Category: Uncategorized (Page 39 of 46)

Twenty-four super women showed up to celebrate TOWN today. The weather at Brushy Creek Lake Park was very nice. Eight women went on a 4.5-mile hike led by JanB and JennyF, and NancyL went for a bike ride. There were also some lively bean bag and ladder ball games. Although some table games were available, it seemed that most folks wanted to visit and catch up with people who they may not have seen in a while.

Special thanks to JoanB, who once again was the grill master, and LindaBW, who was the assistant grill master. SandyO was also flitting around and helping. By the time everyone returned, the spread was ready. As always, the TOWNies brought a LARGE assortment of dishes and desserts.

After lunch, the group assembled and paid homage to the Super Girl piñata and then proceeded to try to extract the candy.  There were many swings, some hits and some misses. After a few flesh wounds, SusieA dealt a serious blow, and JenLG finished her off and we collected the candy.

Thanks to everyone for helping with set-up and clean up. It was so nice to be in the company of these SUPER WOMEN today.  Our next signature event will be the TOWN Holiday Party, which is January 6-8, 2017.  Mark your calendar and plan to join us!

LisaS

Thirteen TOWNies plus a guest (AmeliaG, AnnaE, BevB (Jacque’s guest), CarrieL, DebraS (new member), JacqueA, JudieT, LisaS, MargieS, MarieW, NancyL, NancyP, SandyS, and TinaT) met at the ABC Herb Garden. This non-profit is located at 6200 Manor Road. Their property is the former Case Mill Homestead.

Gardener Toby Bernal guided our tour and talked about: the benefits of fresh herbs; how to grow them; starting new plants; medicinal plant gardens; rainwater harvesting system; propagation; cooking with fresh herbs; and artificial pollination. And Toby answered our numerous questions! A well-educated, patient man.

After the tour concluded, 13 of us adjourned to Luby’s for lunch. We sat and ate and talked. Imagine that!

ABC will sponsor an herbal plant sale May 13, 2017. I will plan an outing for the sale.

The ABC Herb Gram website link is http://abc.herbalgram.org/site/PageServer. Self-guided tours are available Monday through Friday from 9AM to 6PM.

Thanks everyone for joining me!

JacqueA

Here we were: Rachel, Jacque, Joan, SandyB, Janice, GloriaB, JanB, CarolynD, Jenny, Marilyn, CarolynH, Marsha, Carrie, Nancy Likos, JudyL, SandyO, Adela, Lisa, Kay, Sandy “Rum Cake” Smith, Beverly, Jana from Odessa, Susan, LindaW, Darlene, Susie, Janet, and Marie! Twenty-eight TOWNies , with grandkid, guest, and dogs, gathered at Inks Lake State Park from Sept. 29th to Oct. 3rd. We were very fortunate that the Park staff (specifically Crystal) put most of us in the same campground loop.

There was so much to see in the Park that few went out on field trips to area sights—not even to the wineries. We burned some stories and told some logs and laughed like loons. We enjoyed the Canada geese and the white interloper goose who bossed the gaggle around; some TOWNies learned to fish from a Ranger (and caught some—fish, that is), many went paddling every day, hikers came back weary from miles of trails, and bird aficionados oohed and ahhhed at the new bird blind.

We ate impromptu and planned meals, lots of pie, and played games like we were at summer camp. Each night the clear skies showered us with stars, and dawn lit the mist skimming the lake in curling and glowing drifts. A healthy skunk passed on its route between the campsites every evening and returned the same way in the morning. Enormous fish leapt and splashed just after we glanced their way, and stolid herons mistaken for tree stumps enlivened and took flight. Janet provides some details about birds and plants (sounding a warning about sand spurs).

Birds seen on the lake: green heron, 3 great blue herons, Osprey, belted kingfisher, great egrets, Canada geese (not-native), and mallards (not native ).

The new bird blind is very large and quite nice with benches, bird books, screened and plexi-glass windows. Located outside the entrance of the park on Park Road 4, it has a long path with an electric gate that requires a code. This makes it much quieter than the usual state park blind, which is often directly on a well-used trail. The Highland Lakes Master Naturalists organized its building.

Seen at the bird blind:

Birds: American goldfinch, lesser goldfinch, possibly female rufous hummingbird, juvenile female hummingbird, 15+ house sparrows (not native), cardinals, ladder-backed woodpecker, boat-tailed grackles, white-winged doves.

Wildlife seen: young diamond-backed rattlesnake on trail , rabbit at the bird blind, butterflies (Common Maestra, Queen)

Marilyn Fowler

What a beautiful evening on Lady Bird Lake! AnnaE, JudyA, LindaF and GailP-C enjoyed the lovely weather and calm, relatively clean water. Although there were some rowers, fly fishermen and a few kayakers, we felt like we had the lake to ourselves. We had a leisurely paddle around Red Bud Island and made it back to the Rowing Dock by 7:30 p.m. Along the way we saw several beautiful cranes, turtles and many fish jumping in the water.

We visited along the way and enjoyed catching up with each other. Afterwards we all went to Las Palomas for a bite to eat. It was such a nice evening, we were able to dine outside.

The Rowing Dock has changed their hours and will be closing at 7:00 p.m. due to the approaching time change. Our last kayak on Lady Bird Lake for the season will be Wednesday, Oct 26th. Hope you can join us.

Linda Foss

On Saturday, September 24th, TOWNies explored on foot the historic Hancock and Hyde Park neighborhoods. The 10K route was determined by the Colorado River Walkers (www.AVA.org, www.coloradoriverwalkers.org) which sponsored the public volksmarch event.

TOWNie CarolC led a special guided walk for TOWNies providing history of the two neighborhoods, descriptions of sites along the way (i.e. Hancock Golf Course, Perry Estate, Waller Creek, former State Fair of Texas horse race track, homes of “Shadowlawn”) and significant persons who were original residents of the neighborhoods (i.e. Col. Monroe Shipe, Commodore Edgar Perry, Hyde Park bard Albert Huffstickler, Elisabeth Ney).

Attending were JacqueA, GloriaB, SusanW, JudyL, SandyB, CarolynD, CarrieL, LindaD, GenevaR and two guests BeckyR and BarbaraB.

The walk covered approximately 6 miles, and many were pleased that the interesting sites along the way made it easier to complete the distance.

Lunch followed at long-time (34-years old) neighborhood bistro Hyde Park Grill, including shared tastings of the restaurant’s signature buttermilk-battered French fries.  Several TOWNies topped off the meal with a visit to Quacks 43rd Street Bakery for various sweet treats.

Carol Castlebury

Today was Austin Museum Day, and Austin institutions opened their doors for free. JaniceB, CarrieL, and I (MarilynF) took the #1 bus to the UT area and visited 3 museums.

We met at the South Congress/Ben White Transit Center. Janice took her local bus to the center, but I discovered I’d have to take THREE buses to get there from home, so I drove my car to the Transit Center, as did Carrie.

The bus ride to UT and back was great — drivers were nice and patient with wrinkly dollar bills, and other passengers were preoccupied, though there were plenty of characters. Apparently having a conversation on a bus is not the usual transit norm. I loved the view and relaxation, and I will take the bus again as the only way to go north to UT!

Here are brief highlights of the museums we visited:

Bob Bullock:

There is an exhibit there that I feel everyone should see and talk about: “State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda.” On loan from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the exhibit does not involve walls of ghostly faces—rather it reveals what is much more insidious and deranged: How low voter turnout and apathy brought a ruling committee into power after years of job shortages and social problems; how the leadership learned to produce media messages that appealed to emotions and perceived unfairness; how most citizens did not embrace the committee’s philosophies but figured no harm would be done.

“Propaganda is a truly terrible weapon in the hands of an expert.”

Adolf Hitler, 1924

After the sobering exhibit we watched an award-winning animation, “World of Tomorrow,” which was clever, but its message still eludes me. I will stream it on Netflix and get back to you after watching it again.

Blanton Art Museum:

The Blanton’s permanent collection was not on view today due to installation work. The Goya etchings and lithographs were interesting but small, and the Xu Bing work, “Book from the Sky,” was an intricate work of protest, with books and books and pages and pages with invented nonsensical characters of Chinese writing. It made a statement against the tomes of Maoist doctrine published widely in China. What a brave artist!

Harry Ransom Center:

This delightful museum is always free, and today’s display of the photography of Elliott Erwitt showcased the Ransom Center’s extensive collection of his work. You get a glimpse into family life, street life, actors and actresses on set, and, in general, who humans are and what we do. Magazines and other publications with his work from the 1950’s are included, completing the picture of people everywhere. My personal favorite, due to still being upset about the Nazi Propaganda exhibit, was an Erwitt photo on the cover of Life magazine showing Russians in a planetarium viewing a globe that had a Sputnik model. The women were dressed in headscarves, and the caption said, “Russian peasants viewing the Sputnik model.” So that was propaganda, too, right? Meant to bring a contrast to light and evoke emotions.

No one can spend hours in museums without coming out changed. I hope you soon have a chance to do so, too.

We took Cap Metro back. Janice took the #3 home from UT, and Carrie and I went to our cars and to Hill’s Café for dinner. When we arrived at the restaurant a server gave us a tour of the grounds and buildings for even more learning.

MarilynF

At the other end of the spectrum from the Rocky Mountains trip is the beautiful, sedate but also wonderful (and close), two-hour paddle on Lady Bird Lake.  Gail’s photo below shows the play of light and shadow, water, rock and vegetation and  . . . fellow-TOWNies that make these trips so restorative.

We had ten affirmative votes with-their-feet, a full house for us with the last-minute addition of CarolC.  CarrieL brought a boat she is trying out, and a friend, GloriaW.  Jacque also brought her own boat, launching from the dock.  AnnaE, DianeN and GailP-C set a nice pace, LindaF’s guest and soon-to-be-member DebbieW, and JudieT enjoyed a more leisurely pace until we got to the Emmett Shelton Bridge across Redbud Island.

The strong current from the dam’s water releases are as close as our outings ever get to white water, and the turn to the north under the bridge where the rocks are just under the surface requires a little more skill to navigate than just trying to avoid the rowers on the Lake.  On occasion we have turned back because of the strength of the flow.  This time, GailP-C and others kept watch as the kayak-ducklings threw themselves into the current, did our best to navigate across the top of the island, through to the other side of the bridge. JudieT doesn’t come often, but the first time there were whitecaps on the Lake. This time it was as if she had been paddling for years.

Shady Grove was our pick for afters, sharing chit-chat, beer, and suppers, as enjoyable a part of our outings as the paddling.  A great spot if you like having your hair blown straight up by the outside fans.

If you haven’t had a chance to join us yet, here’s some news that will surprise you: That long, leisurely summer paddling season that seemed to stretch out forever is coming to an end in October!

LindaF

Attendees: Beverly, Eola, Flo, Gloria, JudyL, Judy Shaw (Dallas TOWN), Katherine (new TOWNie), LindaBW, Marilyn, Nancy Likos, Nancy Lynch, SandyO, and Susan

How can I squeeze a 2-week trip into a condensed trip report? We’ll see.

Places we camped: Texas – Abilene State Park, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, and Lake Colorado City State Park. Colorado – Trinidad Lake State Park, North Clear Creek Campground, West Fork Campground (Rio Grande National Forest campgrounds), and Chris Park Group Campground (San Juan National Forest campground). New Mexico – Manzano Mountains State Park and Bottomless Lake State Park.

Places we visited: Capulin Volcano National Monument, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, town of Creede, hot springs and farmers market in Pagosa Springs, Chimney Rock National Monument, Mesa Verde National Park, Aztec Ruins National Monument (Farmington), International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell, Silver Falls (near West Fork), O’Reilly’s Auto Parts (Dumas – for story contact Nancy Lynch), San Juan National Forest Lower Piedra campground, various campgrounds in the San Juan NF were “scoped out” for future visits (along Williams Creek, including Teal campground), Ute campground near Chimney Rock, Navajo State Park (CO).

Scenic spots: North Clear Creek Falls, Slumguillon Pass, Windy Point, Bachelor Loop Driving Tour, Rio Grande Starting Point, Treasure Falls, 6-mile hike towards Fourmile Falls, Silver Falls, hot springs in Pagosa Springs, train ride between Durango and Silverton, Haviland Lake (near Chris Park campground), scenic drive to Ouray, Priest Gulch Rd (Durango Jeep tour), Pinkerton Hot Springs.

Mountain passes we conquered: Raton, Cucharas, La Veta, Spring Creek and Slumgullion (without trailers), Wolf Creek Pass, Yellowjacket, and Abo (NM).

Activities:

HIKING – 1-mile around rim on Capulin Volcano, 6-mile hike (towards Fourmile Falls), hike to Treasure Falls and Silver Falls, Colorado Trail, Continental Divide (many times, various spots), Rainbow Trail (West Fork campground), trail around Manzano Mountains campground, hike (in rain) to Haviland Lake.

DRIVING – Slumguillion Pass and Windy Point, Bachelor Loop Driving, Whitmore Falls on Alpine Loop driving tour out of Lake City, Jeep tour (Priest Gulch Rd out of Durango).

RIDING – Durango/Silverton train.

SWIMMING/SOAKING – Pagosa Springs (The Springs Resort & Spa) and Bottomless Lakes in New Mexico (Lea Lake).

EATING – several campground group meals (mountain man breakfast, lasagna, hot dogs), group lunches at Kip’s Grill (Creede) and Shady Lady (Silverton), group dinner at Taqueria Jalisco (Roswell), numerous Dairy Queens along the way.

GEOCACHING – in Texas (roadside stop), New Mexico (Manzano Mountains and Bottomless Lakes), and Colorado (Trinidad State Park).

FISHING – in mountain streams (a first for Susan). Beverly caught a trout, grilled it and shared a taste! Yummy!

TRYING to stay dry and warm.

What we saw the most: RAIN! RAIN! And MORE RAIN! Everywhere!

Lake Meredith Sunrise (photo by Sandy)

One of the scenic pullout (headwaters of the Rio Grande) between Creede and Lake City

Treasure Falls near Pagosa Springs

The entertainment for the evening (West Fork Campground)

Those Flickin’ Chickens laid some eggs at North Clear Creek campground.

For more pictures, please go to the Yahoo group or the Meetup event. Lots of photos in both locations.

Some comments from fellow campers:

“Thanks for the opportunity to travel and experience the beauty of a road trip, to camp and hang with friends, and to create wonderful memories with my mother and everyone.” Susan

“The 4-wheel Jeep trip was up Priest Gulch Rd out of Durango to some old mines. The map shows Hesperus Mtn along that route at 13,000 feet. I don’t know how high we got but the sleet was sticking to the ground as our shortest driver notified us she couldn’t see over the steering wheel!” LindaBW

“On the day when some went to Mesa Verde and some rented a Jeep, Eola and Marilyn hiked a section of the circa-1870’s wagon road between Chris Park Campground and Haviland Lake. The wagon road is part of one built to allow miners and their equipment to get to mines in Silverton before the rail line was constructed. The section we walked was only a mile in length but rain and thunderstorm slowed us down. Along the way we passed “Miners’ Trace,” a junk pile of old barrels and cans. Haviland Lake area was very pretty (and wet). We decided to walk back on the road when a car full of young people gave us a lift. I guess we looked like we needed it!” Marilyn

Totals (driving on the road to/from – not including side or short trips) = 47 hours and 40 minutes, 2203 miles.

Thanks to all that joined me and made this a memorable and awesome trip! Until next time, happy camping!

Gloria

Cheryl, Margie, Donna and I had a very nice day on the river in Bastrop on Saturday. I really enjoyed spending time with you ladies!

Just trying to get there was a bit rough, with construction traffic by Bergstrom and some heavy downpours along the way. But we all made it there eventually. Actually it worked in our favor as the later start gave us better weather.

There were a slew of paddle boarders in the parking lot at Fisherman’s Park, where we took off. They were there for a race along the same stretch of river we were planning to paddle. Fortunately, they all cleared out by the time we took off and stayed well ahead of us. In fact, we never saw anyone! The only things we saw were some herons, egrets, and chatty kingfishers.

It drizzled on us for the first 20-30 minutes, but then the rain stopped and left us a very pleasant cloud cover. There was barely any wind, which is such a rarity, and which really made the paddle pleasant. We completely lucked out with the freak August weather!

The take-out was easy, as I went to get the truck and the kayaks magically got themselves next to the road. Thanks ladies! The gate was unlocked and open, despite there being someone standing guard over it earlier. I really hope they solve the weird access issue with this parking lot.

Looking forward to doing it again!
Hilary

So when I planned the movie, I thought it would be too hot to do anything else. Little did I know that it would be 74 degrees and raining. Despite the rain, JacqueA, SallieN, and JackieD ventured out to see the movie Florence Foster Jenkins with me. All of us were impressed with Meryl Streep’s performance as the heiress who dreamed of being an opera singer.  Next time I eat potato salad, I may think about this movie.

After the movie, JoanB joined us at Panera Bread for a late lunch.  We had a nice time visiting about our upcoming adventures. Hope to see you out and about soon!

LisaS