Wild Flowers and Hiking Trails

Whenever I go hiking the only things in abundance that are noticeable are wild flowers. Like any tourist and wanna be photographer I shoot pictures of these creations of nature and post them on my blog. Here are some examples:

Enemies of Americas Lakes

On my recent visit to Lake Sheldon I found some notices put up at the observation tower. The notices are meant to warn visitors about the threat these invasive species pose to the natural water bodies of this country and how they should be avoided or mitigated. The invasive species include some plants from India, Japan, and other parts of the world. I was thinking it is time all nations started this system of warning its people about invasive species. In India they need to put up signs about the all pervasive Parthenium plant which is from the United States that is the biggest menace for the entire country's open soil.

Exploring Rural America - 2: Bonham State Park

Green Spaces for Public Good

America is responsible for a whole lot of pollution including and not limited to consuming over 40% of the world's gasoline, emitting over 30% of the world's greenhouse gases, etc. I would add a positive statistic to this country i.e. this is one country where local environment is preserved very well. Most of the natural creeks, rivers, and culverts have been preserved, even though these come alive only during the rains. Then there are vast open spaces that have been designated as National and State Parks, Wildlife refuges, and other types of protected areas that are basically green spaces open to public and that also help enhance the environment.

I have been exploring America since the time I landed here, not just the glitz and glamor of cities and popular tourist destinations, but the interior lesser known rural and local attractions. My reaction to this is mostly that of surprise and admiration to the sustainable planning and development of communities. Recently I visited one of the state parks of Texas - Bonham State Park. Located close to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro area this is a vast green space with a 261 acre lake. The park is full of trees and the lake adds a beauty to the entire setting. Rustic old-style buildings house the administrative offices in the park that provides facilities for walking, hiking, mountain biking, swimming and aqua sports such as sailing, canoeing, kayaking, etc.

During summer months this park is usually full of visitors but now being winter and biting cold I was the only visitor in the park. Here are some pictures of the park for your viewing pleasure.

The Main entrance to Bonham State Park

Water Fowl enjoying their day at the lake without any visitors disturbance...

The deserted swimming area of the park - summer brings crowds of families to the park

The fishing pier which can also be a scenic look out...

A walk in the Wild

I went to the 380 Greenbelt park last week after work and walked a small part of the 10 mile trail that is part of the Lake Ray Roberts and Lake Lewisville trail system. This park and trail is one of the few places in DFW area where there is so much tree cover that sun light streaks through only at some places to illuminate the trail. Other places are quite dark during evenings and early morning. I was there at late afternoon and I thoroughly enjoyed the walk.

A Walk in the Wild
Looking for quiet and peace,
Seeking solitude and solace,
I venture out of urban space
Into the jungles and green space

Little did I know,
the wilderness is no longer the getaway place
for those who shun the corporate rat race
It has indeed become the competitive space

For all the naturalists, and eco-lobbyists
who solely live by creating tons and tons of drama
around the theme of environmental protection
have descended into the wilderness
To make it more constricted a space
than the narrow congested boulevards
Of Downtowns of American cities

Heaving a Sigh of sadness
I return home, which has less noise pollution
than the jungle where one hears
nothing but automobile sounds

Water - the Elixir of life

Water - The Elixir of Life 

A compound that contains just two elements
Two atoms of Hydrogen and one of Oxygen
Seems amazing nobody can live without one
The world would not exist without this essential liquid

We people don't seem to value this gift of god
We think that the water supply to our homes will never end
We wash, clean, bathe, and waste it without thinking for a second
We might be a little more respectful of this gift of god

On this day, let us make a solemn vow,
That we will utilize as little water from now,
That we will conserve it for the future starting now,
That we will share the resources we have with fellow men and animals

Remember! access to clean drinking water is a basic human right
But how many people in the world have this thought
Most people are busy living a life rather than think about water
Water maybe everywhere but very soon there wont be a drop to drink

Do we want to live in such a world?
A world where nations fight for water
Friends become enemies,
Families become feuding relatives
Brothers would kill each other for water

Young couples would not have children
because they can't afford to pay the water tax
That is when the world would come to an end....

Surviving against all odds

I captured this picture in 2005 near Devanahalli town. It was located close to the highway, which at that time was undergoing expansion to accommodate the increased to the new international airport. Now that the airport is complete I don't think this tree would have been spared the development axe. Looking at the tree one would think that it is so crooked that it would fall dead anytime, but no it was thriving and would have lived for several more years.... This shows that any life form will not give up so easily. It will fight against anything and everything to stay alive and continue life. This tree though crooked beyond proportions has survived in the face of rain, sun, winds, and of course humans.

Beauty Destroyed by the Beast

I shot this picture at a granite quarry close to Bangalore. Sited enroute to the Bengaluru International Airport, this mountain has been quarried since the past over 30 years. The exploitation of nature continues full swing with modern technologies and vehicles such as the lorry pictured above. In my opinion the title reflects the image. I am pretty sure before quarrying started to batter the rocks on this mountain it was a place of great beauty and serenity. Now thanks to greedy human beings the mountain is almost gone, and what remains is an ugly facade of broken rock, dust and the residue of pollutants emitted by the vehicles, and equipment used to destroy the rocky cliff.

Lake Texoma

Earlier this week we visited Lake Texoma, I have already blogged about the Eisenhower State Park through which we got access to this 100,000 acre water body. We hiked about 2 miles in the park along the beautiful hiking trail that follows the banks of the lake. The waters are flanked by high sandstone cliffs and unfortunately in some places the rock surfaces are inundated by names of people who want to leave their mark on unprotesting nature. The state park brochures, maps and signs implore visitors to leave nothing but their footprints. Some visitors think it important to carve out their names on the rock faces thus defacing the natural beauty of the place. I can understand uneducated folk in third world nations indulging in such nefarious activities but here in America... it is a shame that people are still not aware of how to protect their environment. I was too disgusted to capture any pictures of the rock defacement.

Here are pictures of the wonderful Lake Texoma.

McKinney Town Lake

I revisited McKinney Town Lake again today and took a walk along the meandering trail that follows the lake shores. The numerous birds in the lake are highly used to people and await for feeders to come and give them goodies. Some of the birds are so used to people capturing pictures of them they even pose like the one in the picture here. Overall it is a great place to visit and wander around both for recreation and exercise.

Meditation Center amidst woods in McKinney

Experiencing Nature in McKinney, Texas

I had not had the opportunity to explore the community, and its attractions since moving to McKinney couple of months ago. Today after a stressful day at school I decided to take a break and go out in the evening to spend some time outdoors. I went to the Town Lake recreation area located right beside the Central Expressway. There is a short nature trail through a wooded patch that stretches along the gurgling Wilson Creek and a fairly wide paved bike, walk trail that meanders around the lake.

I went to walk the Nature Trail first through the trees treading on the soft soil. The only differences this trail has with trails in India that I miss so much is its flat terrain and the wooden decks/ bridges when we cross creeks. This trail passes through a wooded patch with tall trees. The trees must be at least several decades old because each one of them are at least 50 ft tall.

Nature has always had a soothing effect on me and when I am amidst nature I feel so humbled. We human beings have created so many things out of the raw material that nature provides to us. Plain water, mud, and sunlight is all it takes to enable plants to provide fantastically tasty food for our consumption. Today as I walked through the tall trees bathed in the soft evening sunlight I felt very minuscule. Whatever ego I had melted away and for the next few minutes that I was traversing the trail I felt as if all my worries and problems were nothing compared to what obstacles the trees, plants, birds and other beings had to endure just to live.

I came out of the nature trail rejuvenated and feeling fresh to take on the world today and tomorrow, when I go back to working from 7am to 7pm and driving an hour to work and back. Indeed nature has so many lessons to offer if only one were to pause and learn....

Nature Reigns! But.....

Public parks in Texas are generally vast sprawling locations with good tree cover, walking trails, lake, etc. These are havens for several species of wildlife such as snakes, hare/ rabbits, bob cats, etc. But these havens are being destroyed slowly by a species of bugs... litterbugs... this species is very intelligent, and aware but some members just don't seem to care and spread their litter everywhere irrespective of whether it is a tranquil park or a freshwater stream. The pictures below explain everything.

Lake Views in Plano

Plano city has a few small lakes of its own. Though the city gets its water supply from Lavon Dam located in Wylie, Plano is proud of its lakes and water bodies. The city protects these natural water resources pretty well. Every water body is pretty much stocked with fish, has a trail around, and is located inside a green belt area or park. Here are some pictures of a lake in Bob Woodruff Park, Plano.

Fall Colors in Plano, Texas

One of the biggest national natural events in the US is the occurrence of fall colors. Almost ever state in continental US has its share of fall festivals to celebrate the change of season as evidenced by the changes in colors of leaves. Trees, plants and shrubs change the color of their leaves in preparation for a cold icy winter. This change from Green to red to yellow to brown and finally falling is a phenomenon worth watching out for. Aspen, Colorado is known for one of the best places to view fall colors. When I first came here people said that there is no fall color in Texas, but in the past three years I have been here I have seen fall foliage. Here are some pictures of what I saw recently along the road.

An Amazing Film

I found this movie on Youtube about a cougar trying to hunt a bear cub and how survival instincts work in the animal kingdom. It is indeed one of the best short films I have seen.

Mineral Wells invites me to visit again!!!

It has been over 3 weeks since I visited Mineral Wells State Park, but the memories of its vast green acres continues to haunt me. The rugged rock formations, myriad flora and fauna, vast lake and interesting landscapes beckon me to return and explore further.
This is something I like about the US where every natural area is developed, maintained and aggressively marketed so that it generates enough revenue to pay for all the investment. This way natural habitat and a beautiful location is saved, and the people have a space to get away. I hope this kind of mindset descends into the heads of every single individual in the world so that the quickly shrinking green cover may be saved from further destruction.
Here are some of the pictures that I have not posted earlier.

More Pictures of Mineral Wells

I haven't shared all the pictures of our recent trip to Mineral Wells State Park, TX. This park is one of the closest locations where one can see some kind of hilly terrain, and rocks that can be climbed. The park is beautiful right now and with weather not having heated up too much the colorful flowers, insects, and other flora and fauna make it a great place to visit.

Mineral Wells State Park Visit

Sunday was pretty eventful, visited one more state park in the vast state of Texas and this time it was closer home... about 100 miles south west. The park is named after the city of Mineral Wells which was a thriving spa, health resort, town famous for its fresh water resources. At its peak the town's water was known to cure all human diseases and people traveled to this little town to spend few weeks rejuvenating themselves. Well that was probably more than a century ago. Today the town is just another small town in Texas with a large ranching community and tourism that the State park draws. Well this is the closest location from DFW metro area for rock climbing, some hill hiking and of course swimming and wildlife watching.
Here are some pictures of the location and I will post further about what we did in the state park soon.

Mineral Wells Trading Post... the only store on the state park

Lake Mineral Wells - vast waterbody

The Visitor Center @ Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

I had blogged earlier about the visitor center and nature museum at the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, India-homa, Oklahoma. Here are some pictures of the innovative, informative, and interesting exhibits in the center. The folks here have tried to recreate natural scenarios that represent the park areas and the flora and fauna present within. I must say that they have done a wonderful job at that, the exhibits and soft lighting together provide a fantastic birds eye view of the park environs. We spent a few hours in the park including taking in the visitor center, I would suggest visitors to spend half a day at the visitor center and then proceed to explore the park for the next two days. Otherwise a visit to this wonderful wilderness area would be in vain.

At home in India-Homa

Continuing my saga on the trip to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. For starters it was a pretty long (3.5 hours) drive through the prairie lands of North Texas and Southern Oklahoma. The drive was pretty boring except for the colorful spring blossoms that line the highways. There were blue, yellow, pink, and other colored flowers moving in the wind.

After what seemed like an eternity we finally pulled into the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and were greeted by a large American Bison grazing beside the road. We stopped to take a closer look and get some pictures of the giant beast that was grazing away oblivious of the attention it was getting.

Wild Bison grazing in Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

After spending some time at that site, we moved to the swank, and sprawling visitors center-cum-nature museum. Every wildlife sanctuary, national park I have visited be it in India, Nepal, Bhutan or US has an information center/ museum/ history center meant to provide information about the park's history, geography, wildlife, etc.

A giant mural at the visitor's center

The only difference is that in India the information centers are built with earthy materials like stucco, concrete, and brick and are mostly not air-conditioned. Here the building was built of wood, metal and drywall and of course it is centrally air-conditioned and heated. The natural history museum/ visitors center was one great documentation of the park's history, flora, and fauna. There were two huge stuffed wild bison's welcoming the visitors into the display area. There are numerous other stuffed creatures displayed in almost their natural settings. The museum is pretty interactive and simulated, the small theater showcases films on the night creatures of the park.

Stuffed animals on display

Stuffed animals on display

After spending about 45 minutes (short, we need at least 2.5 hours to see the museum thoroughly) we moved to do a short hike at the Lost Lake area. More tomorrow.