Around The Block

We didn't hike today.  Duane played pickleball in the evening and I walked my two miles (6 rounds) around our camp loop looking for interesting stuff.

I found the life cycle of a fungus

and a rock growing trees.

Not bad for 1/3 mile.

Louise and Duane

Alas

Our hike today revealed that the wonderfully diverse and colorful fungus we've been enjoying are starting to decay.

We checked on our current favorite bug, the sawfly larva with the white waxy extensions that look like feathers.  It and three others were alive and thriving, according to the huge holes in the leaves they were on.

Unfortunately for the tree, they had managed to strip the center branch of 2/3 of its leaves from right to left. 

Win some, lose some.

Louise and Duane

Surprise!

On our hike today we encountered lots of great stuff:

these white feathery things

fungus? mold?  nope!  see below

a large spider web with a small spider and directly left another spider (seen over the water) building another web under the one on the right

two dragonflies sitting long enough to be photographed--this green one

and this one with striped wings

a black damselfly with the leaf reflected on its wing

red fungus emerging from white

beautiful leaf shadows 

inchworm

The white feathery things are actually eriocampa juglandis, commonly known as butternut woollyworms which are sawfly larvae.

Wonder what we'll find next!

Getting There

Since the Whispering Pines hiking loop is located opposite our campground here at Tyler (TX) State Park, we had to go around the lake to access the trailhead yesterday.  We had three options.  Two were to go by road, either walking or driving.  We chose the third.  We walked halfway around the lake, then accessed the trail by crossing through a camping area and the loop with the cabins.  

The lake was very still, perfectly mirroring the sky.

Along the dam the wildflower brigade was changing the guard.

Indian Blankets were slowly giving way

to Mimosa's

feathery fragrant pink flowers.

Two Mallards enjoyed the quiet

as did two turtles basking on a log. 

The only creature we disturbed was this tiny frog.

(That little black spot above the largest rock)

Keeping our eyes open, 

Louise and Duane

Whispering Pines Loop

Our hike today took us back to the pine forest where we found several interesting things we haven't seen on any other trail.  

A couple of bridges look as if they are falling down, but a closer look reveals that the support struts on the outside are slanted inward while the sides are actually straight.  

This shrub sporting a pair of pine cones looks as if it may be a pine/shrub hybrid.

Most of the fungi was small and white. The white spot in the middle of these tiny ones is a dime.

The CCC left a trace of its work here.

This little wading pool fell into total disuse when the swimming area was developed on the lake.

The spring comes out from that dark spot next to the tree,

 flows down in a beautiful little waterfall and continues meandering through the park crossing the trail several times.

This beautiful fungus is the only shiny one we've seen. 

Always finding something new,

Louise and Duane

Forest Giants

Patches of blue peeking between big white puffy clouds tempted us back onto the hiking trails this morning.  After the rain of the past couple of days the fungus was popping up everywhere.  

What caught my attention was the size of some of the older fungi.  I made a game of finding the biggest ones.  The smallest of these is about 4" in diameter.

The winner of my contest was this 7" giant.

These two 6" beauties came in second.

I found it interesting that the giants were all white.

Hoping for more sunshine tomorrow,

Louise and Duane

Soggy and Dry

Outside--rain

inside--Louise

and Duane

Repeat tomorrow?

Louise and Duane

Just Enough

Thunderstorms kept us bottled up the biggest part of the day, but the rain held off long enough for us to join the park staff for a carry-in dinner at the boat dock.  Most of the staff members were working, and wandered in whenever they were on break.  

While were meeting new people and enjoying lunch, this red-eared turtle glided up to the pier for our entertainment.

Rain predicted for the next few days.

Louise and Duane

Loop A

For our walk today we drove about 1 1/2 miles to the Black Jack Savannah Multi-Use Area.  Here we found trailheads for three different walks.  EZ is 7/10 mile and very easy.  Blackjack is a short 4/10 mile trail through a grassy savannah  featuring information on several different bushes and trees and an abundance of beautiful flowers like this trumpet vine,

this pretty blue flower, 

and Texas plume

The third trail is A Loop which rolls and winds 2 1/2 miles through a Blackjack Oak forest with only a few pine trees.

Here we found beautiful lichens and fungi,

and one critter.

Did you find the tiny frog just above the oak leaf?

Really enjoying our walks,

Duane and Louise