-
Final Thoughts + Photos & Video from the Northeast Texas Trail (NETT)
Final Thoughts: This trail is a great concept, just not ready to be fully executed yet. To be ready for hikers and bikers alike, there needs to be some organization in regards to trail maintenance. I’d venture to say that even the width of the railbed doesn’t need to be cleared, and really hikers only need a nice singletrack. Of course the bicyclists will desire more room to ride so more clearing will be needed. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem that the trail alliance is as organized as other long distance trails, yet, and either the local cities or highly motiviated locals and trail users are the only ones who keep…
-
Thru Hike FAIL: Part II | The Northeast Texas Trail (NETT)
On Sunday morning, though we had spent plenty of time in the tent already over 12 hours, we struggled to want to get out of the warmth of the sleeping bags. We hopped out, packed everything up, emptied bladders, and threw down a bar or two into our stomachs. We were around 2 miles from Avery which boasted a gas station that had a cafe and we hoped to stop there for a quick breakfast. The sun was out, which was an optimism booster, and though I was feeling sore from the day before I was ready to go. At this point in time I was still feeling that we…
-
Fort Leo (with Stately Samson) | Wordless Wednesday
-
Thru-Hike FAIL: Part I | The Northeast Texas Trail (NETT)
Well, I debated writing this or not. I mean, it is a fail, and after all, who wants to write about their failures? Earlier this fall Chris and I decided we were going to thru-hike the Lone Star Trail. I did some research and it seemed some sections were closed because the Forest Service is being asinine and calling these sections ‘dangerous’ due to dead trees along the length of the trail. Nevermind that the rest of the forest immediately adjacent to the trail, in the forest, was open. Silly, silly, silly. We were going to hike it anyway. That us until we received our Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine…
-
Canoe Explorations
Zoe and I hung out down by the pond while waiting for her dad (my brother) and Uncle Chris to get back from their canoe ride around the pond. Chris bought a canoe off of Craigslist last Friday and it was the canoe’s first spin around our pond. The pretty fall foliage behind them is the awful Chinese tallow. Its color in the fall is probably its only redeeming quality. When we first told Zoe about the canoe she wasn’t interested in going. Well, she wanted everyone, all six of us, to go in the canoe at once. She didn’t quite understand that it wasn’t really feasible and got upset…
-
Sweet Potatoes Out — Onions In
You can see what Zoe thought about harvesting potatoes. Luckily she changed her tune a few potatoes in! Our harvest this year was not nearly what it was last year. I bought slips of ‘Beauregard’ and ‘Purple Passion’ and only the ‘Beauregard’ produced potatoes. It was a big failure for the ‘Purple Passion’, which unfortunately took up probably half the bed. I think my brother was in hog heaven as he assisted Chris in digging up the potatoes. A chance to garden?? Sure! See? Only about half of a five gallon bucket full. Not like last year’s harvest. Oh well. Live and learn—only ‘Beauregard’ from now on. I think Curt,…
-
Zoe at Five
My niece, Zoe, is a little over 5 years old now. It is hard to believe that she’s now really just a tiny adult. Of course she’s not really an adult in knowledge and mannerisms yet, but she’s definitely beyond the baby and toddler years and has her own personality and opinions. Girl has attitude. She, her brother Grayson, and her mom and dad came down over the weekend for one of our multiple-times-of-year ‘Whitlock Weekends’. Or at least that’s what I like to call ’em, the times when my family comes down to visit, or I go up to visit them. It was a great adventure this weekend, full…
-
Autumn Chill
+Plant sitting an old favorite, staghorn fern, for Chris’ dad. Not that we’re much warmer here in Houston, it is a bit better than Dallas over the winter. +Digging out the long, patterned socks is one thing to look forward to in winter. I found the patch of leaves that were the greatest around the yard—don’t mistake that we have a yard of leaves. +Twilight moon. Probably taken at only 5:30ish pm. +I did a doubletake at an oak leaf and found a gall. Love them. +Daikon radishes are growing in thick. +African blue basil prior to being chopped down and turned into pesto. Chilly temperatures here, by far not…
-
Nature In The City | Burroughs Park Part II
Part I in case you missed it. After scoping out the fungus I saw a very interesting swamp area, an area that reminded me of Little Slough, substituting water elm for pop ash and pond apples. And of course no epiphytes covering the tree branches. It also reminded me of months of tromping around the Big Thicket 2.5 years ago. I’m definitely a wetland and swamp person. Ilex opaca, American holly. I love, love, love to see these plants when they become well-formed trees. Their trunks are so thick and sturdy, they look like they’d be a good tree in a landscape. After meandering through the wetland for a little…
-
Bits & Pieces
Life has been full of doing other things besides hiking or outdoor adventuring lately. Mostly we’ve been working on projects around the house. Recently we started working on renovating the laundry room. I hated the floor, the walls were crap, and there was no hot water running to the washing machine. Now there’s hot water, 3/4 of a new floor, the wall painted with touchups needed, and a few other items to do such as install cabinets. We’re waiting on the cabinets to come into the store we ordered them from so that we can finish the painting and the flooring. But, the whole room already looks much better. After…