It was a beautiful morning on the grasslands. The area is a patchwork quilt of gravel roads intersecting large tracts of grass, patches of thick trees representing the cross-timbers, creeks and small reservoirs, humble ranches and long-lost communities. Current grass species don't fully represent those that dominated before pioneer settlement carved the soil for crops and introduced other grass species. Now it is a mixture of eastern, western and plains grass species.

Thick and sometimes very dense patches of gnarled trees represent the Cross-timbers ecosystem: the frontier between the eastern deciduous forest and the grasslands of the southern Great Plains. Due to overgrazing and intense cotton cropping in the late 1800's-early 1900's, weed species have encroached; especially junipers and mesquite. Normally such invasive species are checked by natural burns (usually from lightening strikes in dry duff). Now, the consortium of participating overseers (federal, state, local and non-profit organizations) occasionally utilize a practice of the native Americans: prescribed burns. We found an area later that day.

While enjoying the morning campside with coffee, four trailers had rolled in and unloaded horses catching an early morning cool ride. The gathering hole never fails to attract no matter the setting.