A Fresh Catch–March 30, 2013
Feeling restless, I wanted to explore new territory, so today I ventured to the far west end of the lake. It paid off. I snapped this photo of an osprey returning to its perch with catch in tow.
That’s one big fish he landed. But then, that’s one big bird, as well.
The new scenery was stimulating, and just the kick I needed. We should introduce something new into our routine from time to time. It keeps us fresh. The visit reminded me, too, of the Nassau Peninsula, a 76-acre wetland area that has been designated for conservation. I’m glad–another little piece of wild preserved. 
I also learned the name of the fragrant golden plant I wrote about earlier from an article in today’s Chronicle. It’s a huisache, a small, spring-flowering tree native to South Texas and Mexico. The article says some liken the fragrance to a blend of violets and orange blossoms, therefore the common name sweet acacia. It also mentions that Europeans use the flowers to make perfume. That makes me laugh – I found the fragrance to be earthy and heavy, but then I’m not much for perfume anyway. (The pink flowers in the photo are lantana.) The drought-tolerant tree can be invasive and is not popular with South Texas ranchers. It’s prolific by the marina, and appears to be thriving there.
I came upon this group of white pelicans seemingly enjoying the day’s beautiful spring weather.
