Wildflowers, Part I

If you live in Central Texas and ever venture outside these days, which I certainly hope you do, then you are fully aware that it hasn't rained around here in some time. And... it's rather warm. In fact, if this weather pattern continues until the end of the month (anyone wanna' bet?) then Austin, Texas will have just experienced its' warmest April on record since record keeping began in 1854! The average temperature this month is a whopping 8.4 degrees above normal. And while we're on the topic of numbers and weather, the past 7 month period of October through April will most likely turn out to be the 3rd driest on record, with only 5.31" of rain during that period. Now, if you know me, you know I tend to be a bit obsessed about weather. I'm constantly glued to the weather radar screen like some people are to their favorite TV show. Yes, I wear a wristwatch that indicates barometric pressure drop and temperature. I have three outdoor thermometers, one of them digital and measures relative humidity. I have a rain gauge and a wind vane. Total geek.
Now in my defense, I do work outdoors all day long, every day, with little respite from the elements and like to be informed. My water source at my house comes from whatever the sky feels like sharing and is collected in a tank alongside my home. And I have a righteous garden that is not very happy right now. So, my obsessive/compulsive disorder about weather is understandable.
All this dry, sunny weather is great for outdoor weddings, backyard barbecues and painting your new deck. However, this weather pattern has deprived me and many other nature lovers from one of our favorite things about Spring in the Hill Country. Wildflowers.
The state flower of Texas, the bluebonnet, which was out in full force last Spring has been a virtual no-show this season. I have yet to spot even a single one at Rockmoor this year. In fact I have to really pay attention and look closely to find any wildflowers at all! The good news is, I have found some and want to share them with you. It goes to show that even in a prolonged drought as we are currently in, Texas wildflowers are adaptable and amazingly resilient.
So this is a sampling of what I found at the ranch in the month of April. It's ironic that I found a few Rain Lillies (the white one pictured above) as their fragrant blooms usually only pop open a few days after a heavy rain. We've only had trace amounts of rainfall at Rockmoor this past month. There is a slight chance for rain this coming weekend so I have my fingers crossed.
I'll post more pictures in Part II soon. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Sally Anne

Too close for comfort

Hello everyone
Unless you've been living under a 'proverbial' rock these days then you are aware of the remarkable wildfire season the state of Texas is experiencing right now. All but two counties in the state have had significant fires with over a million acres damaged and over 170 homes destroyed. The perfect storm of low humidity, hot, dry weather patterns and high winds have created ideal conditions for wildfires to take over. And take over they have.
If you haven't already learned, the Oak Hill area of Austin experienced a major wildfire outbreak in a subdivision neighborhood last Sunday. Eleven homes were destroyed and twelve more severely damaged. The fire covered more than 100 acres but thankfully no one was injured. Damage has been estimated at 5 million dollars. The neighborhood, near Scenic Brook Dr., off Highway 290 is surrounded by 'urban wildlands', as they are called. Large, dense thickets of cedar and mixed oak woodlands surrounding residential homes. Reports from local media have cited the fire was caused by a homeless man, camping out in the nearby woods, cooking over an open fire. He wasn't paying attention and an ember flew from the fire and caught quickly in the nearby vegetation. The fire then rapidly grew in a matter of minutes and wasn't completely extinguished and 100% contained until 3 days later. In the meantime, the area was evacuated and many families lost their homes.

As the crow flies, this fire was approximately 2 miles away from Rockmoor. It is rather unsettling to stand on one's balcony and see huge clouds of smoke so close to home. And knowing that you are surrounded on all sides by thick cedar breaks which are highly, highly flammable. Reality check.

Travis County saw three other fires on that very same day and resources were pushed to the limits. The following day all Travis County Park employees (of which I am one) were told to refrain from using any big equipment, chainsaws, mowers, ect. to prevent a spark until further notice. The Park that I work at saw a fire just three days before the big one in Oak Hill caused by the spark from a sub-contractor using a welder. It caused about an acre of damage in less than 20 minutes. This sub-contractor was not utilizing the proper safety precautions and the Fire Marshall who arrived on the scene slapped him with a fine that could possibly reach upwards to $30,000 (!!!) The authorities in Travis County are treating the matter fire hazard very, very seriously.

So the moral of this story should go without saying. Please, please be very careful when visiting the ranch this fire season. Travis County has been in a burn ban for a while now and will most likely continue until weather patterns change. Just three weeks ago when I hosted a backyard barbecue for some friends I started a small ambient campfire, like I always do, to have for folks to sit around. After a few minutes of watching the high winds carry off some embers from my tiny fire I decided that this 'was a very bad idea' and decided to put it out. I like to think of myself as some savvy outdoorswoman but that was a bad judgment call on my part.

I shudder at the thought of a fire getting out of control at the ranch. There is really little that we can do. The best defense that we have for a fire is prevention. Hands down. If you are visiting the ranch this season and will be engaging in any activity that has potential for creating a fire just use some common sense and exercise extreme caution. Avoid tossing cigarette butts carelessly, have water close by, have a fire extinguisher handy (and know how to use it!) and have another set of 'eyes' watching out for stray sparks or embers. Better still, just refrain from whatever activity it is that might create a possible fire hazard until we receive some decent rainfall around here.

With that said, stay tuned for 'Wildflower Report' coming soon.
Till then, be safe. And pray for rain!

Sally Anne


*photo G. Dada, Austin American Statesman*