Leaving Austin TX

I’ve been here for two months enjoying the trails and my grandchildren

Winter here is temperate and comfortable for a light jacket.

Some trees have shed their leaves,

but the marvelous live oaks hold on tight until spring.

Their branches dance this way and that, reaching down and up.

They maintain peaceful groves throughout the city.

This mother live oak stands guard over younger oaks in the green space at the Northwest YMCA

A larger grove at Bull Creek District Park their branches sharing space with air plants. As I sit and look at them I ponder about the network of communication we now know exists underground between the trees.

Going on hikes I marvel at their tenacity growing in crevises and hanging on to cliffs.

The other dominant tree is the cedar tree or Juniperus ashei. In fact, it makes up 39% of the estimated 33.8 million trees in Austin. It stays green year-round but causes problems for Austin residents due to its propensity to cause allergic reactions. Cedar fever season lasts from December through late February when the cedar trees release clouds of pollen. It causes itchy eyes, runny noses sneezing and fatigue it does not cause a fever. I’ve never had a problem so far during the seven winter seasons that I’ve lived here.

This beautiful cedar tree is hugging the edge of a cliff.

Hiking high above a creek one can see you are still in the city with the highway bridge in the distance.

The people of Austin love their hiking trails, so one is never lonely on a hike here. The trails follow the creeks and the bridges balance above them. The bridges look permanent and strong, but I think the trees will outlive them.