Trees and Flowers

I've been walking in the mornings, really the only sensible time to walk in the summer around here, but now sometimes it's a little cooler than I expect. The experience is very different from the walking path at my condo, which was entertaining in its own way, but rather monotonous really. Here there are many different routes, up and down hills, through neighborhoods of houses and wooded lots. And, of course, there is the wildlife: deer, rabbits, birds, and assorted insects. Fortunately, so far, I have seen no snakes.

There are also many plants: trees, bushes, wild flowers, and grasses and weeds of several varieties. And although I go over the same routes, I seem to find something new, or something I had not observed previously, on every walk. Lately, I've been noticing the fall blossoms. I had forgotten that in Texas there are many plants that bloom in the fall, mostly weeds and wildflowers, but also some bushes, like the Texas sage that seems to blossom all through the spring and summer and into the fall. With the return of rains in September and October, we've had sufficient moisture to encourage a late growth of new wildflowers and green shoots of grass.

As the season progresses, I'm curious to see what changes we'll see. The trees here abouts are mostly cedar and live oak, so there is not likely to be much color. I have been looking around for other varieties of trees, and have discovered a couple of varieties familiar from my childhood. Here and there amidst the sometimes thick growth of cedar and oak are a few mesquite trees. And the other day I saw a few Chinaberry trees loaded with clumps of berries. I also saw a lone agarita bush by the side of the road.

This sort of scenery has made me more attentive on my walks, as I look for more of the flora I remember from my childhood. When I walked around the condo I always took my iPod along for company. Since moving back to Texas, I haven't taken it once, partly for safety, since I am walking on roads that do have occasional cars and trucks passing by, but mainly because there is so much to attend to while I'm out walking nowadays. Sometimes, I even stop and talk to one of my neighbors!