The Lake Waco Drylands

After about a week in Texas, my jet lag is gone and most of the big responsibilities I had finished last week. Now, I can relax and enjoy my time with my family.

One afternoon after work, my brother (who is visiting for the week from Boston) and I took a drive to the Lake Waco Wetlands for some hiking and birding.

Texas is under a tremendous drought. I had no idea how bad it had gotten! Lake Waco itself is only at 60% capacity, and everywhere you look, grass is turning brown, and trees are dying. I really hope the autumn will bring some rain.

I had been to the wetlands before during a college oceanography course. The difference between then and now was night and day. All of the water was gone completely.

There are some nice trails out at the wetlands. It was a hot sunny afternoon, and we were the only ones brave (or dumb) enough to go out for a walk in the Texas summer heat. The wetlands were alive with the sounds of insects, and every step we took on the dry grass sent dozens of green and brown grasshoppers leaping away.

Even though it was dry, we were still able to see lots of birds. We brought our binoculars and spotted several northern cardinals, a few red-tailed hawks, and a tree full of eastern phoebes.

Mostly, though, it was just nice to get outside, even if it was hot. I feel like I've really been cooped up indoors this year, and I really appreciate the chance to get outdoors for a while.

One good thing about my parents moving from North to Central Texas is the greater access to outdoor activities and nature. It's a lot easier to find places to go walking and hiking in Waco than it was in Arlington. I hope that the next time I visit, the weather won't be quite so hot, and I'll be able to enjoy being outdoors even more.