Chino the Magnificent

Meet Chino, my son's pooch. At the Christmas Eve gathering everyone received gifts, including Chino. He got his first pair of pants. Here he is strutting his stuff. He's a real character. 

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve at Mom's house was full of people again. Represented are Charles (Ben's pop-in-law), my sons Joseph & Jason, Christa and I, and Steven (niece's hubby). Next down is Mom, Deliscia, Tiffany, Tammi and Ben. On the bottomis Ali, Little Steven, Kyle, and Jessica. Aside from having to stand (or sit) for "The Photo," we had a great time sharing family time, opening presents with the kids (because they all have their own places to be tomorrow), and chowing down on some great food. Missing were my sis and her husband (off to Kansas this year) and Blair (my baby brother, ha) and his family. They are in Montana with a new house and granchild, so they are a bit busy. But I'm sure they are happy to be spending this Christmas in their new home. Christmas day Mom, Christa and I are invited to spend the day at Ben's with Tammi and her dad, Charles (oh, and Jessica and Kyle, also). More food and fun. Merry Christmas Ya'll! 

Paddling the Guadalupe River

An awesome Monday with temps in the low 70's makes for a great day paddling the Guadalupe River as it passes through Lake Wood near Gonzalez, TX. The river banks were a bit drab in their winter dress, but there was still plenty of wildlife to be seen. My youngest son, Jason, has opted to join me today as Christa thought it was going to be cold. Warmed up nicely as we prepared to go out on the water. You might notice that I'm going to change things with the blog a bit. The nature of the blog is that entries are made sequentially. Starting with this entry series, I will endeavor to place them in an order that reads better, useful when there are numerous entries to record.

Jason getting ready to go with the old man out for a little paddle. Three and a half hours later, he was feeling the tinge of a "little Paddle."

A lot of birds on the river today. We saw egrets, herons, and a number of smaller species that I couldn't identify. The most prevalent birds in the area were buzzards. Down the river is a roosting sight and you can see nearly a hundred or so of them. Graceful in flight and very necessary, but nasty as all get out.

Here is the footshot and catching Jason in the pic as well.

As the day wears on we decide to head back towards the docks. A really nice day on the river. As we were breaking down the gear to go home, a local fisher commented that "The river lets you forget the world, and the world makes you remember the river."

They drifted pretty close to our house and I was able to get a few really good shots before they turned more to the southeast.

Here the balloon gets a clear take off. They were taking off around 4 PM in the early evening. I gather the winds were just right.

On arriving back at my Mom's place, we were treated to another piece of eyeball liberty. We noticed this balloon getting ready to take off from a little field behind our neighbors place that is used frequently by Ulta-lite enthusiasts and infrequently by balloonists.

Having not found a suitable site (yet) for the San Marcos River, I returned to one of our old stomping grounds - Lake Wood on the Guadalupe. A fairly large lake that is part of the Guadalupe Blanco River Authority and power system. Here is a picture of the dam, looks old and I hope thos spurts are not leaks.

Another nice visual point was this artesian well built by the same corps group that built the Refectory. Nice water feature.

Near the little lake on Palmetto Park we encountered these guys. They seemed quite used to people as they came running in a pushing/shoving gaggle up to us. Unfortunately, we didn't have any goods for them. Not to fear, a family pulled up shortly after this picture with the intent of having a quiet picnic, sort of. These guys hauled tail when they saw the family setting up the table.

Most of the park is a series of hiking trails, this one leads to an old structure I'm sure of what it was used for. Looked like an old grain elevator that was converted to a house or something.

From the back of the Refectory the San Marcos River can be seen winding its way south towards the Guadalupe River. I will have to do a little more scouting before I determine where I want to put in at. Many sections of the river require porting to go around low spots and low water bridges. Combine that with fairly high loose banks and I would just as soon find a constant run not requiring some extra navigation. I think one or both of my sons may join me for a paddle, that would be cool.

Been awhile since I posted last because we're just sitting tight waiting for this cold blast to move on. Today was warm enough that we went out for a drive in the country and ended up near Gonzales, TX. Actually we ducked into Palmetto State Park to see what was there. The park covers 270+ acres with the San Marcos river passing through. I was scouting for put-in/take-out spots for some paddling. The San Marcos offers a variety of of river conditions with a wide selection of in and out spots. This is a picture of the Refectory built in 1931. Built from solid stones and large timbers, pretty sturdy.

Waiting for Sunday Football

Today is a big day around here. Cowboys play New York and its a big game for both of them. NY has the edge, but I'm counting on the Boys to pull it off. Lucy is excited as well, you can almost see the nervous anticipation in her eyes as she sits on pins and needles for the game to start. As a side note, I would like to wish Angie and Jason luck for their new adventure as full time RVers. Thanks for reading my blog, I hope you are able to enjoy the life as much as we do. 

Proud Papa Scott and Sister Sydney look after Baby Delaney. How cute. Some long nights ahead I can only assume, but what a darling to share the long nights with. Congratulations.

Today I received an email from my good friend Scott announcing the arrival of Delaney Marie, his new daughter. Here Christine and little Delaney take a personal time out. We are very proud for them and their new baby.

Well, we have arrived back in Seguin and completed our tour of dog duty at my sisters and bro-in-laws house. They have a German Short Hair Pointer that gets pretty lonely and they had to go on a short business trip. Buford is a pretty good boy and loves to have the fun, but misses his "mom & dad" greatly. Of course we also kept an eye on the house, cat named Maynard, and parakeet named Victor.

Following our stay at Lake Livingston, TX, we proceeded south to Stagecoach, TX to visit some of our friends from the Alaska Caravan - Roger and Jeannie. We stayed at their beautiful house and enjoyed a fine evening dining out and indulging in good conservation. I really enjoyed our stay and wished we could have stayed longer, but other commitments pressed us. I do however look forward to revisiting when time allows, they are gracious hosts and made us feel very welcome. Tomorrow we head on down to my sisters place to do a little dogsitting while they take a little trip to Dallas.

Here were some of the loons that were very prevalent in the area. I was able to get fairly close to them and observe them fishing and supping on their catch. Meanwhile, nearby kittywaits were diving into the water and presumably getting their own dinner. A very nice paddle, not withstanding the wind which would gust significantly throughout the day. Tomorrow we head south to visit some of our friends from the Alaska Caravan. They live closer to Houston and we'll visit a night before heading on to San Antonio. Ya'll take care.

The day was a bit cool (in the mid sixties) and pretty windy, but very clear and crisp. A good paddling day in my book. The main event out here was the birds, tons of them. Kittywaits, seagulls, loons, grebes, ducks, a few terns, herons, large snowy egrets and crows. I couldn't pass up this shot into the sun (sort of) with these gulls perched on the old tree snags.

A lot of stuff nearby in the town of Livingston, but the main attraction for me was close proximity to the water. Northshore RV Resort is a very nice park with all the ammenities including wifi and phone hookups. But the best thing is the water. The lake is very low right now and a bit of a challenge for the larger boats. This is a boon for me though as I do not have to worry about others wiping me out. I had the whole lake to myself. Here in my classic foot shot, you can see some of the hazards to navigation due to the low water. Some were a concern to me because you can't see all of them. Some are just below the surface, a big concern to someone paddling in an inflatable kayak.

Leaving Aunt Nelle's & Uncle Leroyce's house on the 26th, we traveled south arriving at the Northshore RV Resort in Onalaska, TX. About 13 miles west of Livingston, TX, this park sits right on Lake Livingston. We've been here for 2 nights already and extended one more so that I could get a little paddling in before we shove off. The first couple of days were taken up with some cleanup and maintenance following the Thanksgiving holiday. I had to drive in some rain getting down here and the result was a rig so dirty I think it had an effect on the drag coefficient.

Thanksgiving 2005

Well, we're past the 2005 Thanksgiving holiday and a bit larger to prove that fact. Our family reunion rotates between my Aunts and this year Aunt Nelle had the pleasure of hosting the event. Anut Nelle is the lady sitting on the right side near the end with the pink top on and Uncle Leroyce is behind her in the red shirt. A great time with fantastic food and company. There house sits on Lake Tyler and is a wonderful place. We dry camped in their neighbors yard for the 3 nights we were there. Christa and I are on the left side surrounded by lots of extended family. A few families didn't show, but there was plenty to have a good time. 

Also on the grounds, is this terrific scale railroad and train display. Not running during our visit, the track had the look of being run regularly. Very nice detailing and spans some 20' to 30' across. The Garvan Gardens boasts to be the largest Private Garden in the US. Most of the land is unimproved with many primitive trails for good hiking. Almost surrounded by water (Lake Hamilton) the Garden is a great retreat to escape whatever ails you. Today we are preparing to roll. We will be moving on tomorrow, heading down to Texas for Thanksgiving with the extended family at our annual reunion. I am looking forward to seeing everyone and enjoying some really good cooking.

There are numerous treats on the trails including this wonderful bridge spanning a tumble of large boulders where a waterfall flows beneath.

While you walk along the trails, you'll be treated to a number of Coy filled ponds complete with waterfalls feeding into them. Not many leaves now, but I suspect that in the spring and summer this can be a pretty dark place with the thick canopies of foliage overhead.

Of course, we are here in the late fall and so are treated to a bit of flash though the major color is past.

The entrance is a bit hidden and is under construction as well. When they are finished, this should have a bigger wow effect upon entering the grounds. As it was, we weren't sure if we wereat the entrance to a garden or a utility shed. I assure you, that does not impune upon the Garden itself.

Yesterday, we took a tour of the Garvin Woodland Gardens near Hot Springs, Arkansas. This is a unique garden compared to those we have seen previously. Where those were very formal, this one tends to have a wilder look.

After dark (and after picking Lucy up) we went for a drive up the West Mountain Drive to the scenic viewpoint. Talk about make out point, this is a classic. Plenty others were already in the know, take my word for it. Anyway, I figured I would take a picture of the night overlook. 

After the Fordyce we did the obligatory shop trip in the Downtown Historic District. 

The Fordyce even offered a state of the art Gym. Simple by todays standards, but probably pretty effective. 

The Fordyce's primary claim to fame was that of a premier bathouse favored by the rich and influential. In its day this must have been a real eyepopper. Excellent tile and marble work, beautiful stained glass windows and sunlights, trimmed with amazing woodworks and plaster treatments this place was the "it" spot. Natural hot springs tapped into the bath house provided water heated to an average temperature of 143 degrees. Trained masseus and chiropractic service providers offered there guests a truely luxurient experience. If this place was restored to its original opulence, the bathhouse would still be something of great physical beauty. This is a picture of the mens shower room with a wonderful fountain as a centerpiece. 

While on the Mountain Tower, we read historical information on surrounding sites. One of the major points of interest is the Fordyce Hotel and Spa. Now a visitor center and museum, we picked that as our next stop. 

Christa had to check out some of the steam vents. I had to lay the ole guilt trip on her to get her to step out on to the tower deck. 

One of the views from the tower is this one overlooking some of the hot springs in action. At first I thought they were trash fires or some such, but on looking through the available telescope, I could see they were indeed steam vents. They are scattered all through the valley, I counted at least a half dozen fairly large ones.