Farewell to Texas
How do you say goodbye to a place you’ve called home for 12 years? I never imagined how deeply I would fall in love with Texas nature. I visited the red-orange canyons in Palo Duro at least twice, both visits more than memorable, ice storm and all. Experienced the muggy swamps in east Texas, and enjoyed sitting on the edge of a bridge with my Texas dad while pondering life. Visited multiple times the marshy coastal waterways of the Gulf, and especially enjoyed exploring Anahuac where Carly and I watched a small gator eat a too-large crab. Visited Big Bend and saw amazing rattlesnakes and and views, and also where Michael and I watched storms roll in across the desert from a (precarious) cabin porch. All of the national wildlife refuges, wildlife management areas, city parks - the mothing events, and BioBlitzes. The wondrous grasslands and cross timbers that I’ve called home around DFW. So many I’m missing.
These last 12 years were full of ups (lots and lots of incredible and amazing ups) and downs (super awful, low downs), but I’m so lucky to have had the opportunity to explore this beautiful state with some of the most amazing and passionate nature lovers. Each of you Texas nature nerds have left a permanent mark on me, and have helped me appreciate pieces of nature I may have overlooked otherwise!
I guess I should have started with our amazing and exciting major life update… we’re moving to Minnesota!!! We’re going to be moving away from this state that I’ve called home within the next few months. It’s a very quick turnaround and transition, and I’m so very excited for this new chapter and adventure in our lives, and for the opportunity to learn as much as I can about the new state we’ll call home (and seriously increase their iNaturalist observations). At the same time, I’m incredibly sad to leave behind such an amazing Texas family, and naturalist community here. I hope to come back as often as possible - there are lots of family and friends to visit! Well, and spiders and snakes to find! :)
If anyone has time and wants to swing out for a stroll at the LBJ grasslands (or another park) on the weekend sometime within the next couple weeks, let me know!!
