All images were taken with my phone (Samsung Galaxy S III) using the “A Better Camera” app. All are 3-exposure HDR (High Dynamic Range).

Scrub Oaks grow slowly and don’t get very big. This one, with a 6″ (15 cm) diameter trunk, is probably a hundred or more years old. Maybe a lot more.

Things grow slowly in arid and semi-arid areas. If left untraveled, vestiges of this path would be visible for several decades or longer, depending on climate.

This lady was about the size of a child’s hand. Full-grown, she might be nearly as big as mine. Golden Orb Weavers like to build their webs across trails and openings, where insects are funneled into the trap. Thus, they pose frequent surprises for careless hikers. She won’t hurt you, but she can make you hurt yourself!