Juniper and Oak in Texas

Let’s face it, I just got lazy.  I found a computer game that I got stuck on.  I could never do a YouTube channel because I would loose interest and be off it for a few months.  But as long as I have friends who tell me they love my pictures and my blog, then I will probably never totally quit.

Today’s blog titled “Juniper and Oak” is full of pictures of trees, a few flowers, but no birds.  There are some song birds here, but the lighting is such that I haven’t been able to get any good pictures.  I suppose I could be a photographer that plants themselves in one spot for hours to get the right pic, but that isn’t me.  The bird I see and hear most is the cardinal, which pleases me a lot.  The lighting here, and where they park, makes it really hard to get a nice bright picture.

In this blog, anything in quotes is quoted from an app called PictureThis.  It was used to identify all flowers and trees in this blog.

So I will talk of trees.  The first is the oak tree.  I just love the baby leaves.  Here is what you see just walking up to the tree.

BTW-these are all from my iPhone.  Here are the leaves in regular picture mode.

Here are the leaves taken in portrait mode.  They are tiny and cute!

Here is a contrast between fall and spring.

More pretty babies

I took this pic from a different angle.  Look closely at how it grows off the branch.  Fascinating!  This is a Pin Oak.  “The name, “pin oak,” is given possibly due to the large numbers of small and slender twigs.  It may also be due to the historical use of the timber for pins in wooden building construction.”

Here is a Twist Leaf Yucca and a baby Oak tree.

This is a spreading fleabane.  Yes, it is considered a week by some, but even weeds have names!

This yellow flower has a big name!  The stemmy four-nerve daisy.  There was no story behind its name.

How about this lovely beauty?  Definitely something people probably try to get out of their lawns.  Looks like a very sharp dandelion.  This is a Spiny Sowthistle.  It is an herb.  According to my app this is called a sowthistle because “All the plants from the Sonchus genus are called sowthistle.  To differentiate all the different species, the name will emphasize their unique characteristics.  For example, the edges of the leaves are serrated and the back of the leaves are spiny featured.  Hence, it is called spiny sowthistle.”  Picture taken from above.

I don’t know what tree this is, but it is another sign of spring.

This flower is a Drummond’s onion.  It says that the flowers appear in April and May.  Today is the middle of March.

Juniper tree.  You might have read past posts about my love for Junipers.  They grow everywhere from the tropics to the arctic.  I have Bath and Body Works Juniper body soap.  My favorite essential oil is Juniper.  I especially like to mix it with the non-scented lotion.  The species that my app is coming up with here in central Texas is Ashe’s juniper.  Yesterday when Richard and I were sitting outside he looked at a tree and said, “I think that is a cedar tree.”  Not willing to start an argument I googled Juniper.  A juniper is in the same family as a cedar.  In fact, the Ashe’s Juniper is also known as Ozark white cedar, Post cedar, Mexican juniper, and much more.  You get the idea.  I also read that  Junipers in North America are sometimes called New World Cedars, or False Cedars.  

Do you see the bluish-purple lines and spots on the sidewalk?  Those are juniper berries.  They are all over!!!

The bark is fascinating.  It is peeling.

Look closely here, I believe the brown parts on the branches, or leaves, if you will, are new growth.

More bark.

Many blue Juniper berries.  

 Not a bad pic from my iPhone

The first Juniper picture was also taken to show what a site here at Thousand Trails Lake Whitney RV park.  The pic below shows one of the many electric boxes in our area covered with a red bag-out of order.  There are many signs here, like the TT before, with signs saying updates are coming.

The sad pool.  Not open until Memorial Weekend.

There are a few trees like this around.  It is a western redbud, sometimes known as a Judas tree.  It is called Judas tree because it is believed this is the species of tree that Judas Iscariot hung himself on.

Thanks for reading!  I don’t know if I’ll ever go back and post all my bird pics from Harlingen or not.  Maybe if 3 people ask for it.  Blessings to everyone, wash your hands!

I just posted this, but I have something important to add.  I posted the below picture a few days ago and a Texan called them Texas Bluebonnets.  Hmmm.  I didn’t think so, but what do I know?  They are called Common Grape Hyacinth.  I thought maybe they are blue bonnets and they have many names like the Juniper.

Well, today I found this.  This is a Texas bluebonnet.  This flower is inside the small dog walk area here in this park.  Lol.  If you enlarge this pic, you’ll see it nestled in with 3 other flowing plants.  Weeds?  One is that sowthistle.  Well, is the well loved bluebonnet a weed?  Like the well loved Alaska fireweed?