Category Archives: Outdoor Adventures

Dallas Arboretum Reopens

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Dallas Arboretum Sculpture
Celebrating the Familiar at the Dallas Arboretum

How do you ramble in the midst of a pandemic? For me, it’s finding uncrowded outdoor spaces. Dallas summer heat adds to the challenge, but, with a little pre-planning, Dallas Arboretum suits. The quintessential garden reopened to the public June 1. Though some areas, like the Rory Meyer Children’s Adventure Garden remain closed, much of the Dallas Arboretum is open for a leisurely stroll and even a picnic. Best part, the garden is ablaze with color from blooming annuals.

Dallas Arboretum summer color
Summer annuals add bursts of color

What’s Changed

Pre-purchased tickets, procured by phone or online are needed for entrance …even for Arboretum members. The timed reservation allocates four hours garden admission to the ticketholder. I reserved online, printed my tickets at home, and swapped them at the entrance for color-coded wrist bands. While the garden recommends wearing masks, almost all visitors dispensed with face coverings once inside the grounds. Everyone was respectful of social distancing. Please note, however, masks are required in public restrooms.  

Not all gardens are open. The tram isn’t running. What is available is a mile loop around the garden. To prevent crowding, the trail is directional, with arrows and signage guiding visitors. I thought I’d find this too limiting. It wasn’t. The loop takes you along the entire perimeter of the Arboretum and includes the Woman’s Garden. Much of the route meanders through shade and past water features, a wonderful respite from the heat.

Seward Johnson Summer Sculpture

You won’t find the seasonal playhouses for children that graced the Dallas Arboretum in previous summers. What you will find are twenty-five, bronze statues from Seward Johnson’s Celebrating the Familiar. When I spied the first statue, I mistook it for an actual person. Johnson’s art are life-sized sculptures ‘dressed’ in painted bronze … almost like store manikins. Most had me taking another look to determine if it was a garden visitor or a Seward Johnson sculpture, like the young girl sitting on the park bench with a rabbit in her lap. The exhibit opens on June 22, though most of the sculptures were already in position during my visit this week.

Seward Johnson Celebrating the Familiar at the Dallas Arboretum
Seward Johnson – Celebrating the Familiar

Seward Johnson, grandson to a Johnson & Johnson founder, died at 89 this past March. His sculptures have been described as ‘hyperreal’ and some art critics consider them ‘kitsch.’ I found them delightful snippets of everyday life and a treat to discover during my garden walk.

Consider a Membership

Timing is everything. If you want to beat Dallas heat, the earlier in the day you visit, the more pleasant the experience. The Dallas Arboretum opens at 9 am. Through November, however, Arboretum members can reserve a 7 to 11 am admission ticket. The early entry option is a wonderful perk with even fewer people around, and best of all, less heat to contend with. My family’s favorite is early admission, walk, and then a breakfast picnic. Members have an additional option to enjoy a twilight garden walk, Thursdays from 4 to 8 pm.

Picnic

Unlike other formal gardens, the Dallas Arboretum encourages picnicking. Under the current reopening, dining locations are limited. I strongly urge bringing your own food and drink. There is a water refill station at the main entrance, but other drinking fountains are not available. During our visit, we found folks using benches, ubiquitously located along the pathway, for al fresco dining. Magnolia Glade offers tables under massive trees. My favorite spot, the cabanas at Three Sisters Overlook, even has rotating fans to cool you off.

Three Sisters Overlook

When you go The Dallas Arboretum is located at 8525 Garland Road, Dallas.  Garden admission is daily 9 am to 5 pm. Pre-purchase tickets by phone at (214) 515-6615 or online. Seward Johnson’s Celebrating the Familiar will be on display June 22 through July 17. As Dallas Arboretum reopens to the public, expect changes. Please consult their website for the latest updates and guidance. Virtual garden tours are also available right from your home computer.

Green Anole

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Texas Backyard Critters

Harry, my backyard green anole

The amount of wildlife that inhabits my garden beds continues to amaze me. I’m not a big reptile fan, but I have formed an attachment to one green anole, a lizard, that enjoys soaking up sun rays on the brick ledge outside my bedroom window. I’ve named him Harry after the anole in the BBC series, Death in Paradise.

I find Harry taking up his sunbathing perch most afternoons. Sometimes he clings to the brick facing outside the front door. Other times he’s positioned on a wrought iron butterfly sculpture. And, if feeling particularly private, I’ve found him snugged up in a Rose of Sharon bush.

Battle Royal – Green Anoles

I’ve always thought of Harry as a peaceful, quiet sort of guy. Imagine my surprise, that while trimming up some overly exuberant trumpeter vine, I encountered Harry in mortal combat with another green anole. This was a pitched, dinosaur-style battle. The lizards circled each other and bobbed up and down. At different intervals the anoles took turns puffing up their dewlap, that’s the pinkish-red neck flap under their chin. It didn’t take me long to discover the reason for the skirmish. Clinging to a nearby rainspout was a female anole, oblivious to the fight taking place three feet away. Alas, Harry did not fair well in the battle, and retreated.

Female Anole waits patiently

The battle I witnessed is common in springtime. Green anoles jealously guard their territory, fighting intruders, especially when a female is involved. Another interesting tidbit, green anoles change colors, sometimes with incredible rapidity. During Harry’s battle royal, the two lizards transformed from forest green to brown and back again. In retreat, Harry shifted back to the bright grass-green skin I’m accustomed to. Scientists believe humidity, mood, temperature and health trigger color shifting, not a camouflage adaption. I’d always believed green anoles were a type of chameleon and was surprised to learn that they are more closely related to iguanas than chameleons.

I’ve discovered more green anoles in the yard. There is one little fellow who suns itself on my compost bin – a great place to catch a few rays and snatch a bite to eat (lots of ants around the bin). Harry’s opponent, in the side yard, likes to hide within my trumpeter vine. And there is a baby anole in the front yard who suns on a low rock in the afternoon. I’m sure, if you look closely, you, too, may have a few lizard friends in your own backyard.

More Anole Tidbits

Green anoles are diurnal, which means they are daytime critters

Great for the garden, anoles eat bugs, slugs, moths, and worms

Another species, the non-native brown anole is an invasive species out competing its green anole cousin in our area

Anoles live two to eight years

Green anoles can be kept as pets

Eastern Cottontail

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Texas Backyard Critters

Hoppy, an Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

Exploring my backyard has replaced day trips, as we all do our part to stop the spread of covid-19 and stay home. I am amazed and entertained by the microcosm of life around me. One frequent visitor to my garden oasis, consistently maintains at least the CDC prescribed six-foot distance – an eastern cottontail rabbit my family named Hoppy. This little guy … could be a gal … it’s difficult to sex a rabbit … lives under a tool shed in the corner. The yard is fenced, offering Hoppy protection from most predators, though I’ve noted he’s beginning to foray out in the evenings. And while he does prefer to dine on black eyed susan plants, he’s discovered that seeds, dropped by squirrels raiding the bird feeder, are mighty tasty, too.

While many view the rabbit as a pest, I admire its adaptability.  The eastern cottontail is ubiquitous adjusting to North Texas’ changing landscape and creating habitat for itself in among suburban subdivisions.  On my neighborhood walks, I frequently spy at least one fluff-tailed critter. An herbivore, the rabbit dines on lawns and makes its home in shrubs. An opportunistic vegetarian, the eastern cottontail will gladly switch from its native diet of grasses to other garden plants, like my black eyed susan, when available.

These small mammals weigh just two to four pounds. They are crepuscular, meaning they’re active during dawn and dusk, generally resting during the day. I often find Hoppy catching a little afternoon sun and taking a nap nestled in the garden bed mulch.

In the wild, rabbits live just a little over a year contending with predators like bobcat, fox, coyote, owls, and hawks. To survive, cottontails possess exceptional eyesight and hearing.  If they sense danger, the rabbit will freeze in place or dash for cover.  Backyard naturalists likely have seen both behaviors.  Cottontails can jump up to 15 feet and often will flee in a zigzag pattern – done to throw a predator off its scent.

Life is tough for the eastern cottontail, even in suburbia. Backyard bunnies, like Hoppy, have to contend with predatory dogs and cats, but most are killed by cars. Still, rabbits thrive in North Texas often birthing several litters of kits each season. Unlike their cousin the hare, rabbits are helpless at birth, born both blind and hairless. The new kit (baby rabbit) will quickly grow its fur and open its eyes, leaving the nest within about two weeks. Kits mature to full grown adults within four or five months. I’ve watched Hoppy grow from small kit to full grown rabbit over the past several months. He continues to captivate me with his cuteness.

More Rabbit Tidbits

  • Eastern cottontails are not social animals and prefer to live singularly.
  • The female cottontail is larger than the male.
  • Cottontails rarely drink water, getting most of their water from the plants they eat.
  • In winter, if green plants are not available, the cottontail will eat twigs and bark.
  • Cottontails will sometimes eat their own droppings to get all the nutrients from the food they ate. 

Diamond Hunting in Arkansas

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Prospectors, young and old, find treasures at Crater of the Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro. The park is the only diamond mine open to the public – and the best part – you keep whatever you unearth.

The Mine

Don’t be disappointed by your first glimpse at the diamond mine. Outwardly, it looks like a plowed farmer’s field. Appearances are deceiving. Hidden among the dirt furrows are diamond, agate, jasper, and quartz.

Diamond hunting can be surprisingly easy. Most gems found are small, about the size of a pea, and are less than a carat. The best diamond hunting is on a sunny day following a heavy rainstorm. The rain washes the dirt from the denser diamonds and the sunshine signals the hunter by reflecting off the diamond’s surface. In these conditions, diamonds can actually be found by simply walking the rows of plowed dirt.

Serious miners employ a more strenuous method to find their gems. Prospectors haul buckets filled with dirt to a washing area. Park regulars use water to sluice dirt away from the stones and then sift through the remaining gravel in search of diamonds. With the right rhythm, the dense diamonds settle to the sluicing pan’s bottom separating out from the washed away dirt. This is hard work but fun to try. The park has two covered washing sheds for water sifting. It’s a lively place with fellow diamond hunters readily helping each other by offering tips and assistance to novice treasure seekers.

Some diamond hunters use a third method to find the elusive stones. Divining a likely spot, they plop down in the field and dry sift the soil. This method appears to be most fun for the youngest treasure seekers. Kids love to dig and here they are in their element.

Geology and history

How did diamonds end up in this Arkansas field? About 100 million years ago, a volcanic pipe shot diamonds and other geological wonders from deep within the earth’s mantle to the surface forming the Prairie Creek Diatreme. Traveling at speeds from 60 to 250 miles an hour, volcanic pipes pushed earth up and out to the surface, mixing magma with rock and minerals in its path.

At Crater of the Diamonds, the diamonds lost 60 to 80 percent of their size during their trip through the earth’s crust when they mixed with the hot, molten magma.  Still, over the years there have been incredible finds. Discovered in 1924, the Uncle Sam diamond registered 40 carats. And in 1975, Mr. Johnson unearthed a 16 carat diamond, the Amarillo Starlight.

The first diamonds were discovered by John Huddleston, a local farmer in 1906. Commercial attempts to mine the diamonds did not succeed and in 1972 the State of Arkansas bought the property for a park. Since that time, over 2.8 million people visited and left with about 28,700 diamonds – that is roughly 600 diamonds a year. Not bad odds for treasure seekers.

More than diamonds

Even without a diamond, families can return home with treasures. Huge Jasper chunks litter the mine field with spots of red and burnished orange color. Lamproite with gold streaks of mica and translucent agate wait to be discovered. Visitors can remove one, five-gallon bucket of rock and soil each day. Following several visits to the Crater of the Diamonds, our family has an astoundingly colorful rock collection of personal finds.

Planning your visit

The park website offers tips for planning your mining expedition. Recommend wearing old clothes and boots as the field is often muddy. If you intend to wet sift for diamonds, bring rubber gloves. The park rents prospecting gear like sifting screens and hand trowels for a nominal fee. I suggest, however, that you bring your own bucket for transporting treasures home. Sandwich baggies are handy for keeping small stones from getting lost. Without shade trees, hats and sun screen are a must during summer months.

When you go

Crater of the Diamonds State Park (209 State Park Road, Murfreesboro) is open daily, with times varying by season. Entrance to the park is free, but there is a fee to access the diamond field. The park has tent and RV camping spots. The Queen of Diamonds Inn, located in nearby Murfreesboro, offers clean and comfortable rooms, or travel to either nearby Hope or Akadelphia for a wider selection of lodging.

So pack the kids and head out for a weekend treasure hunt. Maybe you will be next to discover a diamond.

It’s Bluebonnet Time

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You don’t have to travel to Texas Hill Country to find bluebonnets. Roadways and Zion Cemetery (800x599)parks near Dallas offer plenty of springtime blooms including fields of bluebonnets! The Facebook page, Bluebonnet Love, is a great resource for finding bluebonnets in your area. My go-to places for local bluebonnets couldn’t be more different: one is a park on the Southern Methodist University (SMU) campus and the other is an old pioneer cemetery.

In the Heart of the City

The best Dallas wildflower viewing may just be at SMU and the George W. Bush Presidential Center. A 15-acre urban park planted with native prairie grasses and wildflowers forms a semi-circle around the back of the Presidential Center. Not only will you find bluebonnets, but also dusty pink carpets of evening primrose, brilliant reds and yellows of firewheel, and magenta wine cup. Benches scattered around the garden make for an ideal spot to stop and enjoy the magnificent spring display.

The park is open sunrise to sunset. There is a fee for touring the Presidential Center, but entry to the attached park is free. The George W. Bush Presidential Center is at 2943 SMU Blvd, Dallas. For more information, contact the center at (214) 200-4300 or visit their website.

Half Forgotten Zion Cemetery

A hillside covered in bluebonnets is stunning. And that’s what you’ll see at Zion Cemetery – a hillside awash in blue. At the height of the season, this sleepy little cemetery becomes a parking lot with hundreds vying for that perfect snapshot of the kids in the flowers. I’ve even seen an industrious photographer lug a Victorian chaise lounge onto the hillside to capture just the right photo!

Alas, the pastures that once surrounded the cemetery are gone, making way for new housing developments. Still, this is a safe, off-the-road location to take a family photo in the flowers. Zion Cemetery is located on Farm to Market (FM) 423 between Eldorado Parkway and State Highway 380i in Little Elm.