Salado Creek Greenway, Robert Tobin Park Trailhead

The Robert Tobin Park trailhead is located on the south side of Loop 410 between Harry Wurzbach and Starcrest. The only direction one can walk at this point is south. The path to the north that will connect to the Lady Bird Johnson Park trailhead is currently under construction.

This trailhead is at street level, unlike the Oakwell trailhead, so the path begins with a twenty-five to thirty foot descent to the creek level. Of course that also means there is the same ascent when returning. This isn't a problem for most people in reasonable shape, but the grade is a bit steep for someone using forearm crutches.

I mention this just to the make the point that "getting into the moment" can sometimes be a challenge. Adding to the challenge of the terrain this morning was the fact that my mind was still overwhelmed by the news of the devastating tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri yesterday evening. I didn't begin photographing until I finally reached relatively level ground and was able to pay more attention to the surroundings. And I'm still not certain how all of that distraction influenced my choice of subjects to photograph.

I was pleased to finally get a photo of a cardinal. Cardinals have always managed to elude my attempts to photograph them. Smaller birds are much more difficult to photograph than large birds because they generally have more skittish behavior than the larger birds.

The weather this morning was perfect for a walk. The humidity was exceedingly high, but there was a very nice breeze that counteracted its impact. I guess the heat index was offset by the "breeze chill index." In the end, it did turn out to be a very pleasant experience.