Prairie Notes are monthly photo/journal observations from Tandy Hills Natural Area by Founder/Director, Don Young. They include field reports, flora and fauna sightings, and more, mixed with a scoop of dry humor and a bit of philosophy. They are available free to all who get on the FOTHNA email list.

Le Parfum du Prairie

Prairie Notes #20

July 12, 2008

The high season for Tandy Hills wildflowers has long passed. The plein air artists have yielded to the burning sun of July and retreated into their air-conditioned studios. Who could blame them?

Despite the heat and humidity and the ominous threats of hydrocarbon profiteers, Tandy Hills Natural Area and adjacent properties remain inviting for those willing to take a plunge into the mystery of mid-summer, tall grass prairie.

Clouds of busy dragonflies swim on the heavy, morning air. Sky-slashing, Cooper’s Hawks, keep my senses sharp while a growing population of Cottontail rabbits keep Olive the prairie dog on full alert. Life is good at Tandy Hills Natural Area.

The prairie is not flower-free, but with a few notable exceptions, mid-summer at THNA is, more or less, a blur of green and tan set against the blazing blue, summer sky waiting for a little rain.

The deceptively delicate, Texas Bluebells (Eustoma exaltatum ssp. Russellianum) rooted in hidden seeps, still carpet the gently rolling Tandy Hills defying the broiling heat with their purple splendor. The white-tailed stems of tall, twiggy, False Gaura, (Stenosiphon linifolius) bend in the slightest breeze. Wiry, white-flowered Compass plants (Silphium albiflorum) follow the sun like NORAD dish antennae. Tiny sprigs of Mock Pennyroyal (Hedeoma drummondii) timidly fade into the grassy whole that, like us, is waiting for a little rain.

While the bright colors of mid-summer are few and far between, the smells at THNA move delightfully to the forefront. There is something about the heat of summer that unlocks the aromatic essence of Tandy Hills. When the conditions are right, a fragrant alchemy of herbaceous aromas floats on the hot, southern breeze.

It seems to come and go, depending on temperature, humidity, the whims of nature and, the nose of the beholder (?). My nose detects a composition rich with notes of Aromatic Sumac (Rhus trilobata = aromatica var. flabelliformis), Juniper (Juniperus ashei), Engleman’s Sage (Salvia engelmannii) and damp limestone. When the wind is just right I detect (perhaps, just memories of) a hint of September grasses.

When the rains eventually come, the aroma is undeniably therapeutic. Which is to say that, breathing the air around Tandy Hills has the power to cure everything from a stuffy nose to a broken heart.

I don’t make such claims hastily or without many years of experience. But you must come smell for yourself. Undoubtedly, appreciation of, Le Parfum du Prairie, is a subjective endeavor, not unlike say, amateur stargazing, but one that is vital to a well-balanced life.

Come to meadow and inhale like it’s1969.

Important PS:
The website of the Native Prairies Association of Texas has a page entitled, “How is a prairie different from a common field of grass?”
http://texasprairie.org/Resources/HowIsPrairieDifferent.shtml

After reviewing this page please write a brief letter expressing your opposition to drilling on the property adjacent to Tandy Hills and send to City Council rep., Kathleen Hicks:
Kathleen.Hicks@fortworthgov.org

Please cc the following:
julie.wilson@chk.com
mike.moncrief@fortworthgov.org
donyoungglass@earthlink.net