Yesterday I was lucky enough to be invited to go to a new place in northern Cooke County. Yes, it was cold and slightly wet. But we were all glad to see this wonderful property! And Wylie’s family has owned the land for five generations.
We all climbed into Wylie’s ole truck. I am sure the truck had tales to tell with under 400K miles on it. First thing we see as we slid out of the truck, Cymopterus (Vesper macrorhizus)! This is a cool place!
More Cymopterus!
I showed Wylie the up close view!
The red fruits makes this Plains Nipple Cactus (Escobaria missouriensis) an easy ID. The blue berry is a Juniper berry. Very colorful combo. 🙂
Mosses and Psora lichens were scattered about on the gravelly ground too!
A rock with light green crustose lichens and embedded fossils. Immediately though, it was the fish shape that made me look and chuckle. LOL.
Further along more nipple cacti (Escobaria). The first thing that struck us was how different the colors were.
Then as we paused longer, we could see that someone had been nibbling on the them. We guessed a mouse, but who knows.
Hopping back in the truck, Wylie took us to the creek next.
Love the underwater critters. So sad about the wetlands.
What a lovely, chilly, damp day it was!
What a great day! So nice when we can all learn more about the land we’re caring for!
Such incredible video of the underwater creatures in the sea mounts – all so unique and beautiful.
That’s alot of sandhillcranes!
Really sounds like a crowd!