The WIld is Just a Short Drive Away

Wild , originally uploaded by Mark Nesmith.

If you're hiking anywhere in Texas there's bound to be some kind of wild flowers around. I have no clue what these are called, but on a hike at the Post Oak Preserve in Seagoville, TX they were all over the place. I was drawn to their odd look, a prickly round bottom with a fluffy pink and white top. It kind of looks like a cactus and a dandellion had kids! This is a small (8" x 8") pastel on paper, and was done pretty quickly. I originally planned to work up the grasses in the background more, but decided i kind of liked the freshness and left it alone.

The Post Oak Preserve is a great place to hike and is just a short drive from Dallas. The trails start right across the road from the Dallas ISD Environmental Education Center in Seagoville and are maintained by the center. The Environmental Center has the mission to interpret, preserve, protect, and share information about the natural history and ecology of north Texas with everyone in north Texas. Students and teachers in DISD take science field trips here, and in the summer they have a science camp for 4th graders. My daughter attended the camp and had a blast hiking the woods and learning about the plant and tree life. She even caught catfish minnows in the pond and raised them in an aquarium at home. The nature Preserve is 334 acres and includes trails through pond, forest, and grassland habitats. It's really a nice way to spend a morning, and so close to home that you don't have to get up too early to make it there before it's really hot.