Cooper and I slide into the arid Llano Estacado just after dawn. The waning gibbous moon hangs low over the Western horizon. It briefly captures my attention, when a Ferruginous Hawk effortlessly draws several circles into the deep blue sky surrounding the pallid nightlight. I pause and connect to the energy of the Llano tableland and its denizens. There is a hush over the prairie. The tranquility portends record breaking afternoon heat.
- © Ilija Lukić 2013 -
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| Eye Contact (terrapena ornata ornata, aka Ornate Box Turtle female) |
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| Window To The Past |
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| Shy Milk Weed (asclepias latifolia) |
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| Battle-Scarred Samurai (pasimachus depressus, aka Blue-margined Ground Beetle) |
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| The Beauty Of The Beast (Yellow Spine Thistle) |
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| Woolly Plantain Spires (plantago patagonica) |
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| Great Plains Native |
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| Death Mask |
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| Leaning To The Right (ratibida peduncularis, aka Naked Prairie Cone Flower) |
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| Stamp Of Approval (Cooper) |
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| Prairie Clown - (eleodes, aka Darkling Beetle) |
So happy to have discovered this blog though I can't remember where I found it! The Llano Estacado is one of my most beloved places on Earth. I live far away from it now, so for me, your photos and journal notes are akin to being there again. It's where I began to heal after 9-11. The llano IS magical.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ramona...magical is a great description...each outing inspires...
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