New Sights

It was another sunny day, though still cold. Bud joined Matey and me in looking around San Angelo State Park. We drove to one of the boat ramps, now ending far above the level of the water in O C Fisher Lake.

We then drove to the north end of the park to hike the Dinosaur Trail. This is central Texas and it’s pretty wide and empty.

The trail led not to dinosaur tracks, but to tracks even older and more unusual, tracks from animals that lived 90 million years before the dinosaurs.

The actual tracks aren’t marked, and there’s no guide to them. We are certain this is one set. I’ve never seen such a long set of tracks preserved as fossils before.

There were other marks we thought were tracks,

Since the sign said there were tracks from 26 different animals, these might well be Permian era tracks also.

Almost every plant that grows here has thorns.

Or at least sharp points.

The trail back led through some pretty thick stands of prickly pear cactus. Unfortunately, I slipped on a rutted part and fell. It would not have been significant except I came away with one hip and one side of my butt covered in fine, fine prickers. Bud and I both got them in our hands trying to get them off my jeans. I know some are still in me.

Not just the plants are covered with spines. On the way out we spotted this porcupine. I’ve never seen a live one before and was surprised at how big he was. He was at least three feet long.

He just kind of ambled along and we followed him. I got close enough to catch a picture showing his quills. Sorry you can only see him from behind, he did not stop to look at us.

It was a cold day and a prickly day, but we got to see some new things, so it was a good day.