Loony Tunes? Or Just Me, Walking....

I arrived at the Holly Road and Paul Jones Road parking lot and equipped myself with my camera. I then began my walk in the early morning just after sunrise. It was overcast, and quite humid. I figured a good work-out, a vigorous walk, would be beneficial. I walked about 30 yards, and realized I was being "eaten alive". The blood-suckers came out from everywhere. I stopped in my tracks, and made an about-face. Once back to my car, I opened the trunk [they followed me!] and couldn't get the insect repellent out quickly enough....slapping my legs and arms as I began to spray. Spraying isn't  an efficient enough word to describe what I was doing. It was more like saturation! I even sprayed my hair to the point where it was dripping onto my shoulder. Okay...a bit better. I started over.

Once I made it to the small bridge, an older couple was heading back from their walk. The woman said "The mosquitoes are atrocious, and it gets worse. Even my OFF™ doesn't keep them away!" At the time, tho, they were not bothering me. I kept going at a fast pace. When I reached the cutoff to go to the bay water, another two women [they're birders, I meet them often] also warned me of the mosquito population ahead. My repellent seemed to be working for me. The pavement stopped soon, and then I was on the caliche trail. Scouting out the first fresh water pond, I had a little bugger buzzing near my ear...I swatted it away and continued on MY way, making it to the observation tower.

After there, I turned around to go another direction, to the Learning Center.  There, I checked the waterfall, the lily pond, and watched the Purple Martins busy in their condominiums [elevated bird houses] .  I took photos and then decided to take the back trail and head back to the car.  I was sweating profusely by now, since I stopped at the waterfall and pond, and those little flying, buzzing, nasties found me!  Slapping my legs and neck...I met up with three gentlemen, two young teens and an adult...the older man said, "The mosquitoes are out today!"  I mumbled something inaudible and continued.  Swatting, slapping, and smacking my flesh like I was an escaped lunatic from the funny farm.

I was flabberghasted at the white blossoms just above the waterfall as I was enjoying the soft sound of the trickling water cascading off the boulders and the pretty muted lavender blossoms of the Texas Sage bush [only blooms after rainfall]. The flowers were huge...seriously, the size of a dinner plate!! Upon a closer look through my camera lens, they looked similar to a hibiscus, but still NOT a hibiscus. A Mallow of some kind? Maybe! But not sure. Finally, after 5 miles of walking I reached the car, red bites, and itching... I drove home.  What a walk that was.  First thing after taking my walking shoes off, after reaching the little  haven called home...I jumped into the shower.  Ahhhh, Aveeno®!!  Thankfully, Bud didn't have to lock me up, I was no longer a prime candidate for the loony bin.

By the way, I've washed my hands so much during this pandemic, answers to a geometry test from 1964 are showing up in the palm of my hand which I wrote  to "ace the quiz"!