Today, I visited the Dixon Water Foundation which is located in Wise and Cooke counties. It is a wonderful place! The foundation’s mission is to “promotes healthy watersheds through sustainable land management to ensure that future generations have the water resources they need.” They run cattle and sheep. They host educational programs for students and landowners. On Saturday (Oct 30), NPAT’s Prairie Seekers will be hosted there. Thus the return visit today was to get a closer look at the spot where I will be tomorrow. Earlier in the week, Melissa Bookhout ( Treasurer/Secretary/North Texas Education Coordinator) gave the PS leaders a tour of the ranch. To learn more about the Dixon Ranches go to https://dixonwater.org/.
Many groups are doing research at the ranch. This is an area fenced to see what grows where cows do not graze. However, this was not the focus today.
I just had to see the grotto! Shirley had told me about it for years. It has been on my list since the first time she mentioned it was there. Not sure why we never manage to go there, but well that is the way it was. It certainly was worth the wait! This a view looking down into the grotto.
Here is the view from the bottom. The green is Maidenhair Ferns!
Another view. The vine is Cow-itch (Cissus incisa)!
Next, we got closer! OMG, there were stalactites here!
Indeed, they are amazing!
There were hide-y holes for the critters in-between the rocks. Only thing better would have been to see one starring back. 🙂
This drippy oozy algae and moss was so colorful!
Here was a critter house. But it was no longer occupied.
Here was a crusty orange stuff with the moss! That’s my technical term. LOL
Above the grotto, a Nodding Ladies-tresses (Spiranthes cernua) was blooming!
One of favorite lichens, the neon green lichen (Chrysothrix xanthina)!
Finally, a millipede! Tomorrow, I will take you down another area that we visited today at the foundation.
Keep looking!
The more you know, the more you see and the more you see, the more you know.
3 Comments
I love that place. Thank you for the close-up tour!
I love that place. Thank you for the close-up tour!
So neat! Love places like this.
Really neato!