Friday April 16, 2021. The morning was damp. A light drizzle became heavy at times. Arriving at the Salado creek trailhead at loop 1604 there were two runners exchanging laughs as they prepared for their run. Second thoughts entered my mind. Should I run? Will the drizzle turn to rain? My phone and car remote tucked safely in my water proof waist belt, I took off headed south on the paved trail. Initially I saw no one else on the trail. Half a mile in, to the right of the trail at a construction site, two men were working on a wooden structure. Only the frame of what looked to someday be a house was up. These guys had to work. Drizzle or no drizzle, I thought. In the construction business it's no work no pay.
The music I was listening to on my Bluetooth headset complimented the scenery around me. Allman brothers, Neil Young, Steely Dan, Doobie brothers all fit the mood of being surrounded by Live and Red Oak trees. Some covered in deep green moss. The cloudy skies dripping with a soft light drizzle on the Texas Persimmon, Juniper, cedar, and Mountain Laurel, various shrubs and dripping off the brim of my visor. Nature trails crisscrossed the oak pollen stained paved trails. Many of these nature trails were recognizable. Years earlier, races were held here. Long before the paved trails existed. Friends and I trained on these nature trails. We ran races here. Memories of those runs with friends filled my mind.
Up ahead two men who looked to be in there 60's emerged from the woods with two dogs. They crossed the pavement and walked back into the woods. A lone cyclist appeared around a bend in the trail coming toward me and whizzed by gesturing with a slight wave. A group of three ladies, one carrying an umbrella, two ladies and a threesome of elderly folks were others I saw. As well an an eighty something looking gentleman shuffling along. A 60 something runner like myself at the end of his run shares a friendly good morning.
Four miles? Five, or six? Not sure how many miles I wanted to run. I decide I would turn around after reaching Voelker park. There, at the 3 mile point is one of my favorite spots on this trail. Trees closely line both sides of the trail with a drop off of over ten feet just beyond the trees on one side, overlooking natural trails in the creek bottom, and wooden fencing of the backside of homes behind the trees on the other side. This approximately one quarter mile stretch just seems so tranquil.
Turning around I see the the folks I had passed. One mile back up the trail and suddenly, around a bend in the trail, I see a Large OWL! It looks at me from it's perch on a tree stump. It looks sideways. Still keeping on eye on me, it jumps off the stump as I fumble with my waist belt to get my phone out. On the ground the owl walks slowly away and stops. The phone out, the camera ready, I snap a photo. Then another. The owl jumps back on the stump as I am about to put the phone away. I try to take a better photo. I talk to the Owl. "hello bud." I say. "How's it going." " Be still." It looks straight at me as still as can be. I get a great shot.
All runs are good. Some are great. So many of Nature's creatures I have seen in all my years of running. This one will be remembered for a long time, and will be recalled every time I run this route on Salado creek.
After speaking to a park maintenance man at the end of this run I find out the Owl has three little ones! Maybe I will see them next time. Or maybe when they are big like Momma.
