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Nature

Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston

Another dispatch from the woods, written by the director of the Human Rights Initiative
By Bill Holston |
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The author, Scott, and Carrie. Photo by Ben Sandifer
The author, Scott, and Carrie. Photo by Ben Sandifer

This is the season I call pizza oven time. It feels like walking around in a pizza oven. But several years ago, I decided I wouldn’t abandon hiking in August, so Ben, Carrie, Scott, and I went for a hike last Saturday. We headed to Lemmon Lake, and parked at the Loop 12 Boat ramp by Little Lemmon Lake. We planned to meet at 6:15 a.m. to attempt to beat the heat, but it was already warm. Driving down, I listened to Loretta Lynn as I watched the sun slowly rise.

When they lay me down some day
My soul will rise and fly away
This old world will turn around
I’ll be at peace when they lay me down

Our plan was to see a different part of Lemmon Lake, and so we were going to take a new route. And we hoped to see some endangered Wood Storks, as we had in the past. We walked down the paved trail in the direction of Lemmon Lake and heard the lovely song of an Indigo Bunting, which we spied, perched on a fence post. It’s a beautiful bird.

We then headed down a dirt road before heading straight through a dried portion of the wetlands that surround the lake. Just a few weeks back, this was all flooded, but now it was bone dry. It was hard walking through head high Ragweed, but eventually we made it to the edge of the lake. There we spied White Ibis and Great Egrets. We made our way along the shoreline, watching Ibis, Great Blue, Green and Little Blue Herons. Eventually we saw a Pileated Woodpecker. Actually we heard its cackle and later watched it soar over the lake.

We walked along the entire length of the lake and eventually wound up at an oxbow. It was really beautiful and, best of all, remote. We were a long walk from any pavement and were seeing nature as very very few people in Dallas do. That’s one of the great treats of going on a walk with Ben. I know we’re going to see stuff most people don’t even suspect is here. This was quite a treat to see, but it wasn’t easy, and you have to be willing to explore and get messy if you want to see it.

We walked along the shore, watching Swallowtail and Monarch Butterflies, as well as hearing the Pileated Woodpecker call to us. We eventually reached an end of the oxbow, but we needed to figure out a way to return. None of us was interested in retracing our steps, particularly wading through a ragweed forest. We could tell we were just across a pond from the dam that separates Lemmon Lake from the Trinty River, and that dam is a great way to hike back. So we decided to wade the pond. None of us knew how deep the water was, though. That’s part of the adventure. I took my phone, placed it in my waterproof bag in my daypack, and, using my sturdy cedar stick, made my way across. The pond had a firm bottom, and the cool water was refreshing as we crossed. The water was as deep as my mid thigh (or Ben’s ankle). We climbed up to the dam and started back in the direction of the paved trail. It was a grand adventure. The route had been challenging, but the payoff was a rare peek at wetlands very few people have seen. We didn’t see any Wood Storks, but we had a great time. When we arrived at River Oaks Park, we watched some Mississippi Kites soaring.

This was a great end to a big week for me. My wife Jill and I celebrated 32 years of marriage — or, as she likes to say, 24 happy years together. I think she exaggerates. But, feeling genuine gratitude, I wrote her a note that said:

Thirty Two years ago today, I married my best friend. Well, people say that sometimes, but for me it’s true. Jill and I met at a singles’ group. We would go out play tennis and then drink some beers. We both dated other people. And we talked. We talked for hours. Then the magic happened, and we fell in love.

I can honestly say, I think Jill is more beautiful today than the day we married. Her graying hair is completely beautiful and among the many things I love about her, she doesn’t hide it. Jill fills a room with joy, with the sheer power of the force of her winning personality. If you’ve ever spent an evening with Jill, she knows your whole story, and you told her things you can’t believe she got you to talk about. And she has NOT talked about herself. She is genuinely interested in you and your life, and she HATES pretense.

I’m a lucky man with a great life. I love my work, and I married someone who completely supports my decision to leave private law practice to work with refugees. Because it turns out this work is not particularly lucrative. Who knew? However, it does have its rewards. Just last week, I saw a young man who had walked into our office with a walker two years ago. His throat had been slit by gangs in El Salvador. Now he’s starting his senior year of high school and talking about attending SMU. The school would be lucky to get him. He is going to be a world changer. I’m lucky to have been a part of that. And I’m thankful for a marriage that permits me that work. And I have a great companion for the journey. It’s true I love seeing birds like those soaring Ibis. But the best part of all is seeing it with great companions like Ben, Carrie, and Scott. I crave solitude, but sharing the joy of those hikes with great companions makes the experience richer.

Like that route to the wetlands, marriage is a difficult journey. It’s full of challenges and tricky crossings, but if you are lucky, you find a soulmate like Jill, and you get to see beautiful, rare things. And if you want to keep that marriage for 32 years, you’ll learn to leave those muddy shoes on the porch.

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