Friday, July 20, 2012
McAllister Park, Mud Creek Loop Trail
Today's photos:
Friday when I left for my walk, the news of the mass shooting at the theater in Aurora, Colorado was filling the media coverage. I had heard that one of the victims was a San Antonio native named Jessica Ghawi and that she had survived the shooting at Eaton Center Mall in Toronto this past June. My psyche was (and still is) trying to process all this information.
I did not know Ms. Ghawi, but I am impressed and deeply touched by everything I have read and heard about her. After reading her own blog post, "Late Night Thoughts on the Eaton Center Shooting," I realized that her conclusion expresses my own reaction to having survived a near fatal septic infection four years ago. And it goes straight to the heart of what While on a Walk is all about. So, this post is dedicated to the memory of Jessica Ghawi.
"I was shown how fragile life was on Saturday [June 2, 2012]. … I was reminded that we don’t know when or where our time on Earth will end. When or where we will breathe our last breath.
"I say all the time that every moment we have to live our life is a blessing. So often I have found myself taking it for granted. Every hug from a family member. Every laugh we share with friends. Even the times of solitude are all blessings. Every second of every day is a gift. After Saturday evening, I know I truly understand how blessed I am for each second I am given." - Jessica Ghawi, June 5, 2012
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Unlike the Opuntia (prickly pear cacti) which are generally easy to see, there are very many cacti in Texas that grow close to the ground and tend to blend into the terrain. Except when they are in bloom. Then their flowers light up the landscape with vivid color. It appears almost as if there were flames coming out of the ground.
On my walk in Eisenhower Park on Wednesday, May 16, the cacti were blooming profusely amid the rocky terrain. The first two photos of the cacti with the light purple flowers are Lace Hedgehog Cactus, a.k.a. Purple Candle (Echinocereus reichenbachii). There were only a few of these scattered about. But everywhere I looked, there were the cacti with the yellow flowers: the Pineapple Cactus (Coryphantha sulcata):
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
This was one of those days when quite a bit happened, except my walk didn't. One of the main reasons for my not going for a walk was that tropical downpours, some with very intense lightening, moved across San Antonio this afternoon and evening.
So, without any photos from today, here is a flashback to my walk west along the Medina River Greenway from the Old Applewhite Rd Trailhead on Friday, May 25:
