Olmos Basin, The Headwaters Sanctuary

Today's photos:

Wednesday and yesterday were almost overwhelming in many ways. In that context, it seemed best today to stay very close to home where my experience of walking urban woods here in Bexar County began almost forty years ago.

My first experience in what is now the Headwaters Sanctuary in Olmos Basin occurred when I enrolled in the course, "Ecology, Environment and Man," at Incarnate Word College in 1972. What we then referred to as the backwoods was the ideal outdoor laboratory for the course. I have walked these woods, now 53 acres in size, countless times since then.

The Headwaters Sanctuary is the land between the University of the Incarnate Word campus and Olmos Dam. It is owned and maintained as a ministry of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word who had purchased the land from George Brackenridge over one hundred years ago.

A Few More Odanata

For more information about the odanates, see the post of November 10. The following photos were taken August 29 and September 5 along the Medina River and the last two in the series yesterday, November 23, on Salado Creek:

In keeping with the conclusion of While on a Walk's mission statement: "In the tormented, torn world we live in, this project is a testament to the power of the human spirit to find delight in God's awesome creation and to communicate that delight to others, to share in the discourse of revelation and healing;" on this Thanksgiving Day, I dedicate this series of photos to the memory of Collin Xavier Coloura. For a beautifully expressed story about Collin and his family, please read Shannon Ivey's article: Light From A Broken Hallelujah.

Salado Creek Greenway, Oakwell Trailhead, South to the Creek Crossing

Today's photos:

give thanks, always, for the precious gift of life

HAPPY THANKSGIVING