A Friday Frolic Along The River, Part 1

Friday, May 11, 2012

San Antonio River, Mission Reach, Concepcíon Park Trailhead

Today's photos:

With all the rain this past week, the San Antonio River is running a bit high and very swift. Perhaps I was just projecting my own mood onto the scene, but a certain playfulness seemed to be evident in the wildlife today.

As always there was much to see and photograph. This is part one of a two part series.

A Celebration of Rain on a Day Between Storms, Part 3

Thursday, May 10, 2012

This is the conclusion of the three part series that began with my walk Monday, May 7. The forecast for rain this week has been quite accurate. This month will likely be the fifth of the past six months with above average rainfall.

As I have pointed out in previous posts, South Texas weather is characterized by perpetual drought periodically broken by torrential rain. The ecosystem here is particularly well adapted to that pattern. This series of posts illustrates the resilience of the wildlife. In many respects it is similar to a desert ecosystem in that when the rain returns, wildlife rapidly flourishes:

A Great Day To Get High On A Hill, Part 1

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Comanche Lookout Park, Library > Comanche > Tower Loop Trails

Today's photos:

The rain held off for today, so it was a perfect day for a walk to the top of the hill at Comanche Lookout Park. As I have mentioned in previous posts about this park, the peak of this hill is the fourth highest elevation in Bexar County.

For those not familiar with San Antonio, the last photo in this series is looking from the top of the hill toward downtown with the Tower of the Americas in the center of the photo. Since this park is northeast of downtown, this is not the typical skyline view that is usually featured in Chamber of Commerce photos. From this angle, one looks across Ft Sam Houston, so the building that appears to the left of the Tower is the old Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) main hospital building.

I included the cloud photos here, because they are indicative of the current weather. Very heavy rain is forecast to return in the morning and continue through Friday.

Once again, this is only a small sample of the photos I have from today's walk. I will be posting more in at least one more publication.

A Celebration of Rain on a Day Between Storms, Part 2

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

More rain fell today and it will likely continue with varying degrees of intensity until the end of the week.

I was recently asked why there is an abundance of butterflies this year. The answer is fairly simple and it all begins with the abundance of winter rain. The rain produced a lush growth of vegetation which is the food source for both the adult butterflies and their caterpillars. Of course, this vegetation is also the food source for a wide variety of birds and other wildlife as well as butterflies.

These photos are a continuation of the series from yesterday's walk:

I have to admit that, more often than not, it is difficult to convince myself it is time to turn around and head back to the car to go home. I am very well aware there is always something waiting around the next bend or over the next hill to be discovered (and photographed). My walk yesterday was one of these walks. So, this is part two of a three part series. The final installment is currently scheduled to be published on Thursday.