Sodden Trails

After a fortnight of recurrent rains borne on tumultuous monoliths of ethereal bluster, Cooper and I revel in the prospect of sodden trails and resurgence of shortgrass prairie life. We meander towards the trail head. Overcast skies and fifty-degree temperatures liven our pace. En route we find that previously waterless clay pans scattered across the Llano tablelands are again opulent playa lakes. They teem with ephemeral activity. We forgo the slippery red ooze which paves ranch roads in favor of game trails. They wind across emerald blankets of grass. They slice through countless wildflowers intent on displacing withered prairie straw. Now and then elusive rabbits break cover and entice Cooper to lively foot races. He obliges without restraint. I pause to appreciate the aroma of damp soil and sage on the cool morning breeze. My heart enjoys the dance.

© Ilija Lukić 2014

Sodden Trail
(Llano Estacado east of Clovis, New Mexico USA)

Purple Majesty
(Monarda punctata aka Spotted Beebalm)

Spokes Of Fire
(Gaillardia pulchella aka Indian Blanket Flower)

First Cholla Rose
(Cylindropuntia imbricata aka Cane Cholla)

Up Close And Personal
(Glochids on Cane Cholla fruit)

Melodías De Oro

One week after copious rains douse the arid Llano Estacado plateau numerous playa lakes still brim with the precious gift bestowed by thunderstorms. In the ordered confusion of prairie florae revival the golden melodies of yucca flowers reign supreme. The first hints of spine-fortified cactus roses join grasses and wildflowers in the the scramble for sunlight and sustenance from Mother Earth. Come walk a mile in my shoes. The natural world most certainly nurtures the primal threads that bind us to one another and illuminate our essence.

© Ilija Lukić 2014

Melodías De Oro
(Yucca campestris aka Plains Yucca)

Campanario De Las Llanura
(Plains Yucca)

Explosión De La Estrella
(Escobaria vivipara var. neomexicana on Llano Estacado near Clovis, New Mexico)

Rosa Amarilla
(Opuntia macrorhiza aka Plains Prickly Pear Cactus)

Linterna De Dios
(Plains Yucca)

Amor En Las Espinas
(Large Pad Prickly Pear Cactus)

Awakening

After five days of rejuvenating rains the prairie prepares to resurrect drought-ravaged flora. Hearty yucca sentinels are the first to quicken from winter slumber. Their golden campaniles stand vigil over primrose littering tired prairie straw. They reassure asters, daisies and bee balm in their quest to break free of Mother Earth’s soggy bosom.

Opportunists and proven survivors such as cholla and prickly pear cacti gorge on the abundance of Adam’s Ale. Cholla chain links swell as they cache the life-giving liquid. Prickly pear cacti follow suit and rouse wrinkled nopales from their winter repose on red soil. The abundance of buds portends a stunning flourish of cactus roses.

© Ilija Lukić 2014

Into The Blue
(Yucca campestris aka Plains Yucca)

Llano Shade Tree
(Cylindropuntia imbricata aka Cane Cholla)

Beacons Of Hope

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

Wet Passage

Azure Symphony
(Yucca campestris aka Plains Yucca)

Beacon Of Hope
(Yucca campestris aka Plains Yucca)

Campanas De Oro
(Yucca campestris aka Plains Yucca)

Chocolate Ripples

Goat's Beard Sanctuary
(Tragopogon dubious aka Western Salsify)

High Plains Royalty

Come take a stroll on the wild side. Open your eyes, your heart, your soul. Behold Heaven in wild flowers. Nature's grandest endeavors depend on the success of the smallest component. Join the legion of mortals who wax poetic about the fleeting pulchritude.

© Ilija Lukić 2014

Nodding Greenthread

Chocolate Phyllary

Panamint Catseye

Shy Daisy

Spotted Beebalm

High Plains Royalty