Shaking the Trees

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Mental Wanderings

Sally Evans, 2006 – Founder & Emeritus –
A wide swath of trees and vines and junipers has grown up along the back by a creek.  The front part was mowed several times a summer but often the grasses grew knee high and swayed in the breezes.  That lot became the resting place or home for the wild life that moved up and down the creek.  Birds roosted or nested in the trees and shrubs.  In one far corner a cottonwood tree grew twice as high as the rest of the trees and became the site for hawks sunning or scanning for prey.  Flocks of birds would stop in the top branches to rest and recoup. Families of crows would convene to pester the hawks or to just the surrounding territory and then move on to another perch.   Squirrels ran up and down the trunk or leaped from branch to branch.  One December night two great horned owls sat high in the tree and called and called to some unknown recipient. And one summer a pair of Swainsons hawks nested there.  Birders said it was not probable but photos of the birds verified their site. 

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Shells to warm your hearts

Lauren Bendiksen, 2019 – I am excited that the Lightning Whelk is the Texas Master Naturalist Program 2022 Annual Re-Certification pin. I grew up in Dallas, and our family’s vacations to South Padre Island were definitely a jumping off point for my love of nature due to the excitement of searching for seashells. I became absolutely obsessed with seashells. My maternal grandparents also lived near the coast in Florida, so you can imagine my joy when we were able to visit them and go to the beach, allowing me additional options for collecting seashells. 

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Reflections on Sara Dykman’s Bicycling with Butterflies Book

Greg Tonian, 2017 –
Ideas are like Fireflies,
Brief flashes in the dark,
blinking.
Talk is cheap,
Life’s opportunities fleeting.

Dreams evaporate.
Yet Sara put mettle to pedal,
She set out on her quest,
Before it was too late.

Her goal was simple yet mad.
It would require lots of planning,
Lots of charts,
Though she wanted to be spontaneous,
A journey of this type,
Had many moving parts.

Courage and persistence she did not lack
She simply bicycled with the Monarchs,
From Mexico to Canada and back.
10,201 miles, 232 days,
Travelling countless byways.

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Thank you, Mike Roome

At the end of 2021 Immediate Past President Mike Roome will be leaving the board. He served as President in 2018-2019 and as IPP through this year. During this time, he was severely ill, but as soon as he could he returned to his board duties. His leadership, positive outlook and grateful heart will be missed at the monthly board meetings.