7.16.06
hot & steamy
1 hour
3 miles
n/a
blue-tailed skink

It's been awhile since I've had anything worth posting here. Today's post isn't about an interesting hike per se, but about the contrasts that time brings when re-visiting a familiar trail.

It's been at least two months since I've walked the quiet trails of the Mercer Arboretum, but this morning I was able to get in a nice hike in before the monsoon hit...a very welcome event around here. We seem to be in a draught of sorts, and I was surprised to see one of my favorite spots, the Cypress Bog, nearly bone dry (see below). That combined with more vegetation overhanging the crushed-granite trails through the wilderness side of the arboretum made me realize how places change when we don't visit them frequently. The changes were almost enough to make me feel as though I was walking in a new place, when in fact I've strolled these paths nearly a dozen times over the last six months.

You can see the last vestige of water at the right. When I last visited, the decks on the left were lording over the fishes and turtles that swam reverently beneath the treated deck boards.

6.15.05
95°F
1.25 hours
1.8 miles
n/a
red-headed woodpecker,
grouchy turtle

What do you do when the power goes off rendering necessities like cable, Internet access, and (gasp) air conditioning useless? Why, you don your hiking boots and take off...what else? ;-)

Distracting myself from the record-breaking South Texas power outage yesterday, I repeated the urban hike I'd made here, hoping to catch sight of the pair of pileated woodpeckers I'd seen on that hike. It was nearing dusk, so a good time to catch such things in the woods. I wasn't that lucky, but I did manage to catch sight of a red-headed woodpecker, my first sighting of this colorful woodpecker type, and enjoyed watching him work around a pine tree on the golf fairway that parallels this particular paved trail. He moved between two trees (thus the lighting difference in the shots...the bottom shot had full exposure to the setting sun while the top one was on the shaded side of the up-sun tree) doing his feeding and seemed oblivious to anything else around him. When he finally flew off, I got a good eyeful of his flight pattern. Woodpeckers are interesting to watch, even when flying away!

The rest of the hike went without interesting distractions except for when I got ready to turn around at the bridge overpass and begin the hike back to a hopefully energy-happy home. I spotted this old turtle moving in the grass by the open path, and from the debris and algae on his shell, seemed obvious he'd been around a while. He wasn't too happy to see me judging from the mock hissing and retreat into his shell as I postured for a a good shot. I left him alone and walked to the top of the overpass, then back to where he'd been, thinking I'd get another shot. I wasn't gone more than three or four minutes, but that was apparently enough for a turtle with a purpose, and he was gone. Surprised that he would have been able to move out of the open space that fast, I looked around in the brush nearby but never found him. Guess even turtles can pick it up and move it out when bothered by something that looks big enough to eat them!

5.23.05
hot
1 hour
2.3 miles
n/a
cottontail, gray fox, pileated woodpeckers

This hike took me on the back trail by Hailey Elementary, wound through the old section behind the WAC, then off down the long path that runs beside the golf course and turns to the overpass bridge going to Grogan's Point, then back.

While there was nothing unusual to the walk (other than it was bloody hot), I had three exemplary wildlife sightings that I'll probably not equal for a long time.

First, while walking on the long path by the golf course, and heading west into the setting sun, I spotted what I at first thought was a runty dog ahead about 40 yards. I stopped and watched, then recognizing the tail and ears, realized I was looking at a red fox! He (or she) hesitated, then darted into the cover between the golf course and path. While foxes aren't rare around The Woodlands, they are seldom seen. In my 15 years living here, this was only the third one I've seen.

About 20 minutes later, along a heavily wooded section of the path as it approaches the Grogan's Point overpass, I nearly walked by a large cottontail munching grass not 10 feet off the path. I stopped, he stopped, we both stared, then we each went on with our business.

But the best was about to happen. A little further along the same path, two large birds rustled and took flight about eight feet off the path from a large pine. I had just a few seconds to recognize the distinctive birds: pileateds! And not one, but TWO woodpeckers...likely a mating pair. I nearly stopped breathing in my excitement, but had enough presence of mind to freeze and try to see where they landed. I was able to quietly walk about 20 feet more on the path and stood as still as I could, watching them bob around the trunk of a large pine for about 10 seconds, then I watched for another four or five seconds as they flew off perpendicularly away from me down an open draw. Wow. I've seen these majestic birds a few times for a few, precious seconds, but never a pair and NEVER for this long or close. I wish I had the camera ready to fire!

5.22.05
94°F
80 min.
2.65 miles
red marble
n/a

A good start, today's walk took me from the house to Starbucks for a bit, then back home. I've never walked this route, but have wanted to see how it would work. Part of the route kept to the paved bike/hike trails, and the rest required cutting through Knox Jr. High grounds and across several office buildings. Not a pretty walk, but in this heat a fair distance.

At least I know I can get my Starbucks fix if my son is off somewhere with the car! Survival tidbit, for sure.