• Texas,  Thoughts,  Travel & Places

    Waiting for the Stars….

    For some reason the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department decided that putting Wi-Fi at their state parks would be a good idea. I’d say that mostly this is a good idea, except that it probably isn’t because then people like me end up online. But that’s ok, I’m watching a line of brown pelicans casually fly across Copano Bay while the moon is pushing half full, the first star is out (or is it a planet…?) and the yellow orange glow of sunset is still lingering. I’m really just waiting for the stars to fully come out so I can practice some night photography. Maybe I will come out with…

  • Outdoors,  Texas

    Wildlife in Dinosaur Valley SP

    Our biggest wildlife score was seeing a fox run across the main park road one evening as we did an evening ‘animal run’. Dusk and dawn are the best chances to see wildlife, usually deer, but this fox crossed the road. It startled me at first and I went through coyote, wolf, and bobcat before I registered that it was a fox. Chris even had to say the name before I could get it out. Mr. (Ms?) Grey Fox was nice enough to linger in the grass long enough for Chris to grab his camera. Then it took off running! Of course there were plenty of deer! I’m trying to…

  • Texas

    Around Downtown Granbury

    On our way home from Dinosaur Valley State Park we stopped in Granbury to walk around. There was a biker festival going on and the square was ‘happening’. I love small Texas towns but I also love visiting the county seats of these towns because of the very cool, old fashioned courthouses. I didn’t take many photos but here is what I got. I’m trying not to go to Starbucks. I actually love Starbucks but I am trying to make an effort to drink coffee at home but also to buy from local shops instead of big chains. This was a very cute shop with so many flavors to add…

  • Family

    Dinosaur Cake Contest

    Over the holiday weekend Chris and I went down to Dinosaur Valley State Park with my brother, SIL and Zoe. Before we went there was a cake contest launched. We brought the cakes out and it was hilarious how similar they were despite having been made in completely separate houses. The cake part for both ended up being some version of chocolate. There was supposed to be a rule of not using non-edible parts, but the person who made the green dino ended up using a toothpick in each leg of the dinosaur. We had so much cake we had to share with our neighbors! The orange cake used buttercream…

  • Appalachian Trail 2010

    Trail Tales 3: Great Smokey Mountain National Park

    Pertinent Posts: 5 Days in the Smokies Clean Clothes—the illusion of cleanliness After taking two zero’s in a row most of the people we’d been hiking with were ahead of us. It was a little disheartening knowing that you had to start over with people again. Our only hope was that folks would get off for a zero or nearo in Gatlinburg and we would see people again. We set off from Fontana Dam and said goodbye to Chris’ mom and stepdad and we were off. The Smokey’s weren’t quite as annoying as the White’s when dealing with shelters, but it was still frustrating. No stealth camping is allowed and…

  • Appalachian Trail 2010

    Trail Tales 2: Southern North Carolina

    Pertinent posts: Nearo and Zero in Bryson City Oh, Sunshine I love Thee GA/NC in the Forest Standing Indian Mountain Siler Bald Trail Magic It felt like the minute we left Georgia the trail immediately changed. We had some minor rock climbing and it threw us for a loop. Wait a minute, where’d the endless PUD’s go? Rock climbing, huh? We’d heard that there was bad weather coming but that night was a beautiful evening and we saw a lot of people at the first shelter passed the border. After setting up camp we went to bed early. The next morning we woke to cooler weather and clouds. Someone mentioned…

  • Creative,  Thoughts

    The Power of Now

    While out hiking there is only one thing you have to do. Walk. Ok, so you set up camp, eat and use the privy, but your only goal for the day is to walk to your intended destination. It’s easy and your mind is in general ease. There isn’t a bunch of clutter in your brain, or maybe there is, but it isn’t pressing and can’t bother you too much. And then somehow you come back into the real world and you are bombarded with so many options. You can do this or that or both and then throw in something else and it is easy to get overwhelmed. I…