Water & Reflections

Bedias Lake in The Woodlands, with pastel reflections on the water.

Pastel colors on Bedias Lake - click to enlarge

Bedias Lake is nestled deep in the Mitchell Nature Preserve only a few hundred feet from Spring Creek, which is the boundary between Montgomery and Harris Counties. In late Fall the colors often vary from deeply intense to almost pastel hues depending on the time of day. This shot was taken mid-afternoon, and if you look carefully you'll see a Great Blue Heron silently stalking her afternoon meal near the far shore.

Bright red berries on bushes beside a lake.

Red berries on Bedias Lake - click to enlarge

Winter in southern Texas is not always a chilly affair, so it is not uncommon to see beautiful red berries like these glowing in full sunlight around Bedias Lake. The Woodlands is near the western edge of the Piney Woods ecosystem, so there are lots of tall pines, but with a great diversity of other trees and plants the Nature Preserve has it's own interesting micro-ecosystem.

Clouds reflected on the still water of the Sterling Ridge pond.

Fluffy clouds on the pond - click to enlarge

This the containment pond in Sterling Ridge Village on a day dotted with fluffy little clouds. The pond is a haven for ducks, egrets, herons and all sorts of animals and insects. Periodically, the pond was also visited by White Pelicans but, at the time of writing, it is patrolled by a Mute Swan who has taken on the mantle of 'protector', so it is best not to disturb the wildlife if you don't want a white 'Valkyrie' chasing you down!

Ripples on the west end of the pond - click to enlarge

At the western side of the pond are a few islands where bullrushes and other plants abound, and a small patch of shallow water that is home to many Red-Eared Slider Turtles and dozens of different dragonfly species.
These peaceful ripples were captured during the Covid Pandemic times. The pond was a haven of solace during those difficult and often very isolating times.