Day 5  A Real Hoot

Day 5 A Real Hoot

The last day at the Black Mesa SP we walked the Rock Garden Trail. This trail had only been built about two years ago according to the park ranger. It is about 1.25 miles in length. On the afternoon walk on the same Rock Garden Trail, the southwestern turkeys told us it was going to…

Evenings 4 and 5

Evenings 4 and 5

Dark skies! Black Mesa State Park is a dark sky park. The first several nights were too cold for me to want to stick my head outside for an extended time. Yes, I was a wimp. 😉 However, I miss seeing the dark sky at home as Denton, Dallas, and Ft. Worth continues to encroach…

Day 4 Restful

Day 4 Restful

On the fourth day, we decided to stick close again to the camp. However, it would be just as great for seeing new stuff we soon found. It had been a great day staying closer to camp! And we had an exciting evening lined up which I will share in the next post. 🙂 I…

Day 3 Picture Canyon

Day 3 Picture Canyon

On the third day, we ventured into the nearby ( 1 hour in travel time) to Picture Canyon. The canyon is located in Colorado on the Comanche National Grasslands. Another exciting day! Rare video footage of a tardigrade threesome that lasted 30 minutes documents the wild sex lives of water bears Virginia Norwood, a pioneer…

Black Mesa State Park

Black Mesa State Park

Black Mesa State Park in Oklahoma was where we spent the next five full days exploring the area. Oh my, it was so pretty and interesting! So a start like this meant our expectations was high for wonderful sights to follow! And lots rocks! How Ants Took Over the World The Smithsonian’s Only Botanical Illustrator…

Wind and dust

Wind and dust

Our original plan was to stay only one night at Boiling Springs State Park. However, after looking at the forecast for high winds, we decided it was prudent to stay put another day. Behind the park office, lies the reason that the park was named Boiling Springs. And it really was boiling! Note: If I…

Here we go!

Here we go!

It was time to head to Oklahoma for a trip to several state parks. The first day of the trip was to Norman, Oklahoma to pick up Claire and our granddog, Briar. Rare Texas wildflower gets protection under Endangered Species Act Keep looking! The more you know, the more you see and the more you…