Ratcliff Tall Pines Trail

Ratcliff Tall Pines Trail

February 22, 2011

 

Tall Pines Trail at Ratcliff is said to be only a mile and half, I swear it is the longest mile and a half I have ever walked. It may have more to do with the fact that I was sore from working on the flower bed the day before, squatting down to plant cactus is something my muscles are not used to.

As we headed out Adam watched the signs closely making sure we did not venture off on the 4C hiking trail that is 20 miles long.

We had not planned for it to be as chilly as it was, thankfully my kids leave half of their cloths in the car all the time so we managed to find each of them a hoodie or long sleeve shirt to wear.

As we walked along the rocked path Austin noticed some of the rock had fossils of sea shells.

 Other than a few bridges, there was not much to see.

Austin wandered around exploring and taking his own pictures.

Adam swung from every tree and vine he could find.

 Anna made sure she had her turn at the vines.

We come across a very large pine that had been cut down.

Austin began to count the rings but soon gave up when he realized just how tiny the rings was and how long it would take to count them.

After swinging in the vines Anna flips her hair to get the tree bark and oine straw out.

And one more good flip just to be sure.

“Mom, a cocoon!”

The trail seemed so long that we took a short cut and walked the road that passed through the trail. For a minute I was wondering if I had made a bad choice and got us lost but finally the trail sign came into view.

We walked for a while longer and come across a random fence and gate, again I worry, “Did we make a wrong turn?” The blue tag at the top of the gate post reassured me we was still on the right track.

Finally we made it back to the park road and headed back to the parking lot where we left our car. It still seemed like a long way to the car, I just kept reminding myself, “This is good for me!” I don’t think I convinced myself of that though.

A beautiful little Pine Warbler bounced along the road as it looked for it’s dinner.

Back to the bridge, not far from where we started, I watch as each of my kids line up and walk along the edge.

Adam remembered from our last trip this rocked area was probably some kind of dock. We was very glad to see the buildings in the distance.

Finally, we reach the car, a welcomed sight. It was a very uneventful hike but like I keep telling myself, “It was good for me!”

Ellen Trout Zoo… Trail?

Ellen Trout Zoo… Trail?

February 18, 2011

I had heard there was a nature trial around the Ellen Trout Zoo lake.I vaguely remembered seeing a trail off in the woods the last time we rode the little train at the zoo, so we set out to see if there was a trail. 

Adam wanted to pout because he did not like the idea of walking across the bridge. For some reason he has developed a fear of bridges, although I can’t blame him, some bridges freak me out too. He accepted that we was crossing it and his pouting wasn't going to change that so he crossed the bridge as quickly as  possible.

We was hoping to catch a glimpse of the alligator that lives in the lake but we didn’t get too, but we did see several turtles warming themselves on the logs in the lake.

The kids set at the train “depot”, Adam was hoping the train would come around the bend any second.

There appeared to be a road that led off to the right of the”depot” so we wandered down it, unsure if it is a trail or just a road. We see this horse-shoe shaped cement bench area that looks like it used to be a circle, maybe it was a circle for kids to sit on while teachers spoke to them about the nature trail? What ever it was it looks like it is no longer used.

We walk for a good ways picking at the kids about seeing alligators but not really seeing anything of any interest. At the end of the road we come to a big water tank. There is a small trail that passes beside the tank along a fence so we walk the fence line and headed back toward the zoo again.

 We saw this gnarly old tree as we meander back to the zoo. It reminded me of something you would see in a spooky movie.

Some  Double-crested Cormorants are drying their wings on the posts out on the lake.

We get to the lakes spill-way, we walk down the side knowing at this point this is not an actual trail or there would have been a bridge across the spillway.

We climb back up the steep incline.

Stepping carefully, we cross the water that is seeping over the spill way and return to the zoo area.

 The two little kiddos race for the play ground equipment.

“ I am a mountain goat!”

“Sliding” down.

“Little Miss Sassy”

“I didn’t think they let the monkeys out of the zoo!” Austin says joking about the banana peel that was thrown by a tree.

We watched the little ducks bobbing for fish in the lake. Several times they would look as if they would flip completely over.  The kids were amazed at how they would go completely underwater and would count them to make sure they all came back up.

At first I thought these ducks were just common mallards but when I looked at the pictures close up I realized they had spoon like bills and yellow eyes. Audubon Field Guide says he is a the Northern Shoveler down here for the winter. I like winter walks because we get to see some birds we do not normally see in Texas.

Apparently the trail we took was not a defined trail or maybe it is an abandoned nature trail but we enjoyed it just the same. Maybe they will take the time and funds to turn it into a good nature trail one day. Next time you visit the zoo mention to them you would love to see a self guided nature trail around the lake, who knows they just might consider it!

A Flowerbed Make-Over

A Flowerbed Make-Over

February 21, 2011

When we first moved here we build a little flower garden out of rocks around the small oak tree in our front yard. We did this to disguise the mound and stump that was left of the other tree we cut down. Well over the last few days it got a make-over. 

We dug up the rock that was in there so long roots started to grow around them making one impossible to get out without cutting the root.

We pulled out the black fabric that was long forgotten and moved the Spider Lilies that was planted there.   We found two toads living in the rocks.

The ants we disturbed attacked the poor little toads. The kids grabbed the dogs water pan and quickly started to pull the ants off the little guys.

Stewart pulled out the chain saw and cut off the stump we had tried to hide so long ago. “You know, oak is a lot harder to cut than pine!” he protested.

      After a lot of hard work Stewart managed to get the stump cut out.

I grab the rake and get all the leaves and sticks pulled away from our work area. Ready for the guys to build the box now. One of the ‘L’s laid.

Now it is a square.

Two tiers high of landscape timbers and it is built. I pulled my old bird bath over to see if it would fit in the square.

 Yep, it fits.

“Spray the ants please honey!”

Next I laid down the felt fabric stuff in hope to keep the weeds out.

I put potting soil in on top of the fabric. Now we are ready for the plants. We went to Lowes and found so many interesting plants. I doubt all of them should be planted outdoors but oh well we are going to give it a try. The strongest shall survive.

Echeveria ‘Lola’

Kalanchoe Maternity Plant “Mother of Thousands”

 “Bunny Ears”

Argentine Opuntia “Cuija”

 “Peruvian Old Lady”

  “Split Rock”

Aloe “Blue Elf”

Aloe Vera

“Cobweb”

“Hibotan”

“Zipper Plant”

“Thimble Cactus”

 “Alabaster Swirl”

I put on gloves hoping to not get too many thorns in my hands. Needless to say on I still got pricked but not near as bad as I would have had I not adorned the gloves. I was careful to slide the cacti out of their little pots so that I would not damage them or me.

Adam took the camera and started taking pictures. This one I must have been day dreaming… maybe of a little tropical paradise in my front yard (so I went with that idea and “edited” it)

With all the plants in place it was time to add my white rock.

I put enough rock around each plant to “lift” them to the height of the rest of the rock then started covering the vacant area.

I had just enough rock to cover the 4x4 square cactus bed.

I think it turned out really good for my very first cactus garden. A little patch of beauty in my yard.Now I can enjoy watching the birds feed out of my little “swing” feeder and bathe in the bird bath. We also have a small bird house and a humming bird feeder in the tree. Now that it is done I long to sneak out in the morning before everyone wakes up and sit on my porch, enjoying the peace and quiet, watching, and hopefully taking a few pictures, of the birds that came to visit.