How much do you love the town you live in?

[Thumpalumpacus]

I live in Spicewood, Texas, about 30 miles outside Austin.

[...]

I live a ways out in the countryside, which is beautiful, rolling hills sheathed in various types of oak, juniper ash, mesquite, and along the waterways, towering bald cypress which are simply majestic. Our wildlife sees many species of birds, being under a migratory route. Mammals run from cougars as apex predators and coyotes to deer, possum, jackrabbits, and raccoons, as well as the omnipresent armadillo. And buzzards -- lots of buzzards. Living out in the hills, it's not uncommon for me to pull into my driveway and scare off a whitetail deer or three ... and once I had a bald eagle perching on my mesquite tree. Roadrunners keep the plentiful snakes in check.

Just to give a glimpse:

From March to May, bluebonnets line the road to my home, lush lavender carpets. Wildflower season dowm here is, even for this old coot, a sight to behold:





The bald cypress I was writing about above -- water-loving trees and their canopies often are the roof for canyon biomes entirely different from the sun-parched ground only a hundred feet above:



Local fauna:





A roadrunner:



A blue heron:



A water moccasin:



Sunset from my porch: