Todays Nature walk...

I walked along the river bottom (San Antonio) this morning but the grass was tall I stayed on the paths that Dad had mowed. Need to wear my snake boots next time. It was gorgeous and I enjoyed the walk.

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Evening Star Rain Lilly.

It was growing in Mom and Dads yard. Since it normally comes out after a rain and we haven't had any rain, I think perhaps Dad was watering their yard, lol.

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Silver leaf nightshade

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One of the Sondara's (sp.) that cuts through the property.

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I love this part of the property, big Huge Old Oak trees

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Buckeye Butterfly. It had an injured wing and wasn't flying to well.

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Night shade family

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The trail, un-mowed and I love the tall green green grass.

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Spider with it's breakfast

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It was dark in the trees so I had to use my flash and it kind of washed things out.

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This is different from the previous tubed white flower photo and I was unable to find it in my books. I get so frustrated when I look and look and can't find a bloom.

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A closer look...

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A drive by...Michael driving and Daddy supervising!

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I had to play where's waldo with this butterfly, the leaves hid it really well.

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Spider carrying her egg sac

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Just beyond that break in the grass way over there is the San Antonio river...

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Another spider

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Looking back

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Corn Field. The neighbors normally plant corn in this field but if it is corn the rows are a bit far apart and it's not very tall. I've seen some corn fields lately near the coast that were knee high.

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Possibly Basket flower? The photos in the books are not very clear. I noticed them after I called Fred and asked him to come pick me up. Yep I had walked far enough and was so glad Fred was able to come save me, lol.

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Then as we were heading back to the ranch house Fred stopped and said look...He noticed this swallowtail butterfly on the Basket flower...Good eye babe, Good eye! I had a few seconds before the butterfly fluttered off to snap a photo but I was more proud of my husband taking an interest in my photography and pointing out a picture perfect moment. Made my day!

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Hope y'all had a good weekend. I'm back to work this week so photos and posts may be far and few between so bare with me. I have a photo subject that just arrived, they're a bit late this spring but I hope to get photos of them this week.

The rest of the story...

Finally the rest of my photos from last Sunday's nature walk at Mom and Dad's ranch. I first walked down near the San Antonio river in the river bottom where when it floods it's under water. The variety of wildflowers is astounding...

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Fiddle-leaf tobacco

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Blue curls

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Wild Onion bloom, there were onion all over.

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Texas frog-fruit

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Honey Mesquite bloom, it's actually a tree.

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Drummond Onion or Praire Onion. Sandhill Cranes feed on the new leaves of this plant in the spring.

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(Above and Below photo) I saw these flowers years ago with Fred while we were driving the 4x4 mule back through the bottom lands and I got a photo but not a decent photo. I've been looking for it ever since and I finally found it again, yeah! I thought it was a leather flower but now I'm confused...different books and another flower that looks like it leave me wondering. It could also be blue Jasmine and or blue bell. Whatever it is I think it is really cool and absolutely love the delicate curl of the bottom of the bloom. I was just tickled when I finally found it again too!

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We always called these spit bugs growing up.

I just looked them up in my bug book and they call them spittlebugs.

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Mom's pink roses

I then headed up to the pasture across the road. This amazes me as the wildflowers completely change. It's dry and rockier in this area.

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Aster family

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Aster family

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Bee Balm

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Aster family

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Scarlet sage or also known as Tropical sage, Texas or Blood sage and Scarlet salvia.

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Even the fungi was blooming

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Aster family

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Golden Dalea

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Berlandier Flax

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I've been spotted...not sure if you can see him but the bull was back in the brush behind this cow and calf. He came out soon after to check me out.

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Virginia Buttonweed

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Aster family

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Scarlet Gaura

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Harvester Ants

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More blooming fungi

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Mustang grape blooms

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Cardinal feather (male bloom) used by the Cherokee for various illnesses.

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Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillar

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Scarlet Pea

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Sage

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Mexican Hat or also known as a coneflower and or thimbleflower

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A Bouquet of wildflowers

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Indian blanket or Firewheel and a type of Gaillardia

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Closer look at the sage, it was gorgeous

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Texas Dandelion

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Whew that was a lot of flowers!

I did my best to identify most of them and identify them correctly.

We are going back over there Sunday morning (this morning, yikes it's past midnight) and maybe I'll try a few different areas to see what I can find.

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