Open House Oct 20, 2012

The public was invited to come out for hikes this morning, and all docents were invited to take people on hikes as they arrived.   Turns out the first hour was spent getting to know the 10 or so other docents who came - because the public didn't.  Which was fine with me - this land attracts some great docents.

Bill, Nancy and I got into details quickly: Bill decided much of the fields of goldeneye we were ooing and ahing over was actually Lindheimer's crown beard, endemic.

The differences from goldeneye are subtle.  To me, crown beard looks like goldeneye that's grown up a bit more.  But wait - goldeneye has 8 petals, crown has 12.  Both leaves are rough top and underside, but crown earns it's name "beard" from it's very scratchy underside (at least that's my story). Bill also pointed out crown's leaves grow opposite low to the ground, but then are alternate close to the flower.  I haven't gone back to see how goldeneye leaves grow.   But it did occur to me that this means the plant has already "decided" to flower when it creates it's first non-opposite leaf.

Antother way of approaching these flowers is to simply say "It's a DYC" - Damn Yellow Composite.  I have this from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center via Patricia.  There are so many of them, even the experts are flappable.

I like it. I'll probably resort to using it.  Only "Lindheimer's DYC" sounds even better to me.

I hiked trail 4 with Patricia and Susan(?).
Saw a yaupon holly with red berries.
The ladies say you can make a very nicely caffeinated tea from the leaves. Must try that out some time.

Still on trail 4 - Nancy W pointed out an arizona walnut.  It was dark and huge - a perfect place to see a malevolent sprite.

A little ways on, a rare little leaf texas mulberry. Looks like the second try-around for this guy, judging from the small trunks growing out of the big.

Nancy W called us back to the parking lot then, because people were showing up and wanting hikes.  She called on Susan's phone, and when Nancy asked where we were, Susan said "by the escarpment cherry".   We all knew exactly where that was. Not because it's the only one that's growing here, but because it's the one docents stop and point out.

I gave my first official hike to a mother and daughter, Amy and Terra.  Terra's a girl scout, and they thought it would be great to bring the troup out for a hike of their own next month.  I only took them on  a short, easy hike because Terra had heard her mom say "House" and "Free food" for this morning, so she wasn't expecting a hike and had flip flops on. But she loved the hike (and the free food) and seemed excited about coming back again and hiking up to the House.