Off to see the wizard

The rains have yet again transformed the trails, lining the paths with a carpet of yellow flowers and encouraging the cacti to multiply.

Fall Looks Like Spring

The humidity in Austin has been relentless. Sometimes it’s heavy enough to actually turn into a light rain, and then maybe that will burst into a thunderstorm. We’re all thankful for the rain. At a time when everything is supposed to get ready for the winter slumber, it’s actually caused the trails we frequent to blossom.

Since my last post, the small random white flowers now cover the ground in clusters and the lichen has spread. We found a cacti that was almost 5-feet-tall, and yellow flowers have blossomed next to them.

The girls have discovered how to flush out animals from the brush and since it’s cooler, they can run fast for longer periods of time. We’ll see how everything looks in the spring.

The Colors Of Hiking In Austin

When we first arrived in Austin, everything was a shade of dry.

I was impressed with the cacti growth. It felt like I was walking on alien terrain when I came upon a field of cacti. I’ve never seen anything like this before.

As a cactus decomposes, it turns a deep shade of butter squash yellow and then greenish silver. I thought at first someone had taken metallic spray paint to the bunch before I realized it was a natural occurrence.

We took the dogs for a walk in the rain, and I wish I could have brought my camera. The grayish, dead-looking grass turned red and most of the colors on the trails had changed.

Now there are small white flowers all over the walkways. The flowers are purple as buds and then they bloom into all-white flowers. Moss is growing every where and all the plant life looks generally greener.

Austin Turns Into Oz