Hey Ladies, What an enjoyable hike this morning! We walked 3+ miles beginning at 8:30 am. Temperature was pleasant and, surprisingly, the water level was not all that high considering our recent rains. Those attending were: AnnaE, Kathleen with Baby and Mamie, and Jacque with Sheba the Diva. Our conversation topics ranged widely: red curtains; our monthly meeting last evening – friends who joined and attended; how dogs’ poop varies even when fed the same diet; taking care of our kids and what they need; an upcoming trip to Peru with a local travel group – expected altitude and meds needed; a recent camping trip to Guadalupe Mountains National Park – camp stove type, distance from campsite to New Mexico, driving distance from Austin, Golden Eagle seen; dogs that so enjoy bouncing in the creek; companies that are hiring and how much is being paid, plus benefits; our neighborhoods and worth of houses and lots and all the complaints going on about taxes; more complaints from neighbors about mowing, hiring folks to mow and maintain landscape; dog walkers with 5-6 dogs to watch and care for. Guess that’s it for this time! Jacque
Author: townadmin (Page 10 of 45)
Four TOWNies (Diane N, Lori T, Anna E, and Gloria W) enjoyed a relaxing outing on Lady Bird Lake on Wednesday. It was a lovely evening for a leisurely paddle around Redbud Isle. The water was clear after the wonderful rain a few days before. We saw a family (3 kids, Mom, and Dad) of Wood Ducks out for a paddle. Lori’s dog, Wednesday, joined in on the fun and seems to be getting more relaxed on the water. Diane, Anna, and Gloria went to dinner at The Green Mesquite and thought that it would be a fairly good replacement for the late Shady Grove. The next kayaking is May 4th at 1:30, lead by Diane N. GloriaW
Today’s hike at Turkey Creek consisted of the small group of “Me”, “Myself” and “I”… but we were undaunted because we are TOWNIES, and hiking Turkey Creek is one of the things we do! We waited in hope and anticipation that we would be joined by others for the usual camaraderie and conversation. Unfortunately, things became contentious fairly quickly when it became evident that this trio were the only participants in today’s hike. “I” questioned if this really constituted a TOWN outing, since this particular trio does a variety of outings on its own that are not considered TOWN events. “I” was unsure of protocol and whether or not the sign-in sheet was necessary in this circumstance. “Myself” decided to take control and exert leadership by declaring that the event would ONLY be considered a TOWN outing if the group made it back safely to the parking lot with no injuries sustained. With this decision made, we set off on the hike. However, further arguments arose when “I” pointed out that this particular group was actually larger than it had been in the past due to COViD quarantine weight gain. “I” and “Me” proceeded to argue if this was a fair assessment given the stress of the past 2 years (and therefore any weight gain was merely a stress buffer and didn’t really count) while “Myself” decided this was perhaps a good time to eat a snack. The next point of contention occurred when “I” wanted to tell stories that “Me” and “Myself” had already heard about a million times, since in most cases we had all been together when these events occurred. A decision was then made to proceed silently to minimize the arguing. Next, “Myself” thought that perhaps the group needed a canine mascot, as most TOWN hikes on Turkey Creek usually have several furry companions present. A plot was hatched to kidnap a dog, but “I” pointed out to “Me” and “Myself” that all canines encountered seemed to have human companions with them, and since there was little interest in kidnapping one of them as well the plan was dropped. The group proceeded in silence then, making a fairly good pace…until “I” began to notice that there were a tremendous number of bird calls along the trail, many of which neither “Me” nor “Myself” could identify. This led to numerous breaks to record bird sounds, hoping that these would be useful in identification later. “Myself” had forgotten to bring binoculars and therefore could only identify birds as the ubiquitous LBBs (Little Brown Birds, or Little Bitty Birds). Other nature sightings included various spiders, moths,lizards, and a pair of mating insects who quickly moved to the other side of the plant they were on when “I” attempted to take their picture, thus reminding “Me” that even insects desire some measure of privacy and they did not appreciate “Myself’s” voyeuristic tendency. “I” couldn’t blame them, as “I” wouldn’t appreciate being photographed in this compromising condition either, so the group proceeded onward. Water flow in the creek at crossings reached a maximum level of about ½ inch, but fortunately there were no unplanned swims or near drownings. The group reached the parking lot safely, which “I” and “Me” conceded was due to the fine leadership of “Myself”. Conversational topics (aside from the aforementioned arguing) were limited to a discussion with another hiker about the dozens of tadpoles in the creek and whether they might survive until adulthood, and a lengthy conversation in the parking lot with a Pittsburgh Steeler fan who noticed my bumper sticker and wanted to reminisce about the glory days of Mean Joe Green and Terry Bradshaw. All in all, a fine hike even despite the initial arguments between “Me”, “Myself” and “I”…but we missed having other companions and their canines along! PegG
What an enjoyable hike we shared today! Members attending were: KathleenC with Baby and Mamie, KimW, PegG, and Jacque with Sheba. The trail was not crowded, the creek looked quite dry in places, the maidenhair fern is benefiting from the spring drips, and by the time we returned to our cars it was hot. What did we learn today? Surprisingly, it is Baby who is a TOWN member, not KathleenC; both DianeN and PegG are leading kayaking outings this month; tests for Covid in Europe vary with your location and the government influence; you can volunteer at the Kerrville Music Festival for three weeks in the kitchen as a chef which is better than digging toilets there; there are a variety of propane containers to use when camping, some recyclable and light weight; reservations are required for the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam; a unique job can include having a lizard, a cricket, and a butterfly in your office; a PCR covid test translates as Polymer Chain Reaction; the mosquito eggs at Goose Island State Park began hatching last Wednesday and started attacking immediately; when camping it’s good to take someone who will do the cooking; Fir Tussock caterpillars are plentiful at Goose Island State Park, live in live oak trees, can be found on everything, and are very cute; Community First! Village needs volunteers; a birder looking in the sky can be mistaken for an individual who needs help and perhaps wearing a Bird Nerd t-shirt would help that; lots of Wildflower Center visitors have never touched a caterpillar or cocoon; some cats come when called and some don’t; lots of dogs do not come when called; the gps units on dogs are very light weight and actually rather cute. We pretty much talked non-stop.
Come join us next Wednesday, May 11th. PegG will be leading. Jacque
We had 6 beautiful ladies kayaking on 5/4. Peg G. brought her own kayak and put in at the little dock. Two newbies to TOWN joined us, however both Tammy and Martha are experienced kayakers. Gloria W., Lois K. and Diane N made 6. We set sail for Barton Creek and went all the way to the Barton Springs pool discharge area where people and dogs were cooling off. We saw 2 geese and lots of turtles, but not many birds.
Next TOWN kayaking is Wednesday May 11 at 1:30pm, led by Peg. Diane
Outdoor Women Gone Wild
Well, this is definitely an event that is worth attending again & again! I’ve always wanted to check it out, but April is such a busy month for me, I could never find time to fit it in. So glad I did this year! I’d describe the event as a mini BOW – 1 day only with a choice of 4 fun classes. Held on a beautiful ranch with very nice facilities, being fed 3 full meals – everything was very well done! From our group, 3 TOWNies & 1 guest attended the event, while 2 TOWNies stayed in Junction & were blessed with a tour of the Springs forming the headwaters of the S. Llano River. I drove out just to attend this annual tour several years ago, & highly recommend it! On Sunday, some of us kayaked the upper stretch of the S. Llano – my favorite Texas River to kayak! I enjoyed meeting new members & their guests, & visiting with “old” members. So, be on the lookout for a repeat of this outing in 2023!
HI All, We had a nice hike today with 8 Townies, Lisa, Kim, Debbie, Jody, Leigh, Jenny, Effie and Marsha, who were protected by Junko. It was a sad occasion as Lisa and Joan and Junko are moving to the northeast part of the country. The years that we shared and the memories that we made will not be forgotten but it does leave a hole in our hearts as we try to navigate forward knowing that Lisa and Joan will no longer be just a drive away. We wish them all the best of luck and are hoping that they can come back to visit soon. The heaviness of spirit with parting friends can cast a darkness even on days like today which was bathed in sunlight. Today shall hence forth be known as Spider Dance Day. We were traveling our 4 miles on the greenbelt, starting at the west end, and were assaulted by spider webs. Since I walk point, I courageously took the hit and burst through many of the webs after walking blindly into them. Yet, on one nasty incident, I was tangled in the web, shrieking, as the irate spider calmly marched forth to devour me. Fortunately, Leigh and Jody began to beat me with sticks, alleging that they were removing the webs but I think now in hindsight, they just were looking for a reason to have a payback for all the hot hikes I have taken them on. Despite my heroism of clearing the webs, we all did the spider dance at some point. The only one unscathed was Junko. The wind was a nice addition to the hike but I do not recall any of the hikers commenting on that as we climbed the hills. I think the spider web battle consumed our energy to notice anything else, although we had little yellow flowers and magenta flowers that were not wine cups. We had a serenade of laughter by cardinals, sparrows and blue jays that were mocking our dances. Toward the very end, we heard the first zooming of mosquitoes and Kim took that opportunity to beat me, claiming that it was a mosquito on me. Another questionable act. During the hike, we did come across this incredible stone monument that was made by stacking rocks by some industrious soul who was also able to form bridges and arches with the stone. The masterpiece was over 6 feet tall. Incredible. Outside of being beaten today, I did enjoy the time on the hike but was left with a sadness knowing that this will be the last hike for me with Lisa and Junko. Take care, dear friends
Until we meet again…. Happy Trails, Marsha
Seven hikers (Carolyn D, Gloria B, June A, Jacque A w/pet Sheba, Jenny F & guest Barb K & new member, Lori T w/pet Wednesday) met at the trailhead parking lot to start this hike located in Cedar Breaks Park at Lake Georgetown. We covered about 5.2ish miles in between 3.5-4 hours. This included snacks at the falls where several ladies cooled off by putting their heads under the falls. The rocks below the falls are very slippery and I think some got more than their head wet! Fortunately, no injuries. The fern and elephant ear plants at the falls were so green and really pretty. There was a lot more water than any of us expected with the drought. A pleasant surprise for all! We visited the female Texas longhorn in the picture below along with her friends and their calves. They were sharing a fenced area with a donkey. We heard the songs of several birds including the Golden-cheeked warbler (heard but not seen). That was an unexpected treat! We also saw several little lizards scurrying across the trail. We were treated to beautiful yellow prickly pear blooms, a real treat, plus red sage cedar and Mexican hat as seen below. Though this was the hottest May 7th hike I have every taken, it was balanced out by good company and the abundance of nature’s wonder. As you see below, we walked the sole off of June’s shoe. Cheers, Jenny
Ten Townies, Jenny, June, Jacque, Lori, Flo, Donna, Gloria, Carolyn, Carrie, and Maria plus one guest, Barbara, joined in on the various activities. Five camped and six came at various times throughout the day Saturday. Seven of us hiked to Crockett Falls while Flo and Donna spent time at the lake cooling off. Maria went kayaking and of course we had lots of good food Saturday evening. Gloria made a delicious cheesecake celebrating Flo‘s birthday. Maria brought refreshing icy drinks, and last but not least, Carrie arrived with her broken foot to join in on the festivities. It was a very warm weekend, but Townies have a great time no matter what the weather brings us. JuneA
Hi All, We had a nice group of TOWNIES, Janice, Debbie, Leigh, Jody and Marsha, who glistened through 4.75 miles of hiking. We started at a different location and agreed that it is more beautiful than the usual starting point. This may become a regular starting point now, just down the road from the usual launching point! The humidity made it a challenge as it had rained the night before and gifted us with a half-inch of rain. The rain over the past week provided just the push for the rain lilies to appear. It was almost like walking through a blanket of white and pink flowers that cheerfully glistened with the morning moisture. We tried to glisten but we actually just sweated as the heat and humidity reminded us that summer is fast approaching. As this was a smaller group, we all had a chance to chat and we were all mesmerized by Leigh’s tale of being stalked in the past. It was a harrowing adventure that left us thinking about Leigh “though she be but little she is fierce”. We also caught up on home repair, families and learning that shampoo makes a wonderful sink cleaner. We had few birds that serenaded and little wind that cooled us. Yet, it was a nice hike with beautiful scenery, complimented by the flowers that proudly shown like diamonds in the morning light.
Until nest time… Happy Trails, Marsha