Special Trip to a New Park

 I am just making up for being far too sensible when I was young. 

~ Robert Black

Sunset was amazing.

Yeah, I am enthusiastic.

Want to see a new park?  Yeah!

Want to see what frogs might be there?  Yeah!

Want to ride in the back of a pickup?  Um...I guess so?

It's not the riding in the back of the pickup that is the issue (we were not on a public roadway and the driver drove slowly and carefully) - it was getting in and out (in and out, in and out...) of the back of the pickup.

Fortunately we were done about the time I was done.

We found one species of frog* - perhaps the cold front disturbed others.

Wild turkey's and Chuck-will's-widow called after dusk from the scrubby woods. Black-bellied Whistling Tree Ducks** occupied the tank.

Newly hatched dragonflies allowed us to examine them from close-up.

Milkweed filled the meadows.

It is a lovely place with wildflowers, incredible river views, and stunning sunsets.

Watch for snakes.

There is a bridge in Amberg, Germany called "The Spectacles"* because, with the reflection, it reminds one of spectacles. This bridge reminded me a bit of it, with a "junior birdman" effect.

We found these dragonflies in the grass along the ponds. They must have been recently hatched as they were sluggish and could not fly.

(Detail)

Antelope Horns Milkweed

Milkweed peeks out from the dry grass.

I tried everything I knew (lots of cropping) to line these photos up....

...but the technology was not working for me.  There were two ponds and a tank. The difference? Um...heck, I don't know.

Cockle burs - or porcupine eggs, if you will.

Black-bellied Whistling Tree Ducks

A LARGE bird track on the bank of the tank.

A colorful Blanchard's Cricket Frog

The south branch of the San Gabriel River - amazing formations.

Wafer Ash

Water Willow (detail below)

Dewberries

Verbena

Milkweed blooms with red Large Milkweed Bug peeking out.

Meadow Pink (Rose Gentian)

More Verbena

And more Verbena and Coreopsis in the dim light.

Thistle and beetle

Wildflowers are even more attractive with some exotic insect aboard.

An Evening Primrose

Detail of primrose

Bluebonnets going to seed

Water Willow

Dusk at the pond.

A tiny Cypress

RS caught a crayfish in the pond.

Sunset

NOTES:

* Stadtbrille - https://structurae.net/structures/stadtbrille-amberg

**They are called Black-bellied Whistling Ducks now. I am not sure what happened to the "Tree," but since that is how I leaned them, I continue to use the old name. Before we ran into them on this trip, I observed them in Uvalde County. They were making an insane racket in the trees along the Frio River where it seemed they over-nighted. Then they headed to a pond where they swam back and forth and fed in the shallows.