At its Northern boundary the tableland of the Llano Estacado drops precipitously into the Canadian River plain. We leave behind the manicured crop fields and vast expanses of open grazing range. The land below the escarpment is rugged terrain cut by winding arroyos with jagged banks. Mesquite, cholla, yucca, and prickly pear make the landscape nearly impassable. Range cattle and horses roam at will.
The ranchers in this slice of the West live by the same creed of self-reliance and harmony with the land early settlers and native people used to survive in this harsh environment. Yet, intrusions of modern human existence abound. They are a stone’s throw away perched on the caprock just above the Llano Breaks. Wind turbines, wheels within the wheel of civilization, spin noisily on the breath of the prairie winds. Serenity has a new definition...windmills of the civilized heart...green energy.
The flora in the breaks is in survival mode. Sparse rains and snows have limited the usual Spring wildflower bloom. Many of the hardy mesquite have yet to leaf out. Even cacti wait for better days.
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Brown-Spined Cousins
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Cholla Fruit Basket
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Moulins À Vent Du Cæur Civilisée
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Llano Estacado Breaks
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Prairie Verbena
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Rush Hour On Quay Road 50
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Rusty Paddles
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Yellow Rose Of Quay
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