Waiting in Wellington

We are staying here until Sunday or Monday.  We are on the edges of a variety of nasty severe weather.  Currently it is snowing/blizzards north of us, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes east and southeast of us, and a huge wildfire south of us in Oklahoma near the border.  We are hot and sunny here with a 30 to 38 mph wind.  We are watching the weather channel.  There is a T-shirt in the campground office with a little dog that says "Dear Dorothy can't take the tornados, gone home, took the red shoes".  

Tree blooming.

Kirk has been having more close encounters with the wildlife.

Checking out the pond.

What's that?

This bullfrog is at least 6 inches long sitting.

One jumped about 10 feet, drives Kirk crazy.

Hmm

Closer

Kirk can't believe I'm not going for it.

He's getting away!

These guys are big.

You can catch & release fish in the pond.  There are little trout and these big catfish.  But really, why would I want to handle a big cat like that!  Great fun if you had kids with you though.  Kirk and I stood on the dock watching the fish for quite awhile as they came in to feed in the 6 inches of weedy water along the dock.  Whenever we go for a walk, Kirk is pulling for the pond.

Wellington KOA Kansas

It was time to get on the road again this morning.

Kirk all set to go!

It was a hot blustery day.  We drove through Oklahoma with a tail wind and into Kansas.  This is a small campground but it does have a pond with about 30 or more big catfish lazing around in the shallows and bullfrogs.

Wellington KOA

It is a hot day here and we are running the air.  

Bullfrog

About 5 inches

Little violets blooming in the grass

422 Km.

Lucy Park

This morning we went to Lucy Park just a few kilometres from us.  It is a 178 acre regional park in a bend of the Wichita River.  There are huge pecans, cottonwoods, pines, etc.  There is a 3 km concrete trail around the park along the river which also connects with the Circle trail which is a 34 km concrete trail connecting parks around the city and along the river.  Kirk and I did about 6 km.  Our little dog is now sacked out.  We took photos, spent time birding, took a break and went for a Chinese lunch with Cam, then continued walking the trails.  We also took over 3 Pokemon gyms and captured numerous pokemon.

Pansies planted in the park.

Wichita Falls

Eastern Fox Squirrel (Kirk's arch nemesis)

Wild onions growing all over the park.

You could smell onions where the grass was just cut.

Swinging bridge

Maybe Texas River Cooters

Hmm, mating turtles.

Snapping Turtles

Time for a rest.

Wichita Falls, TX

We left the park this morning in a fine misty rain.  We drove through beautiful country with Texas Blue Bonnet Lupines, Indian Paintbrushes in pinks, coral, beige, and white along with numerous other wildflowers in the ditches.  The rangelands varied from bright green Mesquite shrubs interspersed with tough grasses and Prickly Pear cacti to rolling green grasslands with large trees and black angus cattle.  As we neared Wichita Falls we felt like we were set back 2 weeks in Spring progress but then we saw they have just made their first cut of hay.  Warm and sunny when we arrived.

 Misty rain.  The bright green shrubs are Mesquite.

Our campsite in Wichita Falls

Kirk out for a walk in the dog park.

Just for Kirk

Nice lake with turtles, ducks and Canada geese

 

Kirk out again.

This RV park is right on the Wichita River

Grape Hyacinths blooming in the park area.

A few more Texas nature photos:

447 Km.