Thorns and stickers and stings

My life has been punctuated (punctured is perhaps a better word) by incidents with cactus spines, mesquite thorns, yellow jacket stingers, barbed wire, and more. I sometimes feel like the chronic victim of that saying "in Texas everything sticks, stings or bites."

It was another lovely walk in the wildlife area today with a crisp coolness in the air, light cloud-cover and mild breeze. The dogs and I arrived at the  a little before our friends and walked a little way down the trail before TDW, Stanley, Ruby and Hugo joined us.

It was one of those days the rays of the sun were visible through the clouds.



I caught a pickup driving by as we arrived at the entrance to the wildlife area.

 

Happy dogs:

Paddy

Scruff

Paddy and Ruby touch noses - Yes, that is my friend. Scruffy watches and Hugo is catching up.

Scruffy and Hugo are great friends and they often run together (Paddy and Ruby do too. It is hard for old Paddy to keep up with young and energetic Ruby).

Paddy watches as Hugo and Ruby come running.

At the creek.

TDW stops to try and get a few photos.

What do you mean you didn't bring any cookies?

Paddy and Scruffy walk with TDW

My eye was drawn to the thorns and stickers and other sharp things in the park. I try to avoid these hazards. One day I led the dogs through brambles down to the creek and ended up with a few scars. Most days I am careful.

Rusty barbed wire, the remains of an old fence, near the creek.



Drying weed.

So many crazy looking dried flowers and dried seed pods.

Some of the brambles (even I am smarter than to try to fight my way through this tangle.

See the thorns at the joints and along the stems?

More thorny vines.

Even the brambles are lovely - here are some berries.

Thorns in the foreground, dogs behind.

This wildflower, the Eryngo, is vivid purple when blooming. Areas of these dried flower heads are a nightmare to walk through.

Yesterday I saw a purple lantana still blooming. Today we only saw this hold-out-devil-of-a-goldenrod mocking us (and our sinuses).

Another thorny bush.

This log was beside the path. I suspect some sharp and biting things beneath. We behaved and let things be - just took a picture.

The wire at the gate to the wildlife area.

A couple more things I picked up and brought home - continuing with the sharp theme:



Wasps long gone. I found the nest on the ground.



Spiny seed pod.

However, today - deep in conversation with TDW - I  didn't see a small cactus in my way. I tripped over it. The rest of the walk I felt mild or sharp stings or bites in my shoe. I wondered about the cactus. I wondered about the fire ants with their homes mounded high above ground.  I took my shoe off and felt around in the sock. I couldn't find anything, but off and on felt a piercing and irritating  pain. 

The paths:

In some places the vegetation has died down and the way is clear. But in much of the prairie this is how the path appears. We walk on deer trails and such. It is often hard to see where to "put your feet." Often TDW just takes off through the tall grass. I respect the creatures that hide in the grass too much to be comfortable striding through.

Here I follow Paddy who is following a scent on the path.

Once home I discovered a few small cactus spines in my foot. It took some effort to remove them (those buggers must have some kind of rough surface that hangs in the flesh), but I suspect I am good now. It will just be a reminder to watch out for the Texas landscape - it bites.


NOTES:

I have been so focused on the walks that I did not notice my pistache trees in the yard. They are bright yellow and the leaves are fluttering down. I suspect they will be gone before long, so here is a photo.