"At Home in the Sand"
Off Ranch Road 1601
South of Penwell, Texas
Although definitely a desert now, the area in which I live once used to be an ocean around 250 million years ago. Do you think this sand is a remnant of that era? I don't know. Perhaps I will beginning this Saturday when I take the first class of the year long Master Naturalist program through the Sibley Nature Center, taught by Burr Williams. I'm excited!
8 comments:
Goodness gracious, you're good! I've never actually typed the words "goodness gracious" before. I like it enough to make it a habit.
This seals it. I said that I was going to honor you and now I have to. You've pushed me over the edge.
God
Debi that is exactly where that sand came from... When you are driving to Penwell from Odessa and drive down off the Caprock you will have just entered the largest desert in North America... it stretches from California to Texas.
Your pictures have made me realize just how much I love that part of Texas... and how much I miss it. I never thought I'd ever admit that.
Jomamma, how big is the caprock anyway? I know that you see it on the western side if you are traveling from NM to TX on US 380, but I just never thought of it being so far south. It is amazing to me too how the plants manage to get a "toehold" in sand. I've seen the shinnery oak grow there too.
I've never taken 380 that far west so I'm not sure. But the Caprock on I-20 going west out of Odessa is that huge cliff that the highway drops off of as you head down into Penwell. There used to be a pull-off spot there at the top so you could get out and really see just how high you were and see how far north and south it runs.
As I may have said earlier, shots like these are much more difficult to pull off than might be imagined.
Plus, I love the color.
It does look like a very dry sea bed.
Presumably those grasses have some root system to hold them in place.
Nice move! Wow, I'd love to take a class like that. It's right up your alley. I can't wait to benefit from your new found wisdom. :))
Beautiful photo. I vote for "left over from when it was ocean". Let me know how I did.
Wow Debi! great shot! There's no suprise in that 'wow' I'm never suprised to see great photos here. It's more of a 'wow' take my breath away sorta wow....
A naturalist course? sounds great!
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