When I hear the name ‘Walnut Grove’ I tend to think of the California Delta or the setting for the 1970s TV show “Little House on the Prairie.” But the other day I discovered a new Walnut Grove along the shore of Grapevine Lake in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The path we followed toward the lake took us through a wooded area buzzing with cicadas and open spaces dotted with colorful wildflower blooms, leading eventually to the flooded edge of the lake. It did start to look a bit familiar to me once I reached the water; and I later confirmed that we hiked into the same area following the Bluestem Trail last June.

Prairie racerunner lizard (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus viridis)

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