Rainy skies have led to flower laiden trails in the upper parts of Doeskin Ranch at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Preserve. It was really nice to walk down the still muddy trail lined with Indian Paintbrush as thunder rolled overhead last weekend. If you get a chance to go out there for a hike I recommend wearing pants though and taking plenty of mosquito repellant. The vegetation is all grown up and some parts of the trails in the lower part of the preserve are almost overgrown. The rain has been a delight and the plants are showing off their appreciation.
I had never seen the agarita bushes at Doeskin Ranch at the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge so full of berries as I did on my visit yesterday evening. The recent rains were definitely useful to these drought tolerant plants. Their berries were almost bursting with juiciness. I bet Jerry Jeff Walker could put these berries to good use in some agarita wine.
I passed this scene on a little detour I took on the way home Sunday. I had walk through a ditch filled with weeds (glad I didn't encounter any snakes) and wedge my camera lens through the openings in the fence to get this shot, but I really felt I needed to capture the scene. Too bad this home has been abandoned. What a great view they had in the spring with all those bluebonnets in their front yard. I can't help but wonder what happened to the people that once lived here and why hasn't anyone kept up this place?
