Butterflies and lantana

Zebra Heliconian in Resaca de la Palma State Park.

While spending a couple of misty, windy days in the Rio Grande Valley, we quickly discovered that if we found a sheltered patch of lantana in the sun, the chances of seeing butterflies increased.

Red Admiral, below, and Painted Lady at Choke Canyon State Park.

This Monarch also was along the birding trail at Choke Canyon State Park.

Mexican Bluewing knows how to hide

The flash of blue along the trail caught our attention, but when we stopped for a closer look, it was hard to spot the Mexican Bluewing.

When the butterfly lands, it likes to hang with its mottled brown outer wings closed so that it looks like a leaf. Its very good camouflage in the woodlands where they prefer to live.

A Mexican Bluewing does its leaf imitation. It is even hard to spot when it lands on tree bark.

This one was was in Resaca de la Palma State Park in Brownsville. They are mostly found in the Rio Grande Valley, Mexico and Central America.

Good morning, bunnies

This may have been a family. Two were smaller than the third.

Eastern Cottontails didn't seem concerned by humans strolling along the trails on an overcast morning at Estero Llano Grande State Park.

I guess the grass looked greener in the middle of the trail.

The rabbits let us get within four or five feet before dashing into the underbrush.

"Shh. Be vewy, vewy quiet. I'm hunting wabbits." -- Elmer Fudd and me.

Not an Easter bunny.

Seven Texas state parks in five days

A Blue Metalmark greeted us at the front door of Resaca de la Palma.

We gave our Texas State Parks Pass a workout recently. In less than a week, my chauffeur and I visited seven state parks.

1. Lake Corpus Christi State Park for lunch.
2. Estero Llano Grande State Park on a misty morning.
3. Resaca de la Palma State Park on an 80-degree afternoon.
4. Falcon State Park on a blustery morning.
5. Lake Casa Blanca International State Park on a 45-degree morning.
6. Choke Canyon State Park on a blustery afternoon.
7. Palmetto State Park on a chilly morning that turned into a glorious midday.

We are not birders, campers or fishermen, but we like to walk the trails and take photos.

All the parks were well-kept and had heir own quirks. The ones I would be most interested in visiting again are:

Gator by the dock on an overcast morning.

* Estero Llano Grande in Weslaco has winding trails, a viewing deck with birds posing for visitors and an alligator lake.

Walking to dock of the alligator lake, we found an alligator there to greet us. My brain flashed to Sam/Ralph the Sheepdog in the old Looney Tunes cartoon, who punches in for his shift and greets his co-worker. It looked like this alligator, maybe named Alonzo, had the morning shift to wow the tourists, and its replacement came on at lunchtime.

* Brownsville's Resaca de la Palma is interesting too. There are plenty of trails and if you get tired, you can wait for the loop shuttle to pick you and take you back to the spacious air-conditioned visitor's center.

Palmetto State Park lives up to its name with thousands of palmetto plants.

* Palmetto State Park in Gonzales is a little gem along the San Marcos River. The trails wind into each other, and I like trails that loop.

A subdivision backs up to the border of Lake Casa Blanca International State Park in Laredo.

My nominee for Most Ridiculous Trail goes to Mesquite Bend Trail at Lake Casa Blanca. There are lots of mesquite and switchbacks, but the trail along the border of the park is next to a subdivision.

Trail walkers can see into backyards and across rooftops. On this Sunday morning, we could hear lawnmowers and barking dogs. That was weird.

Threat of rain doesn't stop Prairie Tuesday crew

The potting shed, dirt pile and small crew. Want to join us?

We wondered how many plants we would get potted before the rain ran us out of the potting shed at Sheldon Lake.

Turns out the weather only threatened a washout. We got about 320 pots of Gamagrass, Switchgrass and miscellaneous grasses and forbs potted during the three-hour morning session.

Our goal on Prairie Tuesdays is to prepare 300 pots to keep up with the planters and build an inventory for volunteer groups that come in the spring to plant and the fall Plant-a-Thon.

We got a bit damp but were gone before the steady rain started. As we left the pots to get a soaking, I was thinking it would be a good afternoon for a nap. But I think that almost every afternoon.

Lining up pots in groups of 100.