A great birthday.

Yesterday was a great day — my boss found out it was my birthday and he insisted that I take the day off — what a guy! So a good friend and I went hiking for about 7 hours starting at St. Edwards Park, through Bull Creek Preserve and back — click to see the map — we had the perfect weather — low 50’s and calm.

We followed most of the trails in St. Edwards Park — except for the ones through the cacti — Jason and I rode our mountain bikes on that trail on the 4th of July and I wasn’t all that keen on going back — one wrong step and you’re picking spines out for the rest of the day — ouch!

I love hiking this time of year. The crowds of summer are gone, and the trails by the creek are really pretty and peaceful

Willows in winter hold the promise of spring

The sycamores are are all decked out with their Christmas ornaments

As we headed out of St. Edwards we saw this guy swoop into a nearby tree — I think it is a kestral — saw the pattern on his breast. Anyone know? He had a mouse hanging out of his mouth — well, at least the tail!

Scott dubbed this scene “The Mines of Moria”, ha ha! We had our first lunch sitting on the spillway: pecans from the Georgetown Pecan Company (thanks Agnes), bananas, blueberries, cherries and ginger snaps. Yum!

We climbed in and out of little canyons all day — so pretty. And you have to love it when the trail is the natural rock

There were good stands of prairie grasses, too — like this Little Bluestem glowing copper as the sun began to sink below the horizon

and this Seep Muhly that looks like a waterfall rolling down the hilllside

What a great day.

(And yep, we made it back to the truck without having to use a flashlight, ha!)