Mustang Island is quiet during December

If you want the beach at Mustang Island State Park all to yourself, go on a chilly, overcast December day.

You can drive on the beach to choose a camp site.

Jetties along the north end.

What a clean beach.

Near Slap Out Gully

A talk about journaling during a nature class inspired me. I needed that nudge to get me back to the keyboard to write rather than just scroll and read.

The bird/plant guru talked about carrying an unlined notebook to record thoughts while you are outdoors and sketch anything that catches your eye.

I tried to sketch a selfie.

Great idea. But my fingers want to type.

I hung around after class to ask his thoughts on blogs, but he was preoccupied. Blogs are fine, he said, if the technical aspects don't distract from enjoying an outdoor adventure.

I understand the idea of slowing down to take notes and really eyeballing a plant or creature to draw a facsimile. If you just snap a photo and move on, you are not taking the time to really appreciate the natural wonder of a tadpole or a leaf's pattern, he said.

Don't worry about primitive drawings, he said, no one has to see them.

Aha, that is the downside of a blog. When you put your crude sketches, poorly composed photos or ramblings on the internet, you will get feedback. That could be a major distraction.

But as a novice naturalist, I am hoping for the best as I start this yearlong blog about my wanderings near my inland spot along the Texas Gulf Coast outside Houston. And I hope to add the perspectives of neighboring adventurers. -- Lana b