heavens. We are not "party" people. We are not "crowd" people.

See the little German couple? DH and I are not there.

See the beer tent? We are not there.

DH loves this store. I loved the cactus out front. People put inscribe their initials here.

I tried to look at the books in the shop. I didn't understand the organization of the materials. I still don't.

Having learned from locals that one doesn't use Main Street, we headed east down a back street and came to Der Stadt Friedhof, literally "the city cemetery." I had wanted to see it in person since noticing it on the Internet map. It is so orderly on the map. The rows appear to be perfect. Of course, my experience of Germans and Germany is that they are an orderly people and it is an orderly place.  This is a old cemetery in a community founded by German immigrants - it is what I would expect.

Since we were already at the gate, we decided to drive in and look a bit. I immediately noticed the windmill. Once windmills were everywhere, pumping water into cisterns and ponds. Then they seemed to disappear. On this trip we saw many, but none we could look at closely, until today.

The sun was just right.

Then we started reading a few of the stones. Many were in German.

Lina Priess, Geb. April 17, 1878, Gest. Feb. 17, 1893

Lina's angel - fingers and wings damaged by age or vandals.

Look at this beautiful ironwork. It was found all over the older section of the cemetery.

Ludolph Meyer, Pvt Company H, 1st Texas, Foot Riflemen, Mexican War, Jan. 20, 1807, Dec. 29, 1894.

Johannette L. Ochs, Geb. Koenig, Geb. 23 July 1827, Gest. 19 July 1896

Then it was time to be home.

Gone Batty [or A Visit To The Old Railroad Tunnel]

See the other end? With a good camera, I bet one could capture a photo of the bats.

 
Between me and the moonlight flitted a great bat, 

comeing [sic] and going in great, whirling circles. 

~Bram Stoker, Dracula

I start with a warning. DO NOT EXPECT PHOTOS OF BATS!

Why no bats? Well, unlike drought years when we saw very few bats,* this has been a wet year. There is plenty of food for the bats. So they have grown a little more relaxed. The bats don't have to go far for food so they can leave the tunnel later in the day.

A late start means low light. Low light means bad photos. There - don't take a cell phone to a bat emergence if you want good photos.

And at Old Tunnel State Park** emergence should just be experienced. Put your camera/phone away and "feel the bats."

We sat with about 40 others on the lower level.*** A first few bats flew overhead - 4 feet or so. This was in daylight and there was no mistaking the shape and movement. Then, as it grew dark, our eyes were mostly attracted to the fireflies (one flew to my face - I wonder if the reflection on my glasses drew him to me).

Soon the swirl of bats increased. They spiral counterclockwise along what used to be railway about 15 feet from where we sat.  Many curved just overhead and we would make out the swirl of bats moving up and south-southeast to the Guadalupe River (for a drink) before the hunt began.

What does this band of 3 million Mexican free-tailed bats hunt? The corn earworm moth**** is their primary food. These bats are our friends.

There are also 3,000 cave myotis (Myotis velifer) bats here as well. Apparently the cave myotis let the free-tails go first so we are fairly sure we missed that emergence. These guys are REALLY our friends as they are mosquito eaters.

In any event, we saw bats. We experienced bats so close that we could have reached out a hand and touched one [BUT DON'T TOUCH THE BATS!]. It was a very strange and wonderful experience.

Our TP&W guide,***** a wildlife biologist, was wonderful too. She loves bats and shared an appreciation of them with us.

The rest of this adventure was a lovely walk (except for the odor emanating from the tunnel). There is a small hiking area for visitors who arrive before 5:00 p.m. We arrived entirely too early for a Thursday and too late for a true hike. We wandered a bit and then waited. Flies detected the scent of fruit in my backpack and we had to remove it to the car. And we waited.

People gathered.

Darkness fell.

The bats emerged.

Amazing.

At this time of year Blue mistflower=Queen butterflies

I now appreciate the Wildscapes found at the entrance/headquarters of most Texas Parks and Wildlife property.

Can you find the grasshopper?

Yes, this is what it looks like - rolling hills and scrub.

Old Man's Beard at a turn in the path.

I noticed the soft filaments carrying seeds along the ground (rough path here - watch your step) and looked up to see the vine.

The signage here was excellent.

What would you like to know about the Mexican Free-tailed bat?

Warning

We can see the entrance to the tunnel (or it it the exit?) from the lower viewing area. The other end of the tunnel is on private land.

Part of the path. DH is carrying the backpack.

Just past these two trees is a bridge where one can view the tunnel. I thought I had a photo of DH here, but do not.

From the bridge you can hear this tiny stream and watch the bats flying around inside the tunnel. Apparently there are always bats flying (they take turns!) keeping the air moving.

I did not have a good camera, but I think there are a few bats dark against the other opening to the tunnel as well as light against the closer opening on the left hand side.

I wouldn't go in there - even if it didn't smell terrible.

More of the path. It would be a nice hike. On the lower right, note the limestone "brick." We saw many of these used to identify plants and trees.

"Bat Crossing" sign - high in the trees.

We waited for the sun to go down.

This is why it smells bad....but I love beetles anyway.

I love the tenacity of trees, rooted in the rocky soil here, clinging to the edge of the hill.

People started to gather.

We had a decent patch of sky from our viewing point.

Our biologist guide

A dark smudge across the darkening sky.

Cell phone photos in the dark - I hope theirs were better than mine.

I caught a few more "smudges" of bats. Then we sat and quietly experienced the fluttering around us and the swirls of creatures as they headed out into the night.

NOTES:

*Our previous experience has been at the Devil's Sinkhole Natural Area near Rock Springs, Texas (http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/devils-sinkhole). There are more bats at the Devil's Sinkhole and the exit straight up. But we have been there when the drought resulted in a huge reduction in population. No longer 6 million strong - try a few hundred bats that year.

**http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/old-tunnel [Good photo here]

***Folks on the upper level are looking down at the bats. When there is a late emergence the upper level sees nothing as the bats are dark against the dark woods/treeline. Those sitting on the lower level see the bats against the sky and the sky remains bright enough to see the bats long past sundown.

****http://texasinsects.tamu.edu/cimg319.html

*****We did not get her full name. I think she said her first name was "Nyla" or something like that. She was great...sharing information about other opportunities for observing bat emergence. She even has me thinking about heading to west Texas where the largest variety of Texas bats live.

An Enchanting Morning Walk

Enchanted Rock, place of legend (and cardio workout).*

Life's enchanted cup sparkles near the brim.

~Lord Byron

Life's enchanted cup sparkles near the brim. Lord Byron
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/lordbyron150356.html?src=t_enchanted

Life's enchanted cup sparkles near the brim. Lord Byron
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/enchanted.html

Life's enchanted cup sparkles near the brim. Lord Byron
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/enchanted.html

We were up and breakfasted by 7:45. A gentleman from San Antonio sitting near us at breakfast asked how far it was to Enchanted Rock.** He must have recognized our hiking boots and serious demeanor.

Arriving before the staff we checked ourselves in, grabbed a map, and headed down the trail. Two whitetail does greeted us as we came in sight of the granite dome.

While a harder climb than years past (for me anyway) we managed with little difficulty. We were joined today by individual climbers, couples, families and at least one school.*** I only saw one person turn back and I do understand. It is a fast assent (425 feet in elevation in .6 miles) and challenging for people in poor physical condition or in the wrong hiking gear.

We took our time, photographing plants, wildlife, and landscapes before hiking down.**** While the trip (poor choice of words - let's say "walk" instead) down seemed easier I could tell I was taking two steps at least for every one step I took when heading up.

We saw no ghosts of Native Americans or Texas Rangers. We did not climb through the cave. We did not rappel down.

We did see one of the wonders of Texas on an almost perfect day - cool morning temperature, bright sun, and slight breeze. Recent rains have left their mark in bright green vegetation, abundant bird and insect life, streams (where usually there are none), huecos***** atop the rock, and wildflowers.

We noticed the taxidermy at yesterday, but examined it today. That is an albino raccoon.

Our destination. The boulders were glistening atop the granite dome.

The path and sign. No dogs, no bicycles (really?), and no alcohol. The bottle in my back pocket was water.

I think it was about here that we saw the does run along that tree line. There was a little stream flowing to the right and so they might have been down for their morning drink before the day heated up.

The sun was already so bright that it is hard to see this is actually a small intermittent stream that was flowing due to recent rains.

This is not what late September usually looks like in Texas.

We passed tumbles of boulders.

You can see we are starting to gain a little elevation.

Periodically I would turn around and take a photo of the countryside.

Seriously rugged.

There are some strange formations here and there.

There was still a good bit of surface to cover. See the tiny figure on top?

Every now and then I would stop to rest - a good excuse to turn around and look back...and look across the land below. [Remember this long "broken" boulder]

Okay. There's no dip here. Imagine that bit of incline attached to the other side of this photo. I'll get the hang of it. Pretty though.

Almost to the top. Really. DH waits patiently to the right.

There are so many things I haven't noticed before - at least I don't remember. This is what appears to be a seam of a different, softer stone in the granite dome.

The seam zigzags across the surface near the top (good excuse to catch my breath).

Not a bad view.

Look closely. The young man is carrying a camera and tripod. The young woman is carrying a baby.

Erosion in another seam appears almost like footprints (check out those legends, folks).

And for a little perspective...

The last little ridge before the top.

And we are at the very top. Proof.

I was so surprised to see the huecos all over the top. Some were tiny ponds. Some had little mini habitats.

Parts seemed a moonscape. DH called it "our Burren" - referring to a desolate part of Ireland. Though, among other differences,  theirs is flatter and limestone while ours elevated and granite.

Yucca!

Once we got "up there" we didn't want to leave.

Looking over at the neighboring dome.

Does anyone really pay any attention to the neighboring formations?

I stopped in a few places to observe evidence of creatures who visit.

A feather.

There's a bit of variety in these little islands.

The prickly pear tunas are much larger than most I've seen. Perhaps it is the variety. Perhaps it is due to the amount of rain they have had. I do not believe I will be studying cactus on top of Enchanted Rock. Also note the smiling face of the Dayflower.

And then the "bugs" came out. Yup, a true bug.

And another.

And a grasshopper.

And another bug!

I'm pretty confident it is a coreopsis. Golden-wave (Coreopsis basalis)?

Time to head down.

A last look around.

Past the seam in the rock.

I zigzagged again...perhaps a little different track than DH's descent plan.

A line of boulders.

Okay. Remember that large broken boulder? We approached from the top.

It's really big.

See.

There's a little view to be found through the cleft.

A tenacious tree.

I continue to be astounded at how plants survive in some places. This tree's roots show - gnarled as they seek purchase among the boulders.

We are almost down - a view to one side.

A friend we made on the way down. She was amazing. You can just "make-out" the shining faces of students on a field trip from Vanguard School in Waco.

The last bit of hike looks rougher than it is.

Ferns and such growing under the boulders.

Another Dayflower.

Over the last of rough terrain.

I wish you could hear the sound of the water flowing.

More plants and wildflowers along the way:

Ladyfinger cactus

It was a wonderful hike.


NOTES:

*https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/lxe01

**http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/enchanted-rock

***One man carried his camera and tripod up while his wife carried the baby! Students from Vanguard School in Waco were heading up the dome as we were coming down (their teacher knew the rules - hikers coming down the trail have the right-of-way). We also met Judy from Colorado who made the summit in what she acknowledged was the wrong pair of shoes. She descended as we did - slowly using small switch-backs.

**** We did a very little Tai Chi at the top - twice. It took some time to prop the phone. DH and I also debated the location of the 1981 rappel. I cannot imagine it now, but I do have pictures.

***** Hueco is a Spanish word for a hole, a hollow. It came to my attention when researching pictographs and I found Hueco Tanks [http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/hueco-tanks] near El Paso where people sought out water pooling in hollows in the rocks. When we saw the pools of water atop Enchanted Rock I immediately recognized that these were huecos. Of course, if these is water in these huecos, there is likely water flowing in the myriad intermittent streams in the area (and the few rivers about).  But it was interesting to see the little habitat formed in some of these hollows - flowers, grass, cactus, insects, birds and the like.