Category: Uncategorized (Page 25 of 46)

Hi all,

We had 7 strong hikers today: Jenny, Effie, Lisa, Kim, Debbie, Carolyn, and Marsha.  We had no canine companions, as Junko is still on vacation and will be returning from her adventure today.

Despite not having our loyal canine friends we did go 4.1 miles. Last night I had just a brief shower of rain which was enough to leave it extra humid today. That did not deter us from our mission of hiking. It did however leave the air filled with the scent of varying types of scat. It seems that winter will be coming early this year as much of the scat was filled with persimmon seeds as the trees are now ripening. Coyote, raccoon,  opossum  scat, oh my!

Additionally, there have been sightings of mice and rats being more active as they are seeking shelter. According to the Farmers Almanac, these are signs that we will have a more cold and wet winter. We can only hope.

Our wild life sightings were limited to a lizard and a toad today, but it was a big toad. We did hear a few birds in the background, but they sounded so unenthusiastic caroling their morning songs. There was no water in the creek at all.

We did have the most unusual sighting today, the traversing of the land by four APD officers chugging their way up the creek bed on ATVs.  They had a hard time of it and appeared to have gotten stuck on several occasions. We TOWNIES, not to be outdone, sped past them on our sure -footed soles, secretly smiling with our fast -paced hiking,  leaving them far behind and wistfully gazing after us as we distanced ourselves from them.

We have all returned from recent trips and vacations and spent much of our conversation  longing for our next trip. Jenny tantalizingly regaled us with tales of the cool weather in Oregon. Highs of 70’s. Unheard of. 

Carolyn took one for the team and was the horse fly attractor today, with much appreciation by us TOWNIES who were not bitten by the seemingly 10 pound  flies.

 Over all it was a good hike. The days are getting shorter and the promise of cool weather is soon to be here.

Until next time…..

Happy Trails,  Marsha 

Hi all,

 It was another hot and stiffling hike today. Debbie, Effie, Kim, and Marsha braved the heat to hike 4.13 miles on the Greenbelt. We had no canine companions today and a smaller group than usual.

We started out going by the satanic worship site which was actually confirmed by 2 FBI agents last year. Those were the same 2 FBI agents that my bad dog Willie tried to bite, but, oh, that is another story for another time. Suffice to say,  Willie was not charged with attempted capital murder. 

We walked down to the Greenbelt which has very little water except for the small pond that we saw at sculptured falls. Due to the heat our pace was slower. It was noticed that we had vultures that were circling over head and waiting on nearby branches.  When Kim and I noticed the nearby one on the branch we immediately sped up our pace and left the vulture to hungrily eye Effie and Debbie. The TOWNIE motto to leave no one behind was severely tested today but Kim and I did look back at Effie and Debbie as they were innocently approaching Vulture ville.

We were also entertained by yellow jackets and water wasps that kept circling us. I am sure that they are hungry and thirsty as well, but none of us wanted to be a victim of the nasty stings.

We were counting the days until the heat would break, but I did figure that it is 1488 laps around my dining room table that would equal the same distance. We did give that some thought as it is inside and in an air conditioned building. We did agree that the 1488 laps may get boring after a while.

In the usual TOWNIE fashion,  we ended eagerly planning our next hiking adventure outdoors.

Until next time…..

Happy Trails,  Marsha 

Dear TOWNies,

Yes, it was hot but absolutely worth it!  The river activities and all the park has to offer were amazing.  

We began arriving on Sunday, August 4th.  MariaV, LindaBW, LisaMcM and two grandkids Harley & Lex.  As low as the river was in the park, we learned it wasn’t the ideal spot to float.  We walked most of the river on Monday and popped almost all of our floats.  Pretty but tiresome.

LindaKW arrived on Monday. We hung out while Lex learned to ride his bike (without help).  He will now tell you he is a pro.

On Tuesday we played in the river at the dam area that day and it was very relaxing and cool in shade.  CherylC arrived that evening.

On Wednesday we chilled out for recovery.  We found good Mexican food in Leakey. 

On Thursday we found the perfect float at Happy Hollow, just a couple of miles north of the park along with beautiful trees that provided lots of shade, deep water and floats that held together.  That evening GloriaB and  Corrie  and her daughter Ciamarra (Maria’s guests) joined us.  We gathered at Lisa’s site and Gloria directed us to the International Space Station (ISS) that passed over us a little after 9 pm. That was cool.  The sky was amazing at GSP.

On Friday we decided to do Happy Hollow float again.  It was just as fun, but we were really tired afterwards.  Gloria made us some delicious Margaritas and Linda made us some yummy fajitas that made the day completely perfect.

Saturday some folks pulled out and the rest of us chilled and recovered.  We had an early campfire at Lisa’s with delicious roasted hot dogs and did I mention Gloria’s famous Magaritas?  Those are always welcome.

The grand babies and I were sad pulling out Sunday morning.  We loved GSP and all of our camping buddies.  

Want to do this campout again next year for certain.  LisaMcM

We gathered at the Rowing Dock at 9:30 am. The temp in the shade was pleasant and there was a nice breeze. We had ten Town women kayak. DebbieB, GloriaW, Janna, Jacque, JudieT, Effie, LindaF, NancyL, Lois and me. We talked about Red Bud Island being closed to dogs due to the toxic Blue Algae. They are still testing the water and should know more soon. We didn’t see any dogs in the water or riding on any stand up boards. We paddled toward downtown and almost made it to First Street bridge. We had a nice breeze the whole time! The water was clear and smooth. We saw ducks, turtles and a swan. We wondered if they would be impacted by the Blue Algae.
Afterwards most of us met up at Shady Grove for a bite to eat and refreshments.

We sat outside in the shade and surprisingly we were quite comfortable with a bit of a breeze and fans. Linda F suggested we take turns to share what we have been doing, travel plans, or something about ourselves. In a large group we miss out on conversations at the other end of the table. It was a good way for everyone to engage and get to know more about each other. We had a good morning of kayaking and spending time visiting! Thanks to everyone who joined us!

The next kayak date is Wednesday, 8/21, meet at the Rowing Dock at 5:30pm. Lisa Marengo will lead.
Gail P-C

Hi all,

 It was a hot and difficult hike today with Lisa, Kim, Jenny, Debbie, Effie, and Marsha, joined by Junko, the lone canine, trudging along 4.3 miles in hot and miserable conditions.

We were able to cross to the other side of Barton Creek as there was no water in the Creek except for Sculptured Falls. We traveled to Sculpture Falls and Junko was able to do a little bit of swimming. There was no water coming over the falls, but there was a pool of water at the bottom of the falls.

After Junko did her part to cool us off be shaking water off near us, we TOWNIES were not fazed by the humid conditions and bravely swaggered  to the Hill of Life area, but to only be met by a 30 inch-snake, probably a cotton mouth, AFTER Marsha,  Effie and Debbie  had already stepped over it, oblivious to the lurking  danger. Jenny let out a call of “Get Back!” as she and Lisa and Junko had enough sense to look where they were stepping.  Kim, wisely,  had left to go back home.

Not to be outdone alerting us to danger, Junko located a dead crawfish in the rocks on the way back. The only other wildlife  we saw or heard were birds seeking water.

Until next time…..

Happy Trails,  Marsha 

Hi all!  We had only 4 brave women today, Janice, Carolyn, Debbie and Marsha,  who bravely  fought the heat and humidity today for a 4 mile hike on the Greenbelt. 

The pleasant taste of fall that we experienced this week is long gone and we were left with the typical Austin summer of hot and humid.  That did not stop us from exploring the area across the Creek, the first time we have been able to cross since last fall.  We were rewarded by a nice hike on the  beloved barking dog loop, name after a previous adventure, which seem to be uphill regardless of the direction we took.

We encountered a strange sound in the trees which we attributed to the dreaded Big Foot Bird.  This mythical creature is rumored to have powers that are beyond description. We were wondering if it was still part of the curse as Effie was unable to join us due to an injury.

We then came across an 8″ red headed Texas centipede. None of us except for Carolyn had seen one before and her husband had been using a weed eater to try to keep the family safe in the house. This centipede is venomous and is large enough to kill small mammals as well as snakes. There are also reports of small dogs and cats that had encountered a centipede and ended up the loser. There are also reports of a few fatal attacks in humans, granted, those that were probably allergic to the venom.

We stayed far enough away and I am pretty sure that we came home with the same number of hikers that we left with, but then again, we may have lost one to centipede bait.

 Attached is a photo from the Internet as a we were unable to get a photo with our phone but we do have for witnesses to the centipede. 

Until next time…..

Happy Trails,  Marsha 

What a beautiful evening it was kayaking on Lady Bird Lake! They said a cold front came in and we sure felt the cooler temp and breeze on the lake. We had ten Town women join us! GloriaW, DianeN, LindaF, JudyA, LoisK, LisaM, PegG, DawnG, JuneA and me.

Rowing Dock staff were so helpful and getting the kayaks out and assisting us in and out of the boats. We headed toward Red Bud Island and many kayaked around the island while some chose to leisurely follow the bank and observe the waterfalls and wildlife. Lots of visiting and catching up along the way. We observed JudyA take off paddling faster than we have ever seen her go Diane and I thought she must really have to pee.Gloria paddled up to us and informed us Judy’s kayak was taking in water. We couldn’t catch up to her as she was so far ahead. We observed her and she made it back to the dock without problem. Staff pulled that kayak from the other rentals.

We all met up at the dock for this picture. Many of us met up afterwards at Shady Grove for dinner and refreshments. Maria V and her daughter met up with us for dinner. The next date to kayak on Lady Bird Lake will be Thurs, August 8 meet at 9:30am at the Rowing Dock. Hope you can join us. Gail P-C

It was a hot and miserable hike today that covered 4.1 grueling miles. The brave souls included Kim, Lisa, Jenny, Carolyn, Effie, and Marsha. Junko was the lone dog today.

It was nice to have almost everyone hiking together, but the heat and the humidity allowed for a slower pace. The water in the Creek is getting lower and we could have crossed today, but due to time limitations we did not attempt it. The less than fragrant smell of stagnant water is filling the air. It was even too hot for birds to sing. On the good side, we saw no coyotes.

Since Effie was able to join us, we paid reverence to the spot where she had fallen into the poison ivy. It was a sacred moment.

Since many of the hikers will be going on vacation to lands far away that trumpet cooler weather, we will not have our whole group back for several weeks. We will continue to hike and try to main thoughts as civility while they are cooler in the mountains.

Until next time……

Happy Trails,  Marsha 

There are several ways to get into Barton Springs’ cool water: 

1) Lower yourself down a ladder a few inches at a time over fifteen minutes. (Gloria and Flo)

2) Go to the shallow end and walk into the “warmer water” where the little kids are. (Janice)

3) Dive headfirst with your hat on (Maria) or without your hat. (LisaMc)

4) Jump without thinking about it and get it over with quickly. (Christine)

5) Marilyn swam early, stepping quickly down the ladder and pushing off right into vigorous strokes.

And SaraF and friends enjoyed the scene in the shade of a huge tree.

After a sweet morning enjoying the large family groups and screaming teens, some of us went to Red’s Porch for lunch. 

MarilynF

We had a lovely breeze on Lady Bird lake Thursday morning, and being wise outdoor women, we decided to head toward Red Bud Isle first, against the wind.  The Rowing Dock was busy for so early on a weekday, but the UT sculling team was absent from the water. 

We did not see much in the way of wildlife, however we had a great group of women enjoying each other’s company.  NancyL joined us from San Antonio with her guest, Sasha.  Nancy’s next job rotation is in Austin, so look for her at more TOWN outings. Other participants were ChristineF, DebbieB, and Diane’s guest CourtneyS. 

We adjourned to Shady Grove for lunch and more conversation.

Next kayak outing is Wednesday, July 17, 2019 at 5:45 pm led by Lisa M.

Then Wednesday, July 24, 2019 at 5:45 pm led by Gail P-C

Diane N