Category: Uncategorized (Page 24 of 46)

The weekend at Inks Lake was clear and sunny, with daytime temperatures in the mid-to-upper 90’s. Lovely Inks Lake was full of ducks and geese and gentle afternoon breezes.

Attendees included Lisa Mc, PamS, JuneA, BarbaraW, CherylC, CarrieL, MarieW, MelanieA, MarilynF, KimF, BevT, MariaV, SusanW, CarolP, JacqueA, JudieT, Lisa S, JoanB, Gloria, FloM, MarshaK, JennyF, SandyB,  NancyL, PattyN, Kay, Dar-Dar, and several others.

Many campers pulled into Inks Lake State Park Thursday, some Friday and many day visitors came Saturday for Jenny and Marsha’s hike and attended the pot luck.

Despite the hot temperatures we had a lot of fun. Many kept cool floating in the water, kayaking, or fishing. Others went birding, hiking, biking, geocaching, eating at Blue Bonnet Cafe, touring the Tiny Houses (https://granitelakerentals.com/), or joining the Star Party.

Because of construction near the pavilion, Ranger Sue graciously let us use the back porch/deck of the Park Store after it closed at 5:00 pm on Saturday. It was perfect with shade and tables for TOWNies and their guests, for a total of approximately 33 people attending over the weekend. There were first time guests and kayakers, too.

As a result of her first-ever paddling experience, Flo now wants to purchase a kayak and knows exactly what kind she wants; and our newest TOWNie, Patty, plans to purchase a bike – that’s what TOWNies are all about! Try and learn, and go for the gear! It was great to see our traveling nurse, Nancy, back in Austin for the fall.

Thanks to Marsha and Jenny for leading the hike and to Marie for taking some on the tiny house tour.

Until next time, Marilyn and June

It had to happen sometime, a non-raucous paddle on the LBL:  short and sweaty, but still restorative, with a new sighting and ending with the Tom Miller Dam at sunset. 

Gloria W, Debbie W and I had extra scenery on this paddle, thanks to the loading-in for ACL blocking our normal access:  a trip through Rollingwood to the southbound route on Stratford to the Rowing Dock, and the northbound drive on Stratford for supper at the Hula Hut, above the dam. 

The green algae which has poisoned dogs who drank the water, has reduced the numbers of kayakers.  The Rowing Dock is laying off staff and closing early.

In our one hour of watery delight, we managed a leisurely and chatty paddle toward the mouth of the Springs.  We took so long that we didn’t even get a glimpse at the lovely bridges crossing on Barton Springs Road before heading back to the dock.  True to form, the wind that was in our faces heading east had died, we had a nice cardio segment of the paddle on our return.  Noted: Two great blue herons, the wood ducks photographed by Gloria, and, for the first time I have seen them:  raccoons at the south edge of the lake. 

You will be reading this trip report in October.  It is our last month of our regular Lady Bird Lake paddles:  We will have the daytime paddle on Thursday Dec 10th (2 hours: come at 9:30), Wednesday evening the 16th (come at 5:30), and our FINAL NIGHT the 23rd. As we were out for only an hour, we paid $10.  So, if you had been thinking of coming out for this beginner-friendly activity, maybe these shortened hours and reduced rates  are attractive.  And if you are in the area, you are welcome to join the paddlers for lunch or supper afterward; enjoying each other’s company is an important part of all our TOWN activities, you don’t need a wet bottom to be part of the group!

See you next month,  Linda

Hi all,

 It was a another hot hike today, but the humidity was slightly less as 8 brave women and 3 amazing dogs joined together for a 4 mile hike on the Greenbelt. Effie, Debbie, Jacque, Lisa, Kim, Carolyn, Susie! and Marsha  were joined by Junko, Sheba and Patchey, who is Carolyn’s  granddog.  Normally,  Patchey is not allowed to go to Camp Grandma,  as Carolyn’s family has started to question why Patchey is so tired after a hike, usually covered with grass and burs, and comes home occasionally smelling like pond slim.

 There was some rumor that Carolyn may have abducted her granddog for this hike. We were not confronted by any legal authorities, so we are hoping that Carolyn was just able to have Patchey for the weekend. Carolyn herself has voiced concern that the other dogs may lead him astray, as he is young and impressionable, but so far, all dogs seem to be able to maintain good doggie manners. 

 It was nice to catch up with old friends and for some of the hikers, meet new friends. Debbie is still planning a hike in Peru, so we did our best today to get in as many hills as possible. Our pace was a little slower because of the hills, but we were able to climb a significant portion of the four miles. Susie had concerns as she had not hiked for awhile,  but Susie was a trooper,  keeping the pace and complaining less than anyone. 

 We are hoping for cool weather soon, so we can continue on our weekend hikes in more comfort. We have several trips planned among the hikers and can only wish them God speed. We also have a special wish for Kim who will be going into surgery for her neck soon.

Until next time…

Happy Trails, Marsha 

Hi all,

 There were only 3 of us today, Lisa, Debbie, and Marsha. We were, however, joined by our faithful canine companion Junko.  Marsha skipped church today,  heaven forbid, so we went an extra hour of hiking. We traveled anywhere from 6.4 to 7.3 miles, depending on whose hike keeper we relied on. We liked the 7.3 distance best. 

Debbie is planning a wonderful expedition to Peru, so we were doing our best to accommodate her and do longer hikes.  We were not tantalized with too much wildlife on the Greenbelt,  but we did see many turtles,  snakes, millipedes and  hikers. We went west and visited the area close to Lost Creek. 

I must admit that toward the end of the hike we were talking about nothing but food. We decided that cream pies are delicious as well as fruitcake and any fruitcake donations are gladly accepted by Lisa and Marsha. Pecan pie was the unanimous choice of being the better fall pie. We were hoping that our faithful canine companion would start carrying a supply of coffee for us. I am doubtful….

 We did have a sprinkle of about 10 rain drops. I am not sure if those few sprinkles contributed to our wet look, but as we were coming back we passed a cyclist who said “you look hot”.  A discussion ensued as to whether he was referring to our sweaty condition or we were indeed hot babes that were extremely attractive. Since one of us had just commented about a smelly towel, it left us pondering as to our ability to still attract admirers.

 It was really a split decision as to whether we were Hot Babes or sweaty babes.  The unknown can be tantalizing,  it turns out. 

 Overall it was a delightful hike with wonderful company. As Fall is to be arriving tomorrow, with the temperatures being just barely under 100ﾟ, it is time to start planning longer hikes and expeditions.  

Until next time…..

Happy Trails,  Marsha 

Hi all,

We has five dusty hikers today, Jenny, Jacque, Effie, Lisa and Marsha along with two coyote-safe canines, Junko and Sheba. Sheba experienced some opportunity to have off-lead hike today when we were on the very dry creek bed and I am happy to report was not challenged by any coyotes, attacked by coyotes, or spotted by coyotes. A nice change.  

The moon  is waning now and it was pouring water this morning so perhaps we can get some rain this week, but today the Greenbelt was dry and we all kicked up dust as we walked the 4.12 miles. Several of us tripped a few times, perhaps because it was so dry and dusty that we could not see where we were going. Really, we all looked a little like Pigpen in Charlie Brown by the time we finished, but we had a nice time. We had a nice cloud of dust that was settling around us. Jacque felt that we did not have a challenging enough hike today, so for the last mile, we traveled up hill, hidden in the trees and surrounded by tired birds that could only stare at us.

The promise of Fall is here as the morning was cooler than normal and we can only hope for more cool weather to come.

Until next time……

Happy Trails, Marsha

GloriaW, Janne, NancyL and Lois met me for kayaking on Thursday morning.  We avoided Red Bud Isle and Barton Creek since those two spots still have high levels of blue-green algae.  We paddled to the Congress Avenue bridge at a pretty good pace for a total of 1.5 hours of paddling.  The water is clear (thanks, Zebra mussels) and there were not too many folks on the water.  We saw two big Blue herons and one medium green heron, and of course lots of turtles. White Clematis vines were in bloom along the banks of the river. 

The guy at the Rowing Dock told me that their business has been slow due to the blue-green algae scare and last December they were closed when we had lots of rain and LCRA was releasing water from the dam.  This is why they are going to start closing at 7 pm earlier in the year than usual.

The next morning kayak outing is Oct. 10, lead by Linda. DianeN

Hi all,

 There were only 2 TOWNIES today, Effie and myself, who challenged the hills with a fast- paced hike that left  us climbing  and experiencing  amazing views in what we affectionately called the zipper route.

We will never be able to recreate this hike, but we did get 4.35 miles  on a very fast paced hike. I was curious as to where these intersecting trails would take us and so we followed them. Our feet were happy feet as we traversed up-and-down, more up than down, and were treated to desolate looking ragweeds begging for water, one lonely cardinal who was too tired to chirp, and the rocks on the Creek bed that looked like white dried bones baked by the sun in the desert.

The sun shone brightly on the rocks and shadows were few, making the landscape look like a harbinger of the Halloween that is to come.

Although Effie and I appear to be separated  by a foot in height we walked comfortably together and enjoyed a nice time. Or I did…. We are looking forward to continuing our journey with the TOWNIES next week.

Until next time….

Happy Trails, Marsha 

This morning 4 townies:  Alexa, Jackie, Jacque & Janice were joined by Sheba the dog for a nice hike along Bull Creek.  The creek was running, which was a nice treat in the heat.  Slightly cooler temps this morning were also welcomed.  Jackie identified several birds along the way. We stopped to examine spider webs, and plants as we made our way.   Finishing as the park got more crowded, and the heat started rising.   JaniceB

Hello all,

We had only  four hikers today, Kim, Debbie, Carolyn and Marsha. We were known as the Fearless Four, as our bravery was duly noted by the other hikers we met in passing, as our determination to chug through the heat left others aghast in wonderment at our fortitude.

Of course, the others aghast wonderment may have been the fact they were trying to catch their breath, but we modestly claimed a victory over the heat.

 We commented that the heat is actually a little better as the humidity is lower and the Sun rises and sets at a different angle. 

We were treated to the symphony of two screech owls,  twittering and calling to each other  in the trees above.  Not to be outdone, the spiders along the route festooned their webs with great beauty and bugs as we passed many of the webs today.  A small lizard that left us  all guessing as to what type it was darted in front of us as we made our way down to the Greek. There was no water in the Creek and we were able to cross to the other side. We traversed to a different set of trails today just to see what was their. We were not disappointed as we were able to continue to go up hill regardless of the direction we took, spawning a few complaints about the incline.

 This may be the last hike for these four hikers to be together until the 1st part of October due to pending trips. The hikes will continue and we shall welcome ! back those that were gone this weekend.

Until next time….

Happy Trails,  Marsha 

Hi All,

My house held a flurry of artistic talent today as 8 women, Effie,  Kim, Rachel, Joan, Lisa, Carolyn, Marilyn  and guest, Adrian proved that TOWNIES can create mosaic masterpieces that are museum worthy. 

There are a few words that can describe the artistic ideas that were being showcased today.  All of the women opted to make trivets and Carolyn had to try out the electric compound miter saw to have her edge squared. Despite the whirr of the blade of the saw and the sharp talons of the broken tiles, no TOWNIE or guest, needed Band-Aids today although the bandage box had been delicately placed in the middle of the table in case it was needed.  That did cause some trepidation in the beginning for some of the artists. However we all overcame our fears and tackled the mosaic project.

Each artist created a very unique piece. 

My Brazilian neighbors provided excellent snacks and food throughout the event as there had been concern that the TOWNIES could possibly be starving artists. Each piece of work of art seemed to improve as each glass of wine was consumed and each morsel of food was tasted. It was also a note worthy day that Willie, the bad dog, was actually nice today and did not snap at anyone.  Millie, the good dog, found a new lap and fell in love with Aunt Effie.

We had a tip jar set out for my neighbor who did all of the cooking. The only tears that were shed today were hers when I delivered the tips to her after all the TOWNIES had left. She remarked what a wonderful group of women they must be. I believe we also convinced Adrian to join us. She was not too intimidated by us and I don’t know if that’s a mark of her heroism or if we were just on an off day of TOWNIE craziness.

Until next time….

Happy Trails,  Marsha