Inks Lake and Berry Creek Parks

Inks Lake is one of nearly 100 State Parks. These are varied and well run, many with campsites and water activities. All have trails for hikers and bikers. So here we are walking by the lake, taking in the pretty view.

Very nice, but we’ve got pretty views aplenty in the UK. But here are a few things that are different. In the logs and stones near the water’s edge are clumps of basking turtles. This is one such group, huddled together.

We leave the lake shore and follow the climbing path. Ascending, we pass through an area of cactus. Not much of that in wild UK, maybe just as well as the spines are lethally sharp.

We reach the top, all the while following the clear path between the rocky outcrops. Jane’s, with binoculars at the ready, is scanning for wildlife.

 In the absence of bears or mountain lion, Jane has to settle for a butterfly. But it is an unusual butterfly. It’s a Monarch. These migrate south in their millions from Canada to Mexico, but until a few years ago their final destination was unknown. Now the overwintering areas, upland fir forests in Mexico and Southern California, are logged and protected.

We spot a lizard sunning on the rocks, well camouflaged. Don’t know my lizards, so this can be ID’d as a light brown one, about a foot long.

The notice says, “Beware of Fire Ants”, so we stop to read the perils of their painful stings. Numerous bites can even prove fatal! However, with immense cunning, the fire ants have built a colony at the foot of the warning notice, so that while you are reading it, the fire ants are running up your legs. A few bites are indeed quite sore, but not mortal. Here they are, and let’s have a big round of applause for their ingenuity.

Leaving Inks Park, a photo of two large rocks about to topple into the water. Only problem is, they’ve been like that since the last ice age.

Berry Creek Park is but a short walk from our campsite. It’s less spectacular than Inks Lake, but has some interesting features. The photo below shows large trees planted in straight lines. These are pecan nut trees, and many folks were out harvesting the fallen nuts. We were told that the nuts then need drying in the dark for a month to ripen.

These are the nuts, similar to a small walnut, held in Jane’s hand for scale. Pecan pie is a favourite in America.

And how about this for a strange looking caterpillar, type not known.

Walking back from Berry Creek, we saw what looked like a pair of crested chickens. The bird book identified them as caracara, and very rare in this area. The next day we were excitedly describing this sighting to a local birdwatcher, and were somewhat deflated when he told us that, in recent years with global warming, they were as common as ….chickens. But here’s the picture anyway.

And finally, a friendly pig from the farm running alongside the campsite. There appeared to be a feud between the farm and the campsite as we were warned not to feed them as the pigs break through the fence and create mayhem. The pig looks as if butter wouldn’t melt in its mouth. The breed is a large black that originated in the West County, UK, so nothing exotic, but he doesn’t care.

Up until yesterday, Sunday 14^th Oct, the temperature has been around 30 degrees C. Today, due to a strong northerly air stream, it’s dropped dramatically to 8 C, with torrential rain and gusty winds. And the camper’s leaking, firstly, in a cupboard, but more significantly through the skylight above our bed.

This was “repaired” by Cruise America a few days ago, but clearly ineffectively. That took a week of pestering and a 50 mile round trip to their nearest depot in Austin.

Cruise America are polite and sympathetic over the phone but seem unable or unwilling to act swiftly and effectively. I have just asked them to swap the camper for another one, and as we are moving to another site tomorrow, we need to make the exchange on the way. They made the right noises, but can’t confirm it. We will pursue it in the morning, and tonight we’ll sleep in makeshift beds rather than under the dripping skylight. Watch this space…..