#vanderpool tx

March 05, 8:00 am The Power of Water - June 2003 What relatively small amounts of water can do to a landscape over immense lengths of time is amazing. These two images seem to portray the power of water, but in reality, it is more the persistence of constant flow. Maybe these images are a lesson for our lives. MWM

Deer - June 2003 Where there is water and shade there will be deciduous trees and grass. And where there are trees and grass there will be deer. It is surprising how deer– even white-tailed deer– are so different from area to area in this country. One thing that is rather consistent. If it is in a protected park, the deer will watch you, but they are not immediately afraid of you. That allows for some great images. MWM

March 16, 8:00 am Spider! - June 2003 I also did not attempt to go down this trail. I had already walked into one spider web that was no where near as big as this one. I hung around for a while hoping to get a picture of the spider itself. I’m pretty sure she’s in there somewhere, but I never could see her. There are two rather large bugs well encapsulated near the center of the web, but no trace of the spider herself. MWM

Trail? - June 2003 At one time this tangle of trees and underbrush was a trail. I didn’t attempt it. I might have been able to push through, but there was just way to many places for snakes, scorpions, and the like to be hiding. MWM

Little Waterfall - June 2003 It hadn’t rained from at least a week while we were at Lost Maples, and yet the water was still trickling down into the canyon. It is a marvel of geography that this canyon exists as it does. MWM

Reflections - June 2003 I love reflections. The reflection of the typical brownish green scrub brush of the Texas hills intermixed with the dark green of the trees in Lost Maples is even better. MWM

Wispy Clouds - June 2003 Sometimes you have to look up to get a good image. These very wispy clouds against a pale blue Texas make an intriguing image, especially with just a hint of green leaves down in the corner. MWM

Laurel Berries - June 2003 Back in 2003 I had no idea what I had taken a picture of at Lost Maples near Vanderpool, Texas. Two decades later with Google image I was able to match the image and identify what I had seen. These are the seed pods, “berries” of the Texas Mountain Laurel (Dermatophyllum secundiflorum). They aren’t particularly rare, but are only out at certain times of the year. And you have to be in the right place, like near Vanderpool. MWM