The S-word (But Wait - I Need a Picture)

Leave your limiting-self just like a snake shedding its skin 

so that you can go beyond your own frontiers!

~ Mehmet Murat ilden

This first cool fall morning saw us meeting at the foot of the dam spillway for a hike at Miller Springs. We were supposed to be a couple of hours south of here, but their weather is still above our "temperature limit." *

It sometimes surprises me that we don't take greater advantage of our local wildlife areas and parks. A failure of imagination?  of planning? Whatever. Our continued warm fall temperatures have caused us to consider more local hikes until nature remembers the season.

It was a lovely 2.5 to 3 mile hike along well marked and maintained trails. We talked and laughed and admired all the fall blossoms. A few birds sang their morning songs, but as neither of us can "bird by ear" we can only claim to have heard crows, a few cardinals, and maybe a woodpecker. We did spy a couple of  cardinals in the still green branches (confirming what we thought we had heard) and a Great Blue Heron (flying along the bank of one of the ponds). 

We were almost alone on the trails - only one trail bike rider and one dog walker passed us. 

Other mammals? A lone squirrel fled as we were heading back up the trail. It was a normal Fox Squirrel, not one of the Rock Squirrels often seen in the stones piled along the base of the dam. 

What else? Well, you can see from the photos. Our most exciting "sight" occurred at the start of the hike. Not 100 yards along the trial this gorgeous Texas Coral Snake hunted breakfast. I burned-off most of my adrenalin at that point** (as well as throwing up my hands, pulling back on Z's leash, and uttering a minor curse). Of course if one has to be surpised by a venemous snake, this is the one you want to encounter.*** After stopping for only a few photos, it headed one direction and we headed another.

All in all it was a great start to our "hiking season." More adventures to come.

The much maligned Texas Coral Snake. This is only the second I have seen in the wild. The first was over 30 years ago at our cabin on the Frio River. They are ridiculously beautiful. 

While venemous, one must work at "getting bitten." We just stood there and admired the snake...and took a few photos.

We let the snake "clear out" before contining on our way. 

A hollow in any tree makes me wonder what might take shelter there.

Poison Ivy

So many trees have fallen - some across the trail. We climbed over and ducked under. I forgot to duck once. [I was moving slowly so no harm.]

Frostweed

It was such a beautiful morning. I tried to remember my earlier experiences on these trails, but was glad for a map and trail indicators. This trail made a very steep drop and I'm confident I have never traveled it. I wasn't going to start today.

Buffalo Gourd vine.

They have some great trail markers.

Toothleaf Goldeneye

Great Mullein

Rough Cocklebur

Mealy Blue Sage

Gorgeous spot

The easy crossing - not my feet. Even Z hopped from stone to stone.

I take loads of photos of "markers" just in case we lose our way for a moment or two.

Loads of water. I wonder what it was like during last year's drought.

We should have been able to take this crossing to complete a "loop."

While clearly passable, we chose to avoid the mud and potential slip hazards here.

I'm always happy with plenty of shade.

Long-leaved Groundcherry

Maybe an Eleodes goryl (mediam-sized black beetle)

One tired dog.

NOTES:

*A friend and I decided to hike in as many state parks as we could last year and had mixed results - some great trips, one on a too hot - call the rangers day. So we developed some hard and fast rules about temperature and gear.

**Even though I know you generally must "mess with" a coral snake for any possibility of a bite, it has been over 30 years since I saw one in the wild. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_snake

*** Coral snakes are NOT aggressive (most snakes are not aggressive unless you threaten them).  Please leave these snakes alone. 

Z hates snakes (she keeps as far away as possible) and this one was gone before she noticed it. Some dogs might react differently so keep an eye on your dogs when in the wild.

OBSERVATIONS NOTED (all reported in iNaturalist):

Buffalo Bur

 Silverleaf Nightshade

Texas Indian Mallow

Pigeonberry

Texas Coralsnake

Inland Wood Oats

Eastern Poison Ivy

Frostweed

Buffalo Gourd

Toothless Goldeneye

Great Mullein

Prairie False Foxglove

Rough Cocklebur

Mealy Blue Sage

Bitterweed

Small Palafox

Partridge Pea

Buttonweed

Sumpweed

Bitterweed

Mustang Grape

Long-leaved Groundcherry

Peppervine

Elodes goryl