Member Morning at the Dallas Zoo

 It's been a bit since we were able to attend a Member Morning at the zoo.  I'm thrilled to be out walking a bit and enjoying the springy weather.  Postings on Facebook have shared that there is a new Colobus Monkey in the habitat and we are fortunate to see it scampering about.  It's the little white bit to the left of the adults.

Texas Vacation 2022 - Day Seven - Winters TX to Home

 Winter's TX.  The name appears apt today.  It is DANG cold out.  We missed out on the deep freeze that hit North Texas while we were enjoying the wonders of Big Bend National Park.  Now, we are just cold.

Texas Vacation - Day Six - Alpine, TX to Winters, TX

 The car is pointed north once again and as we come over the hill towards Alpine, Mister stops and we just enjoy the view.  The Alpine/Marfa/Fort Davis area is very doable.  I like it.

Texas Vacation - Day Five - Big Bend National Park - Part 5 - Tree Zone/Chisos Area

 As we entered the park several days ago, the visitor center had information about black bears in the park and today I commented to Mister that I just didn't see how it could be.  The terrain just hasn't been what bears like in my mind.  Well, all of that just changed as we entered The Tree Zone.  In the Chisos Basin the world of trees begins and we enter a woodland of junipers, oaks, and Mexican pinons.  Higher up, there are forests of tall Amazon pines and Douglas fir.  See -- this is why we need to come back and spend time here and on the east side next year.  It's just so beautiful to end our day.

Texas Vacation - Day Five - Big Bend National Park - Part 4 - Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff Hike/Sotol Vista

 Short hike number 4 for today.  We are at Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff.  It is 1 mile roundtrip with 120 feet in elevation gain, the most overall gain of the day.  This is supposedly an easy walk that leads through a gravel creek bed (yay - those are such fun) to a narrow box canyon where water has carved a deep channel into Burro Mesa.  This 100' pouroff attests to the power of water that floods this canyon during summer rains.  Burro Mesa also shows Big Bend's volcanic past with its yellow and orange bands across the bluffs.  They are ash-flow tuffs (there is that word again), which show the layered beds created as they were deposited.  

Texas Vacation - Day Five - Big Bend National Park - Part 3 - Tuff's Canyon Hike

 We are in Big Bend at the PERFECT time to see the first signs of spring.  Little blooms here and there.

Texas Vacation - Day Five - Big Bend National Park - Part 2 - Dorgan Sublett Trail

 Perhaps the most interesting part of Big Bend, at least to me, is the ever-changing terrain and they are rapid changes sometimes.  We have both commented on it and are so surprised each occurance.