The Dinosaurs Were Here! - Sunday, April 3, 2022

This is Day 3 of National Walking Week. Today, I picked up Andy Thomas and we headed to Boerne (pronounced Burney), Texas, to do the 10k Volksmarch through Cibolo Nature Center.

Our walk started at a Comfort Inn where we signed in at a start table hosted by the Randolph Roadrunners Volkssport Club, and then drove to our start point in downtown Boerne. As we exited the car, St. John Lutheran Church loomed large across the street.

St. John Lutheran Church in Boerne, Texas.

St. John Lutheran Church in Boerne
(side view).

We took Rosewood Street to the Old No. 9 Rails-to-Trails path. A neighborhood garden (perhaps belonging to the church) was on our route. After we took photos, I turned around, looked on the ground, and found a one-dollar bill. I guess with inflation, finding pennies, nickels, or dimes has increased to finding dollar bills! LOL.

It must be too early in the year for
this community garden. 

Scott and Paulette turning
onto the Old No. 9 bike path. 

I met Paulette and Scott briefly on Friday morning at the Friedrich Wilderness Park hike. We finished the walk at about the same time. They planned to do most of the seven walks for National Walking Week, so I said I'd probably see them again.

On all my walks I'm looking for kitties to make friends with. We saw this alert, beautiful lilac point or lynx point Siamese in a field headed our way. I called the cat over, but it was skittish. It just wanted to cross the path and not be bothered by humans.

If you know me, you know I HATE spiders in any way, shape, or form. With that being said, a wolf spider ran across our path. Andy and I both took photos of it. In an attempt to learn more about wolf spiders, I read about them online. Here's what I found.

Wolf spiders are fast, aggressive predators who hunt on the ground. They do not build webs, so don't fret about running into one in a web at face level. They typically kill, catch, and eat ground-bound insects and spiders which are smaller than they are, including brown recluse and black widow spiders! Hmm. This spider might be good for something after all. 

If you get close enough to examine one, you can confirm the identity of a wolf spider by the number of eyes it has. While most spiders have six eyes, the wolf spider has eight! It can see really well and has superior night vision. 

Like all spiders, the wolf spider can bite and inject a tiny amount of venom, but it is not toxic to humans. There are no serious medical complications to a wolf spider bite. In fact, the only reason they might bite you is if they feel cornered or threatened. We did not corner or threaten this spider, but let it go on its merry way. 

Wolf spider on the bike path.

Below is the historical information on Old No. 9, the rails-to-trails greenway path we were on.

As we were headed toward Cibolo Nature Park on the Old No. 9 Greenway Trail, Susan Medlin was walking toward us. We exchanged greetings. She had started before the club members set up the registration table for today's walk. This walk is also a year-round event, so she self-registered using the club's start box which is kept at the hotel.

We came off the Old No. 9 Trail at Esser Road. From there, we headed to a paved bike path that would take us to Cibolo Nature Center. We were only on main roads for about two blocks.

The sculpture below is made from bicycle tire rims.

"Solar Wind," by Patricia
Vader of Martinez, California.

Fern Bank Falls.

Scott and Paulette on the 
bridge over Cibolo Creek.

I got to spend some time talking to Scott and Paulette. They recently retired to San Antonio from Virginia. They volksmarched in Germany when they were in the service, walked around the Virginia area, and have done some other walks here in Texas. 

This is a very nice part of the trail
overlooking the creek.

On our way to Cibolo Nature Center, we passed an Agricultural Heritage Museum (mostly old farm equipment outside), a community swimming pool, and soccer fields in Boerne City Park

. 

Agricultural Heritage Museum
in Boerne, Texas.

Blue Case tractor at the museum.

From Boerne City Park, we took City Park Road to Cibolo Nature Center & Farm, also known as Cibolo Center for Conservation. They have a pavilion, a Visitor Center (which I have never been to), and miles of trails through tall grass prairie, woodlands, a marsh, and along Cibolo Creek.

Information about the Nature Center.

Oh, and I believe I mentioned dinosaurs in my title today. This is where we found the dinosaur tracks. 

Dinosaur Trackway.

Dinosaurs had big feet. 

Here's my foot in a dinosaur track.

We crossed a small bridge, headed along the tall grass prairie, and entered the woodland trail (nice shade here!).

Our goal is to see Cibolo Creek.

Tall grass prairie.

I liked the sentiments on this sign.

There are a few picnic tables and
a playground.

The woodland trail.

The woodland trail along
Cibolo Creek.

We didn't take the trail directly next to the creek because large boulders block part of that path. But we could see the creek from this trail. The trail does go down to the creek just before the park's research area (which is fenced off).

This spot right here is my favorite
part of the whole 10k walk!

Cibolo Creek.

Fragaria virginiana (wild strawberry)
Rosaceae

We headed back to the car via a trail through the tall grass prairie, past the soccer fields, and past Fern Bank Falls. 

A little more info on 
Cibolo Nature Center.

When we returned on the Old No. 9 bike path, we saw the Siamese cat again watching us from the trees, but it never did come out. 

Driving out of Boerne, I noticed the temperature was 82 degrees. It took us two hours and 15 minutes to do the 10k walk. 

I dropped Andy off at his house on the way back. Then, I took my car to the car wash. Oh, and with the dollar bill I found on the ground during our walk, I paid cash for an onion at the grocery store. It was $0.91. 

When I got home, I took a shower and a two-hour nap. Bob took off to buy a few things at the store. When he got home, he was very industrious and used a ladder to clean some branches and leaves off our roof.

When I woke up, I spent time editing photos for my blog. We did laundry. 

We watched 60 Minutes. I made dinner around 7 pm, watched some more TV, and then wrote my blog. 

Tomorrow morning, I will be doing the 5k Stone Oak neighborhood walk in north San Antonio. It doesn't start until 9 am! Yay.

Crane Trust Nature and Visitor Center Volksmarch - Sat., Aug. 19, 2017

Fifteen minutes from Grand Island, Nebraska is the Crane Trust Nature and Visitor Center on the Platte River. This is the location for either a 5k or 10k walk today. Crane Trust has opened its tall-grass prairie along the Platte River to us for our walk and mowed trails through the tall grasses.

According to Crane Trust's brochure:

"The Crane Trust and its Nature and Visitor Center are dedicated to the protectection and maintenance of critical habitat for cranes and other migratory birds through leading science, habitat management, community outreach and education."

At the Nature and Visitor Center, you can see:

• Guided Crane Tours (during migrations) 
• Genetically pure bison herd
• A movie about cranes
• Educational displays
• Miles of natural hiking trails
• 35-foot observation tower
• Hornady Art Gallery
• Crimson Crown Gift Shop

Normally, people flock here in the spring to view the sandhill crane migration, although temperatures can be 20 degrees below 0 Fahrenheit. Even Jane Goodall shows up for VIP tours. 

When we arrived at 8 a.m., we checked in for the walk and headed out to see what we could see. Since it is two different 5k loops that start at the same point, we will decide halfway through if we will do the second loop. The initial part of the trail is paved and passes informative displays on sandhill and whooping cranes. 

Sandhill crane info

Whooping crane info

Whooping crane migration facts

I hope you took time to read these if you are into birding. The information is so interesting. 

Sandhill cranes are one of the oldest avian species in existence. Each year, approximately 500,000 sandhill cranes pass through the Platte River Valley in mid-February on their northward migration. They spend 4-6 weeks resting and replenishing energy reserves before continuing northward to Canada, Alaska, or Siberia. There is also a fall migration.

The whooping cranes are much bigger and much rarer. Whoopers stop over from 2-3 days to rest and feed. Both can be seen at Crane Trust Nature and Visitor Center during migration times.

Our path took us past a few more plaques telling about the genetically pure bison herd, the riverine wetland, and plants and animals that we might (or might not) see. 

A 35-foot observation tower loomed over us on the left. I was the only one in our group who went up to see the view of the Platte River. Turns out, it was the best view of the walk!

Volksmarchers at Crane Trust

View of the Platte River from the observation tower

Pedestrian bridge across the Platte River
from the observation tower

Pedestrian bridge from river level

Reading an interpretive sign

The Platte River at Crane Trust from river level

The cranes roost in the open in shallow sandbars of the river. During the day, a single meadow may contain 100,000 birds. Bird concentrations as high as 10,000 birds per 1/2 mile are not uncommon. Unfortunately, they are not here at this time of year. Although, we did see one sandhill crane standing in a different river on our way back to the motel.

From our first 5k trail we did not see much more of the river. We heard from others later that the second 5k portion did go along the river for a way.

One last view of the river before we walked through
the tall-grass prairie

As we walked along the river, I heard bob whites but never saw them. The trails were mowed through the tall meadow grasses. If they hadn't mowed, we would have been up to our waists or shoulders in grass!

A gentleman walking through the mowed meadow

I was surprised by the number of wildflowers we saw, many of them were new to me. Here's a sampling. (Sorry, I don't know the names of all of them.)

A type of goldenrod

Goldenrod

Woolly verbena (?)

Purple loosestrife (?)

Snow on the Mountain

Wild bergamot flowers

Rocky Mountain bee plant

Below are some pod plants that remind me of "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers" movie I saw when I was a child.

Pod plants

Once we were in the meadow there was very little shade and no more views of the river. Other notable sights were the old windmill and a pond. No bison were in the meadow today. (That is a good thing.)

A very large toadstool

The windmill

A pond we passed toward the end of our 5k walk

It was hot and we decided not to do the second 5k walk. We met up with some more walkers on the bridge and stopped for a photo.

Once we had our Volksmarch books stamped, we spent time in the Visitor Center watching the movie about cranes, looked at the animal displays, and spent time in the gift shop.

Sandhill cranes (photo captured from the movie)

Sandhill crane artwork

Another beautiful piece of art

Visitor Center lobby and gift shop

Mural above front entry desk

It was lunchtime so Susan asked the ladies in the gift shop where would be a good place to eat. They suggested Runza, which is a local chain. A Runza sandwich is a large pieroshki (meat/vegetable filling wrapped in an enclosed bun). They were okay, but not our favorite. I've had home-made ones before that were much smaller and much tastier.

Our activity tonight was supposed to be a star party out in the country. A number of people were going to set up telescopes on a ridge and they invited everyone to come out to see the Milky Way, planets, and whatever else they could find. We found out at the end of our walk this morning that the Star Party was canceled due to a forecast of inclement weather. Oh, well. That's okay. We made the most of it.

After lunch, I took a two-hour nap and then Susan, Darren and I went to see "Logan Lucky." It was a fun movie about a couple of hillbillies who decided to rob NASCAR. All of us enjoyed it. It was a smartly done, tight, robbery movie with a lot of hijinks and "dumb" criminals. I can see a sequel coming. 

We had the evening free, so I worked on photos and blogged. The thunderstorms hit around 11:00 p.m. The rain pounded on my motel room window. 

Time for sleep. Tomorrow we have a 10k and an 11k walk. 

Lights out.