When is a state park not a state park?

In Texas, at least, state parks are called "state natural areas," and in my first three weeks in Texas, I have seen two pretty nice ones. Two weeks ago, we went to Garner, where there was a wonderful dance floor all the way back in 1941. Today we visited<a title="Lost Maples State Natural Area" href="http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/lost_maples/" target="_self"> Lost Maples</a>, which some folks consider one of the very nicest SNAs/state parks in the Lone Star State.

[caption id="attachment_380" align="alignright" width="150" caption="On the road"]<a href="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSC_0011.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-380" src="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSC_0011-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a>[/caption]

If you look at the link above, you'll see that Lost Maples is incredibly beautiful in the fall when the leaves are changing. But on this late spring day, when we arrived a little after 9:30 a.m., it was a little bit foggy, a little bit drizzly and pretty much the only color was green.

We were there for a medium-long hike, and we took the East Loop, which starts out nice and level and then has a fairly steep climb of about 500 feet. Those are the hikes that are most difficult for me, with my 60-year-old knees and the extra weight I'm carrying.

But I had made up my mind that I was going full tilt today, and it worked out well. We hiked for about 3 1/2 hours, covering a little more than six miles. A fairly slow pace, but the rocks during the climb -- both up and down -- were slippery from the drizzle and we had to be careful.

I got some wonderful pictures at the top, looking down on the first part of the trail.

[caption id="attachment_381" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="A breathtaking view"]<a href="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSC_0006.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-381" src="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSC_0006-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" /></a>[/caption]

I was certainly happy at that point to be at the top looking back down than at the bottom looking up.

Things are going great here, at least within the expectations I arrived with. I have lost 20 pounds in my first 16 days, putting me 40 percent of the way toward my goal. But the biggest surprise of all came when I had my blood pressure checked in the late afternoon.

I have hypertension, and I have been taking blood pressure medicine for at least 10 years. When I'm doing well, it brings my pressure down into what might be called "high normal" range.

This afternoon it was 91/65, a number I don't think I've seen since my twenties.

It may be a fluke, and I need to remember it's still a medicine-aided number, but it made me feel great.

That's good enough for now, even if we never did find those lost maples.