What do you want to do? [A Mother's Day tale]

We had made a date to take Padimus to one of the wild parks. But I begged off from the hike. I slept poorly and was tired, so we headed to breakfast with loads of coffee first. We ran into friends and one gave me a "talking to."

"Go on out there and take that hike before it rains. It will be good for you. Just do it!"

Funny, but after the coffee and breakfast a short hike did seem the perfect thing.

We parked and skirted the river where folks were fishing in the rough waters.  This is where water is released from the dam. Recent rains have not only greened the wilderness, but wildflowers remain fresh and varied. The creeks flowing into the river flood the low banks and trails.

It's a different park, a different hike than we remember.*

But isn't that the best part of the wild? Every trip will be a little different. Today there were dragonflies, bees, giant mosquitoes, a startled herd of deer,** and rock squirrels.***

The grasses blew in the breeze that picked up as the storms closed in. We cheered as the mosquitoes were swept away by the wind.

My friends and I have commented on the weird wildflower bloom this year. We've surmised that the exhausting spring rains and cool temperatures have somehow changed the patterns of past years. The grass has overtaken some blossoms, but others are bright and showy - attracting bugs and those of us who wait for the flowers (and the bugs), celebrate them, struggle to capture them (and identify them).  Part of the time I relax and simply bless the carpet of color. But then my mind starts to pick out the individuals - familiar favorites as well as strangers and anomalies.

We met few folks on the walk. A solitary runner did not venture into the high grass or woods, running only on the dirt utility roads. Three young men fished one of the creeks. An older couple doused themselves in insect spray in the parking lot - wiser than we - and we complemented them on their good sense.

We finished up our morning hiking the grocery store where the lines were filled with folks buying sweets, balloons, and flowers for the mothers in their lives.

I got the best of the day - a walk with my sweet girl, bird song, rock squirrels and masses of wildflowers.

You can read the mischief here...these ladies are up to no good.

What is the matter with me? I am generally NOT a scoff-law. But sometimes I see a sign and simply have to step over the line.

Of course someone had to step just beyond the sign.

This angle is so weird making reality seem backwards. The water is rushing through the spillway at the bottom of the photo  and flowing out the gate into the river you can just see near the top. (photo by JMF)

OC at the top of the spillway.

Evening primroses.

An unfamiliar grass  edged the first path.

These thick "cat tails" were waiving. I don't remember seeing these before.

Growing among the prairie coneflowers was this green strap-like thing. It almost looks like plastic.

At the top were fused buds.

It is some kind of mutated coneflower plant.

"Normal" coneflowers and other things.

Some of the woods. This is where we usually walk.

Thistles are everywhere. And with the thistles are the bees.

I love the bees.

The trail into the woods was wide enough for one. The growth on each side waist to chest high.

The vines add a little more to the wild feeling.

Fungi growing on a fallen tree.

Sunflowers to be.

We surprised and were surprised by a herd of deer in the woods. I don't think many people had walked that way today.

Flooding of the lower trails had us walking just through the woods and then out again.

It was lush, green, and beautiful, but the mosquitoes harassed us.

The clouds promised rain, but waited until the walk was done.

A tiny spillway/seep in the dam

More thistle against the deep green of the woods.

Add caption

Masses of thistle.

Wild grapes

There were only a few dandelions.

Don't we all love these little yellow composites****

We walked along the road that parallels the dam

Now you see why "prairie coneflower" is the perfect name

One silver-leaf nightshade bloomed among the yellow composites.

Another grass going to seed.

Rusting track probably left from dam construction rests against the foot of the dry side of the dam.

  Asclepias asperula, green-flowered milkweed

There were many milkweed plants - I counted more than a dozen. This is a spot one could head in the fall/winter to gather seeds for the monarch butterfly people.

They are such unusual blooms that I had to add another. I love these.

More coneflowers. It seems it is their time.

We saw only this one gaillardia bloom. These are blooming elsewhere in the area in great orange/red patches.

I suspect this is some small yucca. Bears watching.

About there OC said, "Look. Rock squirrels!" Sure enough, there were two black rock squirrels scrambling around the rocks at the upper left of this photos.

Trust me, they are in there - somewhere - keeping just out of camera capture.

I had to end with a love note for mothers.

 NOTES:

* Earlier walks are described in posts about "the springs." Like: http://walkinthepark-padimus.blogspot.com/2014/10/first-time-at-springs-in-almost-year.html AND http://walkinthepark-padimus.blogspot.com/2013/02/sunday-afternoon-at-springs.html

** My heart is still pounding from being startled by the deer. It was a small herd...maybe 4 or so deer.

*** I have seen rock squirrels only one other time. That was on a cliff along the Frio River. They are primarily ground dwellers (though they can climb trees). Good information can be found here: http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/tmot1/spervari.htm

**** I know I have mentioned the yellow composites before. They have their own Wikipedia page! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damned_yellow_composite