— I have lived in Austin for many years and have hiked the Bull Creek Preserve area several times. Bull Creek is a very popular area, but I had never explored two trails right by the busy Capital of Texas Highway and Spicewood Springs Road. The Irving and Hazeline Smith Memorial trail is short and flat, totaling only 1.3 miles (2.1 km). As short as it is, the trail packs a lot in that space. There are plenty of wildflowers, and since Bull Creek runs right there, you will also find waterfalls and places to go swimming or just staying cool. The trail is also not very far from another popular park: St. Edwards Park. The afternoon I spent exploring the Irving and Hazeline Smith Memorial trail was an eye opener. There were plenty of flowers to appreciate and a very cool creek area. In May, we still see lots of Indian Blanket and Mexican Hat flowers along with Coreopsis. In the shot above you have a beautiful Mexican Hat with a couple of “visitors.” What caught my eyes about this shot was the light. The sun was beginning to get lower in the horizon and was casting light on one side of the flower. When I zoomed in to make the photo, I saw the two little insects hiding in the shade on the other side of the flower. It was another lucky moment to have come across these two insects adding a different dimension to the photo.
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