February 22, 2008

Seminole Canyon

Located on the Rio Grande, Seminole offers some of the best of Texas pictographs, and the promise of some additional bird species. We were greeted the first night by an awesome total lunar eclipse, shown here in a half-covered stage.

The Canyon is protected, and entry is controlled. We were able to get on the next morning's tour guided by David (another full-time RV'er/volunteer), who had an outstanding knowledge of the history and local birds.

The hike into the Canyon was accented by this awesome piece of art, that made me think of the eciplse the night before. The warrior-like figure seemed to be grasping for the sun & moon as we passed by. Underfoot we were treated to a sampling of the deserts flora, which seemed to be anew with the recent spring rains.


The bowl in the Canyon that housed the paintings of the past, was hewned over time by both water & wind. Much of the rock "sculpting" seen in the photos, being the result of the constant winds.

There were numerous pictographs, but when and by whom they were made is still a mystery. The early gatherer/hunter inhabitants date back about 7000 years, but archeologist are uncertain as to just when the paintings originated.....
Alongside one of the groups of shamen paintings were fossils from earlier times when the area was covered by water.