One Misty, Muggy MorningWednesday, 26th July 2004 |
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But this is Texas, not far from Austin. Rheba tells me: 'The trees just beyond the hay field are at the creek. Our land goes to the hay field, but to the right it goes all the way back to the creek.' I had imagined the landscape in Rheba's part of Texas always to look
more arid than this.
She says the countryside looks beautiful and, yes, similar. But when she updates me on her local birdlife I realise just how different her neck of the woods is to mine: 'I think the male hummingbirds are already leaving,' she tells me, 'have seen lots of females and only a few males. A road runner has been parading back and forth through the yard. Love those birds. They eat snakes, but unfortunately, lizards and frogs as well. Still, I like having them around, they are such a symbol of this area besides being rather unique and beautiful birds.'
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When
I first glanced at this photograph (left) in an e-mail my friend
Rheba Kramer Mitchell sent I thought that one of her
friends must have visited England, as it looks so like the rural parts
of the Yorkshire coalfield.
Barbara
and I came across this scene (right) as we emerged at the top
end of Coxley Woods on our walk this morning. That's
the hamlet of Midgley in the background. I e-mailed it back to Rheba.
The
Lair