Reading the Landscape (Texas)

The landscape in Texas is quite varied. Let’s see what we can tell from looking at this image of the area in the western part of the state.

At first glance - it is flat. Are there some low hills in the distance or is it a trick of the moisture in the air? The billowing cloud and the darker haze underneath gives the promise of rain ahead. Will it reach the ground?

The plants near the highway are predominately straw-colored rather than green. Further from the road, there appear to be green clumps of scrubby vegetation. Once disturbed, the soil does not support the vegetation that it did before.

Perhaps the area along the road is just the most recently disturbed (from the building of the road) and the area further away was disturbed early by grazing cattle. The original vegetation may be long gone.

Is the straw colored vegetation an invasive plant? Does it burn more easily than the more varied vegetation further from the road?

On the positive side - this is landscape of a wide open space. It is impossible to feel claustrophobic when the horizon is so far away!