Trail Log 1995-1997 - Lamar at Colorado State University

1995
January 4, 1995. Wednesday. Adult bald eagle flying right over campus, over the Eddy building,
in clear blue sky, the only bird in sight. Rather cold weather, snow covered ground.
January 6-9. Military Veterinarians' Symposium, San Antonio Texas. Talk on wildlife on military
bases. Col. Paul Barrows, their commander. Saturday, after talk, walked through the Alamo.
Sunday, rented car and drove through Texas hill country to Lost Maples State Natural Area. North
on 281, then west on 473 to Kendalia, Sisterdale, Comfort.
Lunched in a nice picnic area at Camp Verde. Lots of game fences in here, trying to keep whitetail
deer on their land for hunting leases, or, in other cases, fencing in exotic species to hunt. Reached
Lost Maples. This is named for Bigtooth maple, Acer grandidentatum, found here (and all up and
down the Sabinal River), somewhat as a disjunct. It is abundant in Utah, also in Arizona, Wyoming,
reported in Montana. It is in Colorado rarely, at Mesa Verde. Hiked down the maple trail and on
down the East Trail a ways. Ashe juniper, Juniperus ashei, is the common tree on hillsides. Also
various oaks, Texas ash, Fraxinus texensis; Sugar hackberry, Celtis laevigata; and others. Lovely
day. Shirtsleeve weather. Returned and spent night with Paul Barrows. Wife, Becky, daughter of
Presbyterian minister in Pennsylvania. Monday early, flew home.
Most of the ticks that carry diseases go on and off warm-blooded animals three times, often the first
two stages on very small mammals, like mice and voles, when the larvae are almost too small to
see, like pinheads. Only the third stage do they climb higher shrubs and get onto larger mammals.
The best way to pull them off is to pull gently for a minute or more; this tires their jaw muscles and
they turn loose. But if you squeeze them, feces may contaminate your fingers and then you may
rub it back onto your body, in eyes, etc. Use some waxed paper to pull them, if you can.
(Veterinary talk)
Bald eagle. Seen at Fossil Creek Reservoir leaving for Louisiana, Chicago trip. Nice adult.
February 9, 1995. Thursday. Mother died. I flew to Richmond. Buried her Sunday afternoon,
February 12, in bitter cold at Hebron. More in family history book.
March 25. Huntington, West Virginia, trail behind art gallery, with Mary Jack. In good bloom: Rue-
Anemone (Anemonella thalictroides), Toothwort (Dentaria diphylla), Bloodroot (Sanguinaria