Three laid-back spring days punctuated by overnight thunderstorms leave the heretofore parched Llano Estacado tablelands refreshed by heavenly tears. Terra cotta ranch roads sport ribbons of water. Life stirs to the melodic chirps of trilling crickets and dulcet tones of meadowlarks. Ephemeral pools invite prairie amphibians. The cacophony of Great Plains Toad mating calls competes with a distant train horn. Ground beetle larva scribe intricate calligraphy into the muddy film on cattle trails as they move just below the rain-softened surface. The Llano prevails as an oasis of serenity in a troubled realm.
Yucca flower spires welcome their annual role as messengers of wildflower bounty and sun-filled days to come. Their lofty belfries adorned with campanas de oro are akin to lighthouses amid endless seas of grass—beacons of hope on the drought-ravaged plain.
© Ilija Lukić 2014
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| Wet Passage |
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| Azure Symphony (Yucca campestris aka Plains Yucca) |
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| Beacon Of Hope (Yucca campestris aka Plains Yucca) |
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| Campanas De Oro (Yucca campestris aka Plains Yucca) |
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| Chocolate Ripples |
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| Goat's Beard Sanctuary (Tragopogon dubious aka Western Salsify) |
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