By Paula D. Barteau
Big Bend
October 19, 2015
I found several
clumps of what I believe was Selaginella
lepidophylla or Flower of Stone, an ancient species of desert plant that
can survive total dehydration in a dormant state and revitalize when exposed to
water.
Flower of Stone
I feel like there
is a consciousness in the rocks here that might function in the same way. This
place feels old and tough and graceful, like it's hovering on the edge of
sleep, just watching to see what happens, like it might wake up at any moment.
Prehistoric smile
Nest of Thorns
Eggs of Stone
I found a piece
of string in a puddle that was not in fact a piece of string, but two worms
mating. They were each between one or two feet long and about the diameter of
an angel-hair pasta. I think there was a
colony of bees living under a rock next to the puddle who came out in large
numbers to drink from it.
Tiny Crystal nest
I went for a hike
one morning and got completely absorbed in my own thoughts when my foot slipped
and I sat down to keep from falling, only to realize that a herd of 15-20
Javilina were crossing the mesa about a quarter of a mile bellow me. They were
sprawled across the mesa, each taking their own path down from the hill, but
all of them made their way to a small sand stone arch at the bottom of the mesa
and passed through it single file on their journey. I didn't have my camera
with me and when I went back the next day they didn't show up.
Javalina trajectory map
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