Max's Retirement Adventures

2011-01-25T12:40:00.000-05:00

Cape Fear Haiti Help

It has been several weeks since we returned from Haiti, and so, perhaps it is time for reflection on what happened there. As you’ve heard, we had a small part in helping distribute Chlorox to fight the cholera epidemic. We had a small part in providing a house for a desperately needy and thankful family. We helped hundreds of school kids with medical and basic health needs. We witnessed the work that the church is doing there, and had a small part in supporting and laying the foundation for future such work. And, of course, the blessings we have received for our meager efforts demonstrate the truth stated in Acts 20:35. It is, indeed, more blessed to give than to receive.

We were also blessed by an opportunity to share our time in Haiti with Bill Glass, the President of Haiti Outreach Ministries, and his wife, Linda, as well as a cadre of long term volunteers. These are dedicated, loving people who have essentially put the rest of their life on hold to do the Lord’s work in Haiti. And, they are not just loving and dedicated, but well structured, diciplined and wise. They work hard to avoid a “handout” approach, in favor of a “helping hand up” approach that results in longer term improvement. Witness, their support of a sewing school. Witness, their policy that those who get new homes must participate in their new homes, to the extent they can, to build “ownership”. Witness, their seminars educating the public about how to avoid cholera. Witness their efforts to teach the public how to avoid problems with latrines by sourcing and using local lime deposits. The list could go on, but the point is this…HOM is an organization that can be depended upon to give thoughtful help for the maximum long term benefit, rather than just a handout. They are a great partner for those who want to help in Haiti, and want to do it with an organization they know and trust.

I’m happy to report that your generosity not only supported our Cape Fear Haiti Help team in our work, it has also made it possible to support HOM in more general ways like contributing to support of long term volunteers and other future teams. Thank you.

And, while our team has returned, the opportunities to help have not ended. One great way to help, that you’ll be hearing more about, is to sponsor a child. We hope you’ll take advantage of this opportunity to help educate a child and make a difference in Haiti, one person at a time. You can find more information about this and other HOM programs at http://www.haitioutreachministries.com/, or you can see more details about our trip at our blog at http://www.capefearhaitihelp.com/.

2010-11-28T18:10:00.000-05:00

Port Au Prince, Haiti

Welcome friends. Just wanted to let everyone know I am in Haiti, trying to help with reconstruction. For updates, visit our blog at http://www.capefearhaitihelp.com/

2010-11-15T17:54:00.001-05:00

Papa, Mr Fixit and Haiti Helper

Papa-

Ah, time for some fun. One of the great things about living here in Wilmington is the opportunity to spend time with Myles. So, it's time for a first fishing trip here at "Papa's Lake".

Mr Fixit:
With my new house, I also have the fun of nearly unlimited projects. Here are before and after pictures of a couple of the bigger ones, moving a wall to create a laundry room and closet, and repairing badly rotted exterior doors in the back of the house:

Haiti Helper:
But, probably the biggest thing I've been doing is leading a team on a mission trip to Haiti. So far, that has meant leading meetings, organizing support, communicating with associated organizations, obtaining materials and general preparation. Things like our Applebee's Flapjack Fundraiser. Below are pictures of our team, as well myself, mingling with customers Bill and Catha.

But, in less than 2 weeks, we will be travelling to Haiti for an 8 day working trip. The problems in Haiti are big and well known, and the challenges are big as well. But, we couldn't stand by and watch, when the possibility of helping was within our grasp, and so, we'll try our best to help.

If you've watched the news reports and wished there was something you could do to help, this is your chance. If you want to know more about how you can help, with moral support, prayers or donations, visit our website at
http://www.capefearhaitihelp.com/
For more visuals on the situation there, visit:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/11/haiti_ten_months_later.html

See you on the other side.

2010-07-26T15:00:00.014-05:00

North Carolina, Texas, Haiti

It seems at least a few people are still interested in what I'm up to, despite the mundane nature of most of it. So, here is the latest report.

Since purchasing my house, I've spent a good bit of time getting a few improvements done. But, in between, I've made a couple of trips to God's Country (Texas, for the uninitiated). One, to Houston to clear out my storage and drive the big yellow Penske diesel back to Wilmington to deliver my household goods. Yay, I'm no longer camping! There are even light fixtures and A/C registers in the living room.
Then, we celebrated my parents 60th wedding anniversary with a little party in Rhome. It was good to see everyone from family to friends I grew up with and to celebrate that accomplishment.

As for my time in Wilmington...most things are unpacked and in place! And, I've managed a few projects. I've planted a bit of landscaping and replaced the column on the front of the house, not to mention pounding the front door back into alignment with its opening.

Gail and I doubled up on the insulation in our houses. I procured a new cook stove and repaired the kitchen cabinets so that doors don't fall off when you open them. The biggest project I've tackled, still ongoing, is moving a closet and laundry room back to their original location. This required relocating some walls and doors and adding to the laminate flooring in the den.
I pulled out all the copper pipe for propane heat. It was poorly installed, and propane is prohibitively expensive here. I'm going all electric, at least until I can add some alternate systems, perhaps solar or ground source.I've managed to grow a reasonable garden, despite getting a late start. I've been supplying the whole church with cucumbers for the past month or so. I've been picking more okra and blackeyed peas than I can eat lately. Fresh green beans, zuchini, tomatoes and sweet corn have also been making a regular appearance, keeping me in pretty good supply of fresh groceries. Maybe I should start late every year. And, more exciting things are in the future. I've agreed to lead a reconstruction/medical team to Haiti in November. I'm excited with the prospect that we can make a difference there. If you would like to read more, or are interested in participating or supporting this effort, see our website at http://www.capefearhaitihelp.com/ . All help is welcomed and can make a difference in a devastated Haiti.

Well, back to work. Seems like I'm as busy now as when I got paid.

2010-04-26T19:39:00.008-05:00

First Time Homeowner

As several have observed, it has been a long while since I've posted. And, for those who've asked...no, I'm not still in Ireland!

After almost 4 years in motion, I've decided to settle down a bit in Wilmington, NC. After a few months of toying with the idea of developing some rural property, I finally settled on buying a house in a subdivision. I bought a fixer upper, a foreclosure, and have moved in. So, I've gone from world traveller to Mr Fixit.

The work has just begun, but here are a few pictures of the place when I moved in. As you can see, I'm still camping out. Later this week I'll travel to Houston to move my furnishings from storage.

Note, the column laying on the porch.

After a few days of cleaning, my first order of business was to add a new microwave over the stove replace the vent hood which had been ripped out. I'm still working getting a new stove installed.

Then, I decided I couldn't live with the dark green/chocolate brown color of the dining/living area. Here is a picture of the original color and the new one.

And, best of all, according to the government, I'm a first time homebuyer. So, thanks everyone for chipping in on my home purchase.

2009-12-01T12:21:00.009-05:00

Ireland

I'm back from a quick trip to Ireland, with Jon, Ryan and Nicole. It was a great trip. We arrived in Dublin on Thanksgiving day, and immediately hired a car and drove north to Newgrange in County Meath. Newgrange is a Celtic burial site from about 3000 BC. Not much is known about the how or why of these sites, which are ubiquitous in the area, but it is pretty amazing to see them rising above the Irish countryside and they are amazingly preserved. Interestingly, the inside of them is built in the shape of a cross, even though they predate Jesus' time here on earth by 3000 years. The opening above the entrance is a ceiling window which lights the inside throughout its 65' length at sunrise on the winter solstice. And, I've included a picture of Ryan, Nicole and Jon as we crossed the nearby river on the way to the site. The river was swollen from recent floods, but it did not affect us.

The next day we drove further north to Northern Ireland, still a part of the UK. There we visisted the Giant's Causeway. These are Basalt columns on the north coast formed when volcanic lava pushed up through the earth, then cooled and cracked into octagonal columns. According to legend, Cool McFinn built them as a bridge to a Scottish Island. When he arrived, he realized the people were bigger and stronger than himself, so he retreated back across the causeway. When the giants followed, he was dressed like a baby, so they thought if a baby was that big, the adults must really be huge, so they retreated across the causeway and demolished it behind them.

We also visited the Bushmill's distillery, the oldest distillery in the world, and drove along the coast a bit while there. Here are some pictures of the area.

Of course, along the way we got to see lots of beautiful Irish country side. Below are pictures of sheep grazing the a pasture along the coast, a castle which partially fell into the sea while still occupied, and the village of Bushmills.

Then, we spent two days in Dublin. We visited the Killmainham Jail, where much of 17th, 18th and 19th century history is revisited. Prisoners there were largely political prisoners who revolted agains English rule, but some were imprisoned for crimes like stealing a loaf of bread. Men, women and children were all thrown in together and they had as many as 2500 prisoners in the prison, which included only 112 small cells, so overcrowding was unbelieveable. One notable inmate was an American sentenced to life in prison, but after Ireland gained independence he was released and later became President of the Republic. They had a problem with disease in jails built in the city at that time, so they built this one outside of town, where they would be away from the population and have a nice fresh breeze. But, it had no heat and open windows and was built of limestone, which leaks heat but retains moisture. Prisoners were given only a light blanket, so you can imagine that disease was even worse here, between the damp, cold Ireland conditions and the overcrowding. Of course they eased the overcrowding somewhat by hanging prisoners on the gallows nearby, or taking them from their death bed to face a firing squad, making sure they were punished before they could die of disease. Here is a picture of a cell, taken through an opening in the door, Each cell was about 8' by 10'.We also visited the Guiness brewery and a Musical Pub Crawl.

Finally, we visited Trinity College and the Book of Kells, a few gardens, shops and churches and had a some nice walkabouts in the city. It was a great trip, if short and hectic.

I'm back in Texas for a few days before heading off to North Carolina and more adventures. I'll try to post occasionally to keep you up to date.

2009-11-18T00:00:00.009-05:00

Lost Maples, Cool Water Acres

Today I made my annual pilgrimage to Lost Maples state park. I hiked the Maple trail, the East trail and part of the West trail, a hike of a little over 5 miles.

Maybe the new is wearing off after visiting for each of the past several years, or maybe it was the drought, but the scenery didn't seem quite a spectacular this year. Even so, the weather was great, sunny and upper 60s, and it was a nice hike.

Of course I took a few pictures. After looking at them I realized I should have had my date stamp on to prove that these were new. They are almost identical to ones I've taken before. Honestly, I really did go again. Here are a few pictures from the Maple trail.

Then, the obligatory one overlooking Can creek from the top of East trail.

Yes, it is a bit strenuous getting up there. About 2 miles of the trail looks like this. I've done it before with a full pack, so fortunately with no pack today it seemed a bit less difficult than I remembered.

It was a nice trip overall, but I'm hard pressed to say it was any nicer that strolling around Cool Water Acres. Here is a picture I took a few days ago of my cabin here. You can see why it is so tempting to just sit on the porch.

This is probably my last report from here, but I hope to be back on line with a report from Ireland in a couple of weeks.

2009-11-10T17:00:00.004-05:00

Aggies 5, Texas 1

Once again I was fortunate enough to be in the area for the Big 12 soccer tournament, so I went into San Antonio for the semifinal round. It was enjoyable, as always, but this time even more so, as I got to watch the Aggies destroy the Longhorns.

Meanwhile, I've been following Gail and others on a mission trip to Thailand, which I could, and perhaps should, have been on in this time slot. You can follow their adventures at www.hellomaesot.blogspot.com .

Since this is my 3rd visit to Bandera, I'm having a hard time getting motivated to revisit places I've been before. I'm happy to just stroll around the property and enjoy the exercise, views and air.

The weather here has been beautiful. The weatherman remarked this past weekend, that the few clouds we were experiencing put an end to 8 straight days without a single cloud in the sky. Meanwhile, the temperatures were consistently in the 70s for highs, with lows in the 30s and 40s.

With the low temperatures, the trees are finally starting to change. I took this picture of the Medina river near the Bandera city park.

The color now is mostly cypress, with the best maple and red oak colors still a few weeks away. I'm not sure how the recent drought followed by a wet fall will effect things, as I've heard conflicting stories from various people. I have seen fewer deer this year, likely as a result of the drought. But, for the first time in this area, I've seen 3 different flocks of wild turkeys. As you can imagine, they are hard to photograph, but I did manage this picture of a flock disappearing into the brush, taken while heading over to Leakey for a singing at the local church.

My time here is nearing an end, which is probably a good thing. I need a new adventure to get me out of my chair. As luck would have it, I'm planning a first ever trip to Ireland with Nicole, Ryan and Jon over Thanksgiving. So, stay tuned...I'm looking forward to reporting on things I've wanted to see.

2009-10-22T16:26:00.010-05:00

Texas Hill Country 2009

I moved to Bandera on the 15th of October, and picked up Gail for a long weekend stay on the way. Sorry, Gail, I guess all the decent pictures of you are on your camera. But, we visited a few of the old reliable sites in the area, as well as a few new, more out-of-the way places.

We took a scenic drive around the area, but unfortunately the leaves have not yet begun to turn. It has been dry here, so the rivers were low, but I did get these shots of the Medina and Sabinal rivers.

We also spent an afternoon/evening in San Antonio at the Alamo and the River Walk, which were quaint, but inspiring as usual.

Gail suggested a stop at the Medina Garden Nursery, which at first seemed a bit odd. But it was a very nice garden in Medina which caters to local plants and butterflies. Here is a nice butterfly perched on a beautiful Turk's Cap.

We didn't see a lot of wildlife, but I did catch these at midday from the comfort of my porch.

We topped things off with a slice of pie from the Lost Maples Cafe in Utopia. Just another nice, relaxing weekend in the Texas Hill Country. Another month of this, and I'll be spoiled rotten.

2009-10-08T15:45:00.009-05:00

Check the Sky

Here in Temple, my top hobby recently has been checking the sky. A significant amount of rain over the past month has slowed projects to a crawl. We have gone from about 6" below normal rainfall for the year to several inches over normal within the last month, and several more inches are predicted for tonight and tomorrow. And, of course, as you know, getting in and out of my private retreat is often a function of the weather.

So, I've naturally started paying more attention to the sky. Last night I saw a shooting star for the first time in several years. Sunsets have sometimes been spectacular. And, the pond is full and occasionally reflecting a blue sky and green grass. Also, a few days ago, I witnessed a lightning show so spectacular that it prompted me to get out my camera. Lightning in the north lit up huge thunderheads like white pillows. Meanwhile, to the south and west, we had horizonal and dramatically forked lightning appearing to go both from the clouds to the ground, as well as from the ground toward the clouds. Unfortunately, good photos of lightning are beyond by capabilities. But after a few minutes of experimenting I did get a couple of shots that at least show some of what I saw.

For all that, the rain has put a damper on my fun here in Temple. Mosquitos have become an issue for the first time in months. Fishing or hunting with the mosquitos is less fun than otherwise. The dove I enjoyed hunting in the first few weeks of the season have become more dispersed. Besides, hiking around the fields in their pursuit is less pleasant in the muddy conditions. I've even gotten to the point where I can tell almost to the minute when the rain will start by looking at the radar on the full time weather station. So, I'll soon be moving on. I leave this weekend for College Station and an Aggie game against Oklahoma State. (Oddsmakers say there is a good chance I won't like the ending, but I'll enjoy the game.) Then, it is on to Houston for a couple of days and eventually back to Bandera, where I'll be for a month and a half. I've worn out most of the great hiking spots there, but Bandera is lovely in the fall. And, several folks have promised to visit there, so maybe I'll pull out of my hermit persona for a while. After that, a quick trip to Ireland with the kids. Then, who knows... North Carolina, perhaps?

Ahh, the life of Riley!

2009-09-15T16:02:00.007-05:00

The Great Flood of 2009

The drought around here has been so bad, we prayed at church last Wednesday night for rain. Be careful what you ask for! Even though there was some possibility for rain in the forecast, it looked little different from many other hopeful forecasts which had fizzled with a few clouds and nothing more than a scattered shower. On Thursday the rain started.

By Friday, the news was full of reports of flooding, with 12-14" reported in Salado, a city nearby. I didn't get that much, but it must have been several inches. And now, forecasts were suddenly talking confidently of heavy rains for several days. My pond was still 6 foot below full, so I was still hoping for more. Meanwhile, I decided I better try to get the car out. Too late. I moved it about 50 feet before getting stuck.

I remember the old days, when I was paranoid about getting rain here and getting stuck. But after several months of getting out easily, spread over several years, I had become a bit complacent. Even then, I wasn't too worried. I'd just wait a day or two for things to dry up and would extricate myself. Ha!

The rain continued to fall. The ground finally had adsorbed what it needed and the excess started to flow.

As you probably know, I take my water from the pond. It had been so dry I had twice moved the pump further down the slope to keep it in the water. Now, it disappeared. I drug it out and threw it up the bank in anticipation that the water might rise further. A couple of hours later, I realized it was again in the water and the water was still rising. Again, I drug it out and threw it further up the bank. A couple of hours later, it was again under the water. I had forgotten how high the pond could rise. It had been several years since I'd seen it full. Fortunately the drainage is such that it is almost impossible to actually flood. The water overflowed the spillway, leaving it about 8 feet from the cabin.

Ok, I had gone to the store on Thursday, so I had plenty of food. I had a full gallon of milk and a full package of cookies, not to mention 3 liters of Diet Coke and plenty of food for probably a couple of weeks. I was ready.

Five days later, the rain stopped. I'd missed the Texan's game. I'd missed my doctor's appointment. I was beginning to appreciate Noah. Cabin fever was setting in, and the car was still hopelessly stuck. So, I went to work. I jacked all four wheels of the car up out of the ruts and placed a large rock and pieces of plywood under the wheels. Then, I walked the car forward one piece of plywood at a time until I had progressed about 75 feet to higher ground. I was ready when a few hours of sunshine made the high ground passable.

Today I made the run, and just managed to get out. Schlotski's had never looked so good, and you can thank their free Wi-Fi for this report. Now, some of the forecasts are saying the low pressure area that resulted in this rain might move back this way. Time to stock up on groceries, water and some mud boots, since mine were worn out in this siege. And, I think I'll be more careful where I park the car.

2009-09-02T16:51:00.013-05:00

Mundane Monthly 2009

Well, several have mentioned that even "Mundane Monthly" might be better than "No News is Good News". So, here you are, the latest edition of the Mundane Monthly.

In the last few weeks, I've been watching the sunsets and sunflowers, examples follow:

I've also been completing a few projects. For one, I've finally completed the soffits under the gable ends of the cabin. Since this was not really doing any harm, it had never been quite high enough on the to do list to get attention, despite my best intentions. Here are photos showing the before and after.

I've also been working down my supply of mesquite for cooking, toward the critical level, because my chainsaw gave me some problems last time I used it. So, I managed to get it running long enough to put up a reasonable supply.

While excavating my ladder and materials out from under the cabin for the soffit work, I did discover evidence that the snake I killed last year was part of a family that lives part of their life under the cabin, a shed snakeskin about 4 foot long.

Football season is finally here, at least the preseason version, so I've been journeying back and forth to Houston. On the last trip I dug my shotgun out of storage, determined to take advantage of a good supply of dove around the place. That began to pay dividends yesterday on the first day of the season. Just need to pick up some jalapenos and bacon for my first mess of dove on the grill.

2009-08-06T14:51:00.005-05:00

Back on the Farm 2009

Well, I made it to Temple and got everything set up. I had to put my pump in the pond and connect up the electricity and hoses to bring water into the cabin. I took the lawn mower out of the cabin, mowed the grass and parked it underneath to clear some space. Then I moved in what I would need to set up housekeeping for a while.

Everything seems in order, although a few mice have moved in and set up housekeeping as well. Looks like they consumed all my D-con and survived. No evidence of the snakes that sometimes follow them. No problem, just a few minutes of cleanup and a note to replenish the rat poison. Also a note to self to try to find out how they get in. It seemed like the place was tight as a drum when I left.

The corn has been harvested, and from what I can see, it looks like we had a decent crop. So, I should get a nice check. I was a bit worried, since extreme drought in the area was prominent in the news, but it looks like we may have been on the edge of it and were lucky to get a few extra showers that prevented a disaster. I can see a significant deterioration of the crops even just a few miles to the south.

Speaking of crops, many people ask me what crops are grown here on the farm. Most people recognize the top two, corn and wheat. But many are unfamiliar with a third, milo. So, I thought I would include this picture taken of a nearby field. Unfortunately it was taken just a few miles south, so you can see the crop is marginal. Just a couple of miles further south, it looked even worse. And, I think milo, also know as maize or sorghum is a bit more drought and heat tolerant than corn. I’m not completely clear on its uses, but I think it is mostly hog or chicken feed.

Across the road, I saw a new crop. Looks like they are raising sunflowers for seed production. I picked a head, and have been savouring the snack. But, with the small amount of edibles from each seed, I wonder about the economics of sunflower seeds. Wild sunflowers certainly thrive around here. In fact, where I come from they are considered weeds. Check it out: it looks like they are ready to be harvested.

I made a quick trip to Houston and picked up my Houston Texans tickets, taking advantage of the opportunity to spend a long weekend with the luxuries of cable and internet service at Jon’s apartment and great meals with several friends. Jon’s apartment is very nice, including a view of downtown

Now, it is back to the farm and some more mowing and clearing of brush plus addressing a few other maintenance issues. I’ve tried a bit of fishing with moderate success. The pond is less than half its normal depth and size, due to the drought. We could use a nice gully washer, although that would mean I’d be marooned here for a couple of days. There is no way out after a heavy rain.

I planned on a big steak over mesquite for my first night here, but pork chops and sweet corn will have to do until I find some reasonably priced steaks.

That pretty much brings you up to speed on my travels. After reading through this post, it looks like it is back to the Mundane Monthly instead of Max’s Adventures. Oh well, stay tuned. Maybe something really exciting will happen soon. Could be there is a 10 lb lunker lurking in the cooler water at the deepest part of the pond. I better go check it out.

2009-07-22T23:50:00.016-05:00

Wind River Titcomb Basin

I made it. It was quite a journey, the kind that make these trips worthwhile.

It started in Pinedale. The Elkhart Trailhead is 16 miles up a paved road from Pinedale, where I spent the night prior to the trip. This is the only paved road to a trailhead in the Winds. The others are rough gravel roads of 10-25 miles. Pinedale and Elkhart were the starting point of my first visit here in 2006. The picture below shows the Winds from a suburb of Pinedale. Quite a view for a really nice small town.

Last time, I took just a 10 mile day trip to Photographer's point and back on the Pole Creek Trail. I traced those same steps on this trip, so I got some friends I made on the trip to reprise this photo from the previous trip.

But, this time I continued on to Titcomb basin on the Seneca Lake, Highline, Indian Basin and Titcomb trails for a trip of about 31 miles, billed by my guide book as the best of the Winds. My original plan was to camp about halfway to Titcomb at Hobbs lake, making the trip in 4 days of about 7.5 miles each. However, I reached this location about 3:00pm. I was tired, but while I rested and thought about it, I was being eaten alive by mosquitoes. I knew the next good camping area was about 3 miles further, along the Highline Trail. I decided to push on. Little did I know that the most rugged pieces of the trail were still to come. I finally arrived, dog tired, at a beautiful site on a 10,600' knoll near the intersection of the Highline and Indian Basin trails. It was a rugged day of 10.5 miles with about 2000' of elevation change.

The net result was that I was able to complete the trip in 3 days of a little over 10 miles each day. It also meant I could hike the second day with only a partial pack. Good thing, because I don't think I could have made it with a full pack. But, best of all, the camp site was probably the most beautiful I have experienced.

From beginning to end, the trails were both difficult and beautiful. Much of the high country trails were still covered in snow. But the snow was rapidly melting, making for muddy trails and high water crossings. In places we were forced into scrambling up almost sheer cliffs to avoid areas where the trail was underwater. In others we had to make our way around downed trees. Where the trails were not snowy, muddy or water covered, they were rocky. Meanwhile, any rest or meal stops were swarmed with mosquitoes, so it was not practical to take extended rest stops, despite generous applications of deet. The result is that I arrived in camp each night dog tired, barely managing to force down some dinner and hit the sack. Not that I slept...I always have a problem sleeping on these trips and that continued. But at least my tent and sleeping bag gave me some rest and respite from the mosquitoes.

Forgive my fanciful engineering, but I calculate that between weight carried, slipping in snow and mud, rock hopping and elevation change, my efforts were equivalent to running a marathon on three consecutive days. And yet, around each corner was a spectacular view that made it all worthwhile. Here are a few more pictures from along the trail to give you a sample.

I mentioned the campsite. My guidebook had indicated that there were good campsites where I camped, but I was so tired by the end of the first day that I was ready to accept anything. Suddenly I look up a knoll and see what looks like a beautiful spot. Sure enough, after climbing the knoll, it was perfect. I had a least 2 parties along the way remark about seeing my tent on the knoll and what a great site it was. Here are a few pictures taken from the campsite.
And finally, I arrived at the coup de grace, Titcomb basin. This is an area of 12 glacial lakes completely surrounded by 13,000' mountains. They fail to do it justice, but here are pictures looking in all directions from inside the basin.

Wildlife? Not so much. I failed to see signs of bear, deer or elk, though we are assured they are there. About the best I could do was this marmot, whom I saw both out and back in nearly the same spot before he spied me and ran for cover.

I've had people ask me if I'm worried about hiking solo. While most hikers do travel in groups, it feels perfectly safe to hike solo. Everyone is extremely nice and friendly, and there is enough traffic along the way in case of emergencies. I probably passed an average of 5 groups per day. I even met one female hiking solo.

All in all, a great trip. But, it took so much out of me, I've decided to head back to Texas tomorrow for a more docile life of grilling steaks over a mesquite fire followed by a real bed on my farm in Temple, and maybe an occasional visit to the big city for some football.

Ah, life is good.

2009-07-19T22:24:00.010-05:00

PoPo and Bridger Wilderness

After checking out things for a couple of days on the east side of the Winds near Dubois, I decided I might be better off on the west side, near Pinedale. Access is a little easier and I was hoping the mosquitoes might be a bit less dense. Besides, some of the best hikes go from there. Unfortunately there is no road directly across the Winds, so I worked my way south and cut across the southern tip, making short hikes as I went. Again, I found PoPo Agie wilderness to be surprisingly interesting.

I have managed to see a bit more wildlife, For instance, this mule deer seemed pretty unafraid as I snapped multiple pictures.

Some of the wildlife is a bit too well adapted. I caught this bighorn sheep visiting the lew near the trailhead. He was definitely a male, so I assume he was just following the time honored traits of males everywhere, waiting outside the ladies room for his mate to appear.

Scenery abounded, even in the less well known areas. I snapped this photo of Fiddler’s Lake with the Wind River Peak in the background from a short walk near the Continental divide in PoPo.

On arrival in Pinedale, I drove up to Elkhart Park, one of the most popular trailheads in the Winds leading into the Bridger Wilderness. On a whim, I decided to start with an easy 4.5 mile day hike to Long Lake starting at 9450’ Elevation. And to help me get acclimated, I carried my full pack. Unfortunately, it went straight down to 7800’. That wasn’t so much a problem, but the hike back up had me thinking I’m too old for this. I was bushed after the short 4 hour hike. I felt a bit better when I consulted my book to learn that the author labeled this one of the most difficult trails in the Winds. For my trouble, I took this picture of Long Lake.

I camped near Elkhart Trailhead last night. I don’t think the mosquitoes were quite as bad, but they still were pretty bad. Add swarms of horse flies and I spent almost as much energy swatting as hiking and was forced to retreat to the tent early, even with heavy doses of repellent. I did get this shot of Mount Freemont from near the campsite.

One of the best hikes in the Winds is from Elkhart to the Titcomb basin. It is a 30 mile round trip, mostly above 10,000’ elevation. The ranger reported that there is quite a bit of snow remaining up there, but that it is passable. She also tells me the mosquitoes and flies are not as bad at the higher elevations. I’ve decided to try that hike over the next 3-4 days, but I needed a good night’s sleep, a shower and shave. So, I splurged with a $130 hotel room tonight. It was the cheapest I could find at a little place called the Riviera Lodge. Not a bad place and it has WiFi. I’ll head out in the morning. Look for me to be back on line in about 4-5 days with a report.

2009-07-17T12:09:00.013-05:00

Wyoming 2009

Well, the 2009 version of my Wyoming adventures is underway. I plan to focus primarily on the Wind River Range. But, on the way up, I visited Hell's Half Acre west of Casper. This is an area of erosion in the high plains (about 7000'). There was a restuarant overlooking the canyon, so I hoped to have lunch there. Unfortunately, the restuarant is closed, so I climbed through the fences and took a short walk along the rim. Here is what is left of the restuarant and a picture of the canyon.

Then, it was on to Wind River. The mountain range which provides most of the interesting hiking is actually west of the river itself, and includes the Shoshoni Indian Reservation, the Fitzpatrick Wilderness, The the PoPo Agie Wilderness, Bridger Wilderness, the Shoshoni National Forest and the Bridger Teton National Forest. But, before you reach the mountain range, there is a scenic drive along the river itself. Here is a picture of the river downstream from the dam and the lake upstream of a dam along the river.

My second night in Wyoming I camped in Sinks Canyon in the southern part of the Winds along the Popo Agie river. Since the mountains are smaller along the southern end, I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was very interesting. The Popo Agie river descinds from the mountains and disappears into the ground not far from where I camped. Then it reemerges a quarter mile away into a pool. It travels through cracks, sand and gravel between the two. Here is a view of the river from near my campsite.

Here is a picture of where the river goes into the ground, called the Sinks.

Finally, here is the pool where it emerges from the ground, called the Rise.

Although always suspected, for many years it was not proven that the two were connected. But recent dye tests concluded that they are. Interestingly, the ink took longer to emerge than expected, and more water emerged than went into the sink. Very interesting.

Later, I drove to Dubois, the kickoff point into the northern Winds on the east slope. You access the trailhead into the wilderness via a 9 mile gravel road. Then I hiked on the Whiskey Mountain and Glacier Trails up to Lake Louise. (No, not that Lake Louise... I promise I'm still in Wyoming, not further north in Canada.) It was a very interesting hike. Here is a view of the lake from around 85oo foot elevation.

And here is a view of the falls at the outlet of the lake. It was impossible to get a good picture, but it was pretty impressive to see the huge volume of water leave the lake and drop several hundred feet.

I haven't seen too much wildlife, but I did get this picture of a chipmunk getting ready to try to steal my afternoon snack on the bluff overlooking the lake.

Finally, a couple of views from along the trail toward bomber falls. I didn't make the falls. I'm finding out that my old sedentary life in North Carolina has left me in too bad a shape to see all the things I wanted to see. I'm also finding out that July is not the time to visit. The nights are just as cool as when I was here before in September, but the mosquitoes are swarming. Apparently, they come out when the weather gets warm enough in July and the thaw is coming down the mountain. By September they've gone back into hibernation. Besides that, the hotels are outrageously expensive for my occasional night in town. Oh well, I'll see what I can see before I get carried off.

2009-07-13T18:54:00.006-05:00

When In Rhome

I’m just sitting here in Rhome, watching my dad catnap in between a few minutes of looking at his magazine. Yeppers, there are lots of exciting things going on around here.

For instance, here is a picture of dad inspecting his poke salad (or poke berry, as Gail would say). This was our followup to hours of discussion about whether it is poisonous. Dad says he eats it all the time with no problems, fresh or cooked. In fact, he even takes care of it to make sure he always has plenty on hand.

Then, of course, there is all the excitement of visiting across the fence with my brother and his family, or looking at the latest progress on their house rebuilding job..

A couple of days ago I took this picture of the house next door. It is on a ranch called the Chisholm Trail ranch. The Chisholm trail apparently ran through here. The house was built with a well inside to help hold off the siege of Indians in the old days. And, tradition holds that the Indians camped near the spring behind our house, where they had plenty of cool, clean water. Of course we’ve lived next door for over 50 years, but for some reason it seemed interesting enough to photograph on this day.

Of course, when all else fails, there are the absorbing pastimes here…like debating whether the high temperature each day will be 102 degrees or 103. Or whether to pick the tomatoes and squash in the morning or afternoon, and trying to decide if they’ll survive another day.. Or, arguing about the details of things that happened 40 or 50 years ago.

As is plainly obvious, it is time to head for Wyoming. So, I'm on my way. I'm filing this report from Amarillo, on the way to the Wind River Range in Wyoming. I plan to spend 2-3 weeks backpacking there before heading back to the farm in Temple, Texas, and then eventually to Houson.

2009-07-05T20:48:00.003-05:00

Home Sweet Home

Just a short post to let everyone know I've arrived in Texas. I'll be visiting my parents in North Texas for a few days and may even visit my place in Temple, but eventually I'd like to get in some backpacking in Wyoming, and also spend some time in Houston. I'm not sure of the timing, but probably Wyoming before football season, then Houston after it starts so I can fully utilize my Texans tickets.

Meanwhile, it looks like the cruise to Alaska may have to wait, but there is a new adventure on the horizon... looks like I'll be spending Thanksgiving in Ireland with the kids. A great deal opened up, so we jumped on it.

I'll post again when plans take better shape or something worth reporting takes place.

2009-06-22T15:08:00.014-05:00

Green Swamp, NC, then off to Texas

I was surprised (and pleased) to open this month's issue of Backpacker magazine and discover a day hike here in Wilmington, NC, of which I had never heard...Green Swamp. Seems there are good examples of carnivorous plants in Green Swamp, including the Venus Fly Trap. The magazine names the hike as one of its "treks to lifelist phenomenom".

I was a bit skeptical at first, since I've tried to find these elusive specimens several times, with scant success. But, after looking at the Green Swamp website I was equipped with a better understanding of what to look for and encouraged by nice pictures. I was further prodded by claims that 95% of all Venus Fly Traps are located in North Carolina and that they were native only to the Carolinas. I have a few days before my return to Texas. And so, it was off with fellow intrepid explorer Gail to see what we could see.

On a macro scale, the trail was not particularly impressive. There were no grand views or old growth forests. No dramatic waterfalls or grizzlies. Just a series of grassy fields with a few pine trees scattered around. Here and there, there was a boardwalk through boggy areas with typical flora and fauna. Orchids and other native wildflowers dotted the fields, along with a few woodpeckers and deer.

But eventually, we realized that the impressive stuff here required getting onto your hands and knees and taking a smaller view. Underneath small flagging white blossoms we discovered the Venus Fly Trap.

A bit further along, we discovered grassy fields strewn with various varieties of carnivorous Pitcher plants.

Later, along the edge of a pond, we found the carnivorous Sundew.

Carnivorous plants trap and digest insects to supplement the nutrients from poor, swampy soil. So, the North Carolina swamps near Wilmington are perfect environments for them. I knew that, of course, but this is the first time that has resulted in the kind of viewing we saw at Green Swamp.

Ah, another check off the old life list?? I never thought of it quite that way, but I have been looking for them for a while and Green Swamp is well worth the time it takes to visit.

For those who follow me regularly, I mentioned that I'm soon heading back to Texas. I should arrive in time for the 4th of July weekend. Beyond that, my plans are a bit vague, but I plan to spend some time in various locales of Texas and there is talk about some backpacking in Wyoming and/or a cruise to Alaska with Jon.

Stay with me, my friends, the adventure continues.

2009-05-26T10:00:00.006-05:00

Shining Rock Wilderness

We started with the best of intentions. Drive up to Graveyard Fields overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway and hike past a few waterfalls into Shining Rock Wilderness and then on to summit the Cold Mountain of movie fame. Here we are ready to embark on the 20+ mile adventure over the Memorial Day weekend.

The first hour of the trip went according to plan. We hiked a pleasant trail down a few hundred feet along the Parkway Loop trail, then along the Yellowstone Prong back up to Upper Falls. I thought the reference to the real Upper Falls on the Yellowstone river in Wyoming was pretty cute, though of course it can't compete with the real thing. (You can read about my trip to Upper Falls, Wyoming, in my archives in September '06.) Despite the unfavorable comparison, this version was very nice and worth the hike.

At this point, the plan began to go awry. The trail from upper falls to the Mountains to Sea trail mentioned in North Carolina Hiking was not apparent. Eventually, we did find a rugged route to the top of the falls, and from there a sparse trail generally headed in the right direction. Unfortunately, that quickly turned into several hours of bushwhacking through thick brush up a steep incline. Then, halfway in, the steady drizzle began. Eventually we made our way to Mountains to Sea, but by then we were a pretty weary, bedraggled bunch just 2 miles into our plan.

No problem, we'll just hike along the Mountains to Sea trail to the Art Loeb trail and up it until we find a decent camping area and set up camp. We'll just hunker down for the night. Tomorrow will be a better day. Uh, no. The drizzle turned into a heavier rain that lasted through the evening, through the night and into the next morning. A night of tent flooding and tent hopping to try to find a dry space left us even more tired and bedraggled the next morning with no signs of a letup. We were experiencing clouds close up and they were less pleasant from the inside than from above or below.

After some discussion, we decided it did not make sense trying to continue our route in the rain, along, by now, very muddy trails. At the same time, we weren't excited to retrace our previous day back down to the trailhead in those conditions either. Fortunately, we were near another trailhead, so we decided to hike/hitchhike down the road to our car. Here we are, ready for that trek. Amazingly, we look less bedraggled than I felt.

After just a few minutes some nice hikers who were also giving up their plans stopped and offered me a ride to our trailhead. After some shuttling, we loaded our gear and headed home, humbled by our efforts. Apparently, the rain continued through the weekend. So, I'm content with our decision. Besides, we realized later, we now already have a nice hike up to Shining Rock and Cold Mountain planned from our second trailhead. Or, maybe we'll leave from the same trailhead and take the more established trail past Yellowstone Falls to the Graveyard Ridge trail and onward from there, with a nice weather forecast. I'm looking forward to it.

2009-03-16T16:44:00.018-05:00

Honda and Uwharrie

Yes, I'm still alive, though you wouldn't know it by looking at this blog. So, here is a report to scotch any rumors that I might have perished in the local swamp.

I have started some gardening, but the pictures of that endeavor are nothing to write home about yet. I've hiked the local neighborhood and a few local trails, but I've gotten into the habit of leaving my camera at home, so the few interesting photo opportunities were missed. So, you may be asking, what do you have to show for the past few weeks??

Well, I have been practicing my shade tree mechanic skills under the careful tutelage of Jeremy. The engine in his Honda Civic recently bit the dust, and after some evaluation and visits to Ebay, we decided to buy and install a used engine. A few afternoons were spent, and voila, the old Honda has returned to life. Here, for your entertainment, are a few pictures of the process.

We removed the transmission and the old engine.

We attached the transmission to the new engine and transferred various bits such as the wiring harness, distributor, alternator and power steering pump. We installed a new timing belt, water pump and accessory belts.

Under the hood looked a bit vacant at this point.

Then, it was back in with the new engine and transmission. Fix a few problems, troubleshoot a few issues, and .....drive! I had a bunch of fun and learned a lot...not to mention suffered a few skinned knuckles and sore muscles, contributing greatly, I am sure, to my character.

Then, it was off on a backpacking trip to Uwharrie National Forest. I did the southern half of the Uwharrie National Recreational Trail a couple of years ago, so this time I visited the northern half with first time backpacker Gail.

We had a great time, with clear blue skies and temperatures in the 50-75 degree range. We camped near the summit of one of the 1000 foot mountains. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it gave us enough challenge with various ups and downs. These mountains are some of the oldest in North Carolina, and were once over 19,000 feet tall. Here is Gail, on the trail and preparing to roast sausages over the fire.

Here are a couple of pictures of Yours Truly, first on the trail and then relaxing on the banks of a gurgling creek. Yes, clearly, I'm still living the life of Reilly.

And, here we are back at the trailhead, looking none the worse for wear after 12 miles and a bit more than 24 hours in the wilderness.

And the fun continues. I'll be planting the summer vegetables soon, while harvesting some of the early stuff. The attic project continues. Myles will be celebrating his first birthday in a few weeks. I'll complete my bracket and enjoy March Madness, as usual. And Amanda has been promising to organize an exciting backpacking trip into the Appalacians soon. Who knows, even the stock market seems ready to resume its upward march...or is this just another bear market rally? Either way, I am truly blessed.

2009-02-05T12:42:00.007-05:00

My Life In Wilmington

Well, life goes on, here in Wilmington. I’ve been here about one and a half months now, and am starting to slip into a routine. My little cottage once more seems like home. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to try my hand at a few culinary dishes from the past. I tried out a Texas Chili recipe, and even entered it in a chili cookoff. (Did not place...even though I tried to tone it down, I think the spice may have been a bit much for the local palate.) I cooked up some Trinidad Doubles. They were good enough to at least be reminiscent of the good ol’ 6 years I spent in Trinidad. Same with a batch of chicken curry. Now, I’ve stocked up with the ingredients for my Chinese cabbage soup, so I’m ready for the Singapore repost.

I’ve also had the chance to indulge my project DNA by working in Ryan and Nicole’s attic. We have carved out 400+ sq ft of living space there by rearranging the framing to accommodate a living area, bedroom and bath. Jeremy and Amanda plan to give up their house down the street and move into this space, and Jeremy told me they have now given 2 months notice on their house. Gulp! We better turn up the heat on that project. Here are the latest photos. First, looking from the living area through the bath toward the bedroom.

Then, looking from the bedroom through the bath and down the hall toward the living room.

My old staple of activity, hiking, has been pretty slow, since I’ve hiked most of the nearby trails several times. And the nicer hiking areas in the Smokies are 6 hours drive away. I am planning to attend a presentation of the Mountains to Sea trail, a 900+ mile hike from Clingman's Dome in the Smokies to the Outer Banks. And, I did return to Carolina Beach State Park for a nice Sunday afternoon hike with Gail, a friend from church. Here are a couple of pictures, first of Snow's cut, then of Gail overlooking the Cape Fear river from Sugarloaf.

As usual, Joe and Kathy opened up their home (and big screen plasma TV) for a Superbowl party, as well as a few Aggie basketball games we can’t get. And every now and then, I get to babysit Myles.

It is about time to start thinking about gardening. I bought seeds for a few early vegetables yesterday, so I’ll start getting my hands dirty in the next few days. Ah, yes, life is good.

2009-01-21T15:57:00.007-05:00

Wilmington Winter 2009

Wilmngton, NC is below the Mason-Dixon, no? Maybe so, but for a Texas boy the winter weather here is a bit much. I've been here since just before Christmas and already I've had my fill of winter.

For the first few weeks, we had quite a few nights when the temperature fell into the 20s, or even the teens. Fortunately, it was dry, so we usually had good warmup during the day. The only ice I saw was in this yard near my house, where they obviously forgot to turn off the sprinklers.

Now, we're getting cold rain and snow. Here are pictures of my house yesterday.

This house is the same one I rented last spring. But, in these conditions I'm seeing the limits of air to air heat pumps, which don't work well when outside temperatures drop below freezing. It doesn't help that the house has insulation typical of its 1940's vintage (read little to none).

Ideally, I'd have a house where I had lot's of indoor projects to work, but I'm hesitant to do too much with my short term rental. Fortunately, I've been able to help Ryan and Nicole with some projects around their house.

Let's see, there are now 2 more months of winter? I better find some winter activities. Maybe I can babysit for Myles. He seems to know how to handle this weather.

2008-12-14T23:50:00.010-05:00

Sayonara, Temple

Yesterday, I took leave of my little cabin in Temple. After a stopover in Houston I'm headed to North Carolina in time for Christmas.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone in Wilmington, but it is somewhat bittersweet, leaving Temple. In the past few weeks I've grown pretty close to the folks at Canyon Creek Church. And, while it is pretty basic, my cabin had begun to feel a lot like home. I've sometimes questioned the wisdom of building the cabin on the pond, well away from the road as well as the original house and barn on the place. But, the more time I spend there, the more I like the isolation and natural feel. I thought these photos at least partly captured the serenity here.

And, I took this picture through the window of the cabin.

A few nights ago, I awoke to the sound of coyotes, howling just outside. A few ducks have been settling in the pond over the past few days. And, last week, several hundred geese spent the night in a nearby field on their journey south.

Even the moon seems bigger out here. For the past few nights the moon has been so bright, it seemed almost like day. I even got out of bed a couple of times thinking someone must have pulled up with their headlights on. I could walk around at night without any need for a light, and shadows were very distinct. I captured this picture of the moon, because it is the closest I've ever come to seeing the man in the moon. Can you see him?

And, here, the view of the cabin from my car.

Anyway, enough of the past. I've already rented a house in Wilmington, the same one I had when I was there earlier this year. So, on to the future.

2008-11-26T14:32:00.004-05:00

Texas A&M 84, Wilmington 65

I’ve been promising myself I’d take advantage of the fact that I’m only about an hour and a half from College Station by catching some Texas A&M football games. Before I knew it, football season was over, but hey, I’m starting to like basketball more than football anyway. So, when I noticed that UNCW was on the schedule, I finally swung into action.

It was a lot of fun, sandwiched between very pleasant drives over and back. I somehow ended up in the second row of the student section under the basket with the Reed Rowdies. They really keep you fired up.

I liked the score, too, although the coach seemed upset with the level of play in his interview after the game. There is lots of talent on this team, and I’ll admit they never quite seemed to play up to their potential. Hopefully they will pull things together and we’ll have some real fun in March.

Oh, and hello to all my friends in Wilmington. Hope to see you soon.

I’ll be with Jon at Mom and Dad’s for Thanksgiving. Then, at the first ever Monday night game for the Texans on December 1.
Holy smoke! I have to get this posted and meet Jon at the farm. No time for projects.

2008-11-22T14:32:00.006-05:00

Mundane Monthly

Well, the routine around here is getting very routine. I stay in the sleeping bag a little longer to delay the 40 degree wakeup greeting. I putter around on a few projects. Then, I shower and go to town for a late lunch. If the lunch spot offers WiFi, I might get in some web surfing. I study the markets in vain for a sign of recovery. Then I return home for a steak or chicken over the mesquite fire. If it is too windy I may opt for a bowl of chili or even a salad. Even the projects are getting less interesting. The way things are going, I’ll have to rename this blog “The Mundane Monthly”.

During the 40 mph winds we had last week when a nor’easter blew in, I noticed that the old barn was really flopping. There were lots of lose corners that caught the wind. Some of the ridge cover blew off, and the whole thing seemed poised to fly away. I don’t really have much use for the old barn, but I hated to see it destroyed. So, soon enough, I was under the cabin retrieving my ladder. I found half a box of old neoprene head roofing nails I knew were around here somewhere. And I put on my barn repairman’s hat. A couple of days and boxes of nails and trips to Lowe’s later, it was a bit more sound, although not pretty.

The birds still make for interesting watching. This morning, as sometimes happens, I scared off my regular big blue heron. He never hangs around long enough for me to get a picture. The occasional duck stops by on his way south. Dozens of robins and cardinals seem to have made the area around the cabin and pond home. A few days ago I saw 4 cardinals in the water at the edge of the pond taking a bath. No pictures of that, but I did take the following picture from my window this morning of 3 of them grazing on the rye grass I sowed near by.

I try to catch a bit of football when I can, but the wind is about gone out of this football season for me. So, I’ve begun turning my attention to basketball. I tried to attend a Baylor game, since I think they have a pretty good team and they are nearby, but I arrived late and had a problem finding parking, so I abandoned the idea. Maybe later. I did catch the Temple High Wildcats game last night. Quite a value for the $3 ticket. I’d forgotten how much I enjoy watching high school basketball.

Well, that’s about it for this edition of the Mundane Monthly. I still have tickets for one more Texan’s game. After that, I’m thinking about heading back to North Carolina. Being a relatively new grandpa, I’m including exhibit 1 (below) from Wilmington to justify the trip.

MYLES

2008-11-08T23:34:00.008-05:00

Rhome, Texas

For the past few days I’ve been in Rhome, visiting my family. In addition to seeing family, it was fairly productive.

We managed to insulate a few hundred additional square feet of attic in mom and dad’s house. It had no insulation until we started working on it in the past year.

Then, I decided to tackle a couple of trees that were threatening the house and driveway. The biggest obstacles were making sure they fell the right direction and keeping the chainsaws running and sharp.

One load of wood headed for a relative’s fireplace, but the rest is still hanging out in the back yard looking for a home.

I was there on Halloween, so I caught this picture of Peyton on her first trick or treat expedition.

Now, back to Houston for some football.

2008-10-02T14:51:00.008-05:00

Enchanted Rock State Park

I enjoyed my time in Bandera, but I spent way too much time watching CNBC. I don’t know if it was just an addiction, but the coverage of the credit crisis seemed particularly riveting. Even so, I’m probably better off to be back on the farm in Temple, replacing the satellite with a few fuzzy local stations. And, of course, replacing my time in front of the TV with time mowing, hammering and other work. Interestingly, the great weather I had in Bandera seems to be in effect here in Temple as well, with lows in the 50s and low humidity.

On the way from Bandera to Temple, I visited Enchanted Rock state park and spent the day hiking. I hiked a loop trail around the rock and then up to the summit. Here are a few views from the loop.

And a view from the top.

Enchanted rock is a pink granite mound rising from the hill country around Llano. It is the second largest of its kind in the United States. The first known white visitor was Cabeza De Vaca in 1536. Before that, local Indians visited and considered the site to have magical or spiritual powers. They could hide at the top and not be seen from below, so they felt it made them invisible. And, they thought there were ghost fires, because the noises as the rock heats and cools sound like a fire burning, but they could not see it.

Pretty cool history for a big piece of granite, but I just kept wondering how many granite countertops you could make with it.

Oh well, on to Temple.

2008-09-27T20:32:00.005-05:00

Bandera 2008

Yes, I’m still alive and well here in Bandera. My first inclination was to wait for something really interesting to happen. Or, failing that, some brilliant thought or insight might enter my mind that would be worth reporting. Didn’t happen. But, when your mother figures you must have left the state and your friends start asking why you are no longer blogging, maybe it is time to report more mundane happenings, thoughts and plans.

Don’t get me wrong. Bandera has been very enjoyable. The weather has been great, with cool mornings and evenings and warm, sunny afternoons, with typical low humidity. I’ve enjoyed daily walks. I’ve enjoyed some football (at least as much as you can enjoy it when your teams are getting beat up by everyone from hurricane Ike to the Miami Hurricanes). Of the teams I’ve supported, only the Three Rivers Bulldogs seem capable of winning consistently. I’ve even enjoyed sitting on the porch. I filled the hummingbird feeder, and within hours the humming birds were on it. So much, in fact, that I had to refill it within a few days.

I did make a trip south for some dove hunting. There were very few birds, but there were a lot of scruffy looking people hanging around the “Pawnee Hilton”.

On weekends, Bandera is buzzing with bikers.

My little cedar and rock cabin is perfect for me. Here is the pleasant front porch, and old yeller greeting me on the back porch.

The problem is just that I visited the sights I really wanted to see last time I was here. And it is hard to convince myself to give up my rocking chair and comfortable, paid for bed.

So, next week it is off to Enchanted Rock on the way to Temple. In October, I plan to spend some time in Temple, some in Rhome and some in Houston.

2008-08-25T13:51:00.014-05:00

The Farm

It has come to my attention that inquiring minds want to know…What’s the status at “The Farm” in central Texas, where I keep hanging out? Electricity? Plumbing? Protection from the weather?

Well, I’ll have to admit that back in the 20th century, when James, Jon and I used to forge a path through the underbrush and throw up a tent or two on the dam of the pond, the answers would have to be: basic, no, no and very little. We had a great time hanging out. Alternating target practices with our Crosman air rifle and bow and arrow. Doing a little fishing. Listening to the coyotes howl outside our tent. Maybe hunting dove when the season rolled around. But, the facilities were basic, and that was part of the appeal.

But, as time went by, we added a luxury or two here and there. A few friends enjoyed the facilities and helped to improve them. Brad and Stephen. Kendall and JR. Shawn, Mark and Dad. But for the most part, it was my son Jon and I, hanging out and doing the occasional project or improvement over the years.

First thing I know, the 21st century has rolled around, and the place has taken on a different look and feel. Electricity arrives. A 200 sq ft cabin gets dried in. Running water, albeit from a pump thrown into the pond, makes an appearance. Initially, it was just a hose to a small concrete pad, but eventually it is tied into the cabin. Air conditioning and heat made their debut. For a good while, we had hot water only on warm, sunny days, but now, with the addition of an electric water heater, I’ll be expecting hot water on a cloudy day in January.

Yes, a lot has changed. My laptop fits nicely on a desk in the corner. With my TV Tuner, the laptop becomes a 14” color TV, where I’ve been checking out the Beijing Olympics and the Dallas/Houston contest for the Governors Cup, not to mention a few reruns. And, I pick up a daily newspaper at the Shell station recently built a half mile away, reading it while relaxing in my old leather chair.
I recently put in a new bathroom, complete with shower. Fresh water and gray water are plumbed in. The water is even hot if the water heater is plugged in-but in that case there is no cold water. You get whatever comes out of the single pipe. There is no septic system, so the toilet is a primitive composting version.
Then, there is the basic kitchen I installed a couple of years ago. Here you can see the sink, refrigerator, stove, microwave, pantry and air conditioner. And, just below, the 20th century heating system.

My bunk is pretty basic, but a lot more comfortable since I acquired some nice mattresses.

A spare bunk functions as a part time closet and library.

Of course, not everything has changed. There is my rather spacious living area and recreation room, with the occasionally spectacular audio visual effects.
Despite the modern kitchen you’ve seen, a lot of my meals get done in my outdoor kitchen, over a mesquite fire. It just seems to taste better that way.
Yesterday, I caught this fellow trying to move into my fine accommodations. Sorry, but I don’t take on boarders. Besides, I was just crawling under there within the last week or so, installing plumbing and searching through my surplus materials for the new bathroom. And, are you the once that keeps shedding his skin in the attic or under my bunk? Either way, I think I’ll refrain from stepping outside at night without a flashlight for a while.

If I’m out of the air conditioned space at dusk, I’ll still hear the coyotes howling. Last week, as I rested from one of my many projects, I saw a coyote mother and her half grown pup come out of the brush and partake of the fresh water I share with various wildlife. Later, I saw the biggest, ugliest fresh water turtle I’ve ever seen. He sat underwater just a few feet from shore, watching me fish. As he surfaced for air and gave me a look several times, I began to have the irrational fear that he might burst out of the water, grab me by the ankle and drag me in.

But, I digress. Here’s my report on current conditions at the farm. Electricity, check. Plumbing, check. Snug, check. Interesting, check. But, as far as most people these days are concerned, still very, very basic.

2008-08-21T17:24:00.002-05:00

Story from Vienna

Vienna, of course, is famous for its music. So, catching a show at the world renowned Vienna Opera house seemed like a good thing to do in Vienna. And, my "Rick Steve's guide to Eastern Europe" reflected my thoughts exactly, when he said "For me, three hours of opera is a lot of opera, but a 30-45 minute taste is well worthwhile." He went on to advise that seats are sold out well ahead of time and are relatively expensive, while standing room only tickets are available the day of the performance for about $4 each.

We arrived in Vienna on June 30th, the day of the last performance of the season, an opera called Pique Dame. We arrived at the theatre quite late, and found that the standing room tickets were all gone. So, we fell back on more of Rick's advice...I stood outside the doors and waited for a standing room only patron to leave early. Sure enough, within a few minutes a couple of nice ladies left the performance and offered me their tickets.

As a result, we saw the dramatic conclusion of the opera for no cost. Rick definitely paid for himself on this trip.

2008-07-22T09:00:00.003-05:00

Vienna (and Genua?)

Final leg of our Eastern European trip. And a little teaser.

Vienna was the home of the Hapsburgs, who ruled a large part of Europe for several centuries, beginning in the 14th. We visited their downtown palace, including the treasury. The wealth was pretty amazing, but of course it is not as impressive in photos, even when they were allowed, which was not often. I'll just include a photo of the outside of the palace, and one photo of a typical table centerpiece, along with a container cut from the largest emerald in the world.

I'll have to admit to being largely ignorant of the Hapsburgs before this trip. You may have heard of Sisi, one of the queens who was (apparently) quite famous. But, I was most impressed with Franz Joseph, who was always open to visits from his subjects. It is said he would meet with perhaps 100 people on the typical morning. And these were people of all walks of life, from all over his empire. Perhaps that was the key to his success?

Of course, you have to see a beautiful church in each city. This is St Stephen's, and a podium inside which was carved from solid sandstone.

After a previous country place was destroyed, the Hapburgs decided to build a small place in the countryside outside Vienna, known as Schonbrunner. Here is a picture of the Glorieta from the main building and a picture of the main building across the gardens from the Glorieta.

I visited the Danube canal. The Danube river runs outside the city, but this canal was rerouted near the old city.

Oh, and I received this picture from Stanislav, a friend in Ukraine. I believe this is from his travels to Crimea, and he indicates it is from Genua, described in Wikipedia as a "fictional city". I'm anxious to hear more. Anyone care to enlighten me?

2008-07-20T19:55:00.012-05:00

Catskill, Adirondack, Lake Placid, Niagara Falls

Continuing my trip up the east coast, I noticed two large parks in New York. Catskill Park is just about 100 miles north of New York City. Adirondack, a bit further north, is the largest park in the lower 48. So, I decided to check them out and use them for accommodation as I moved north.

The parks were both intriguing and frustrating. Intriguing because it is amazing that such wilderness could exist in the state known mostly for the city. Driving through and camping gave you the feeling that you were a million miles from civilization. Rustic cabins, wild rivers, scenic mountains and largely unmarked, or even unpaved roads.

Here are some examples.

But, because these parks do not have real information centers like most parks, I could find little information on what appeared to be excellent hiking trails. And the parks are a combination of thousands of parcels of state property, interspersed in private parcels. A hike may end with "Posted, Private Property" signs. Fortunately, I did find a guide to the hundreds of nice NY State campgrounds in the parks, so I found cool, comfortable camps at around 3000 foot elevations.

I did discover that Lake Placid is located in Adirondack park. This was the location of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics, including the "Miracle on Ice" many may remember. I also remember the description of the beauty there on those Olympic broadcasts, so I decided to camp one night in one of the campgrounds near there. It was a beautiful place, and of course more developed as a result of the Olympics. The first picture is Lake Placid, the third is the ski jump facility, with a picture of nearby mountains in between.

My camp was also near Whiteface Mountain ski resort, located, interestly, in Wilmington, NY.

From there, I headed up to Montreal, Canada. After one night there, I decided to head SW, to Niagara Falls. I had been there before, but this time I approached and spent my time on the Canadian side. I had heard that the falls were better from the Canadian side, and I indeed, did find this to be true. The largest part of the falls, the curved portion shown below is barely visible from the US side.

The photo below is the falls visible from the US side.

I reentered the US near Detroit. Although I admit I saw mostly the waterfront areas, I was shocked by conditions there. Most building were abandoned and collapsing from neglect. Windows were broken or boarded up. Bridges and infrastructure were rusting. Cars were rusted out. Pretty sad.

I'm filing this report from near Cincinnati, Ohio, and heading for Texas.

2008-07-18T13:36:00.015-05:00

Prague, Czech Republic

We are starting to really get our feet under us now. The trains are fast, easy and convenient. For the second city in a row, we were able to walk from the train station to our hotel, carrying our luggage. And, it was nothing much more than a casual stroll. It is amazing how these Eastern European cities, which are large cities, have most of their sightseeing in a small, easily navigated, old inner city.

While we did take the subway occasionally in Prague, and found it easy and convenient, we discovered is was just as easy to walk to most of what we wanted to see. And, of course, there is a lot to see.

We started with the Charles Bridge, named after Charles IV. This bridge, which crosses the river and was built in the 14th century, is a major center of activity in Prague. All along it, there were musicians, vendors, statues and lots of people. At times, there were so many people we could hardly get through the crowds.

Here is the gate to the old city at one end of the Charles Bridge.

Here is a statue of a priest who heard the confession of the King's wife. The king demanded to know what she had said. When the priest refused, he was thrown off the bridge. When he hit the water, tradition says stars appeared in the water. Thus the stars around his head. Supposedly, if you make a wish by touching the statue, it will come true (I tried to talk Dee into kissing it, 'cause it works better than way.).

Then, there was the Prague Castle. We happened to arrive just in time for the changing of the guard.

Just across the river from the old town, is Pertin hill and tower, an amazingly quiet and beautiful oasis from the city. We tool the Charles Bridge across, then the funicular up to see these sights. Here is a garden at the top of the hill, then a view of the river and Charles Bridge. Finally, a view of the castle.

Jewish Quarter/Cemetery. I was not aware that Prague was one of the main Jewish areas in Europe. A significant number of the Jews who went to Auschwitz and other concentration camps were from Prague. I also was not aware the Jews had been persecuted for centuries prior to the Nazis. In the cemetery, the area is raised several feet because they were forced to remain in the small Jewish Quarter and bury their dead in this small area for centuries, and consequently had to bury them one on top of the other. Then, the Nazis come along and destroy the cemetery, taking the tombstones to grind up for road construction. Some pieces survived and are built into the wall, and many of the tombstones have been replaced by relatives since the war. Then, Hitler built a museum celebrating the upcoming extinction of the Jewish race. I new it was bad, of course, but I was still surprised and appalled just seeing some of the things the Nazis did.

Of course, you see amazing churches in every city. Here are some samples from Prague.

Then there is Wencesla Square. Here is a view of the square. Then there is the Europa Hotel on the square. Havel stood in the balcony and spoke to a crowd of 300,000 as Czechoslavakia gained its independence from the Soviet Union.

2008-07-14T20:39:00.010-05:00

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

I spent the last 2 nights in Shenandoah NP. Wow, it is easy to see why Herbert Hoover built his summer White House here. As we ascended into the mountains just a short distance from Washington, the temperatures cooled off about 10 degrees. That meant it was quite nice in the afternoon, and sent me seaching for my flannel shirt at sundown. For July hiking and camping, this is hard to beat along the east coast.

I followed a short section of the Appalachian Trail from Loft Mountain to the Frazier Discovery Trail and returned along the Skyline road. A hiker I met indicated there had been a bear along the trail, but I never saw him. I did see a couple of bears along the road. The black bears here look more like a big black dog than the grizzlies out west. They are feasting these days on blackberries, which were ripening nicely everywhere along the trail. Here is a look at the AT along this section.

I did spot this deer grazing on berries next to my campsite one morning, while grazing on them myself.

Of course, there are so many views of vistas and sunsets that you stop noticing after a while.

I also hiked along the Doyle River Trail to a couple of waterfalls. This is actually upper falls, the smaller of the two, but I couldn't get a decent picture of the lower falls because of the vegetation and location of the trail.

And, along the way, I took a detour to see the Doyle River Cabin. I understand this cabin is for rent for $25-40 per night. That might be an interesting vacation some day. It is only accessed by foot.

Well, that is about it for Shenandoah. I'm filing this report from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Tomorrow I'm planning to head to the Catskill or Adirondack Parks in central NY state. If you are just catching up with me, you might check out my previous stories about my recent trip to Eastern Europe. It is taking me a while to get up to date.

2008-07-14T19:25:00.004-05:00

Slow Train to Krakow

Ok, in accordance with my plan, there was a train from Kiev to Krakow on Monday evening. With the help of Lyuda, we were ready to purchase our tickets…unfortunately, they won’t take a credit card for the $200+ ticket price. No problem, after a visit to the ATM, we got the cash and the tickets.

The train leaves Kiev at 8:40pm, but when does it arrive in Krakow? Since we have so far encountered no one in Kiev who speaks English, and after experiencing the difficulty of recognizing our stop on the subway, I’m a little worried about whether I’ll know when to get off the train. Before we left Houston, someone had indicated that they thought the train left Kiev in the evening and arrived in Krakow the next afternoon. No indication on the ticket. So, let’s arrive at the train station a couple of hours early and try to find out what the itinerary is, right? Our guide book indicated that one particular ticket counter was designated for foreigners and dealt in English. After standing in line at that counter for half an hour, we realized that not only did they not speak English, but they were not interested in trying to help. Information counter? Same result. Train schedule booklets? None available. The board showed several versions of our train, with arrivals in various places, none of which were recognizable as Krakow.

Fortunately, our strategy of standing with a bewildered look on our face worked again. Two different people asked if they could help. After 20 minutes of sign language and drawing schematics, they understood our question. Once that was clear, no problem. They went to the information desk and came back with the answer…3:45 pm the next afternoon. Turns out I shouldn’t have worried. After a few hours on the train, I discovered there was a schedule posted on the train. With some study I figured out how to read it, and it agreed with our good Samaritan’s information. Besides, the conductor did speak some English and he politely advised us ahead of our stop, as well as immigration, etc.

Ok, 19 hours on the train. Doesn’t seem like it is that far. Our compartment is comfortable, and we have plenty of time for a good night’s sleep, secure in the knowledge we’ll know when to get off.

I still wasn’t sure how it could take 19 hours for the 500 mile trip. The train was slow, had several stops and lots of extended slowdowns. But, still, 19 hours seemed like a long time. The answer came at the border. First, we spend an hour clearing immigration and customs. After that was completed, they moved the train to a siding and proceeded to change the wheels on the train! Seems the rail gage changes at the border. Here are some pictures of the wheels on the siding and of the process. Essentially, they jack up the entire train at once with the jacks shown and roll out the old wheels and roll in the new ones.

Looks like 2.5 hours on the schedule. The process was efficient and it seemed we were ready to go in about 1.5 hours. Unfortunately, when our departure time came, there was no movement. Ah, that star on the schedule must mean we are crossing into a new time zone. Make that 20 hours for the trip, including 4.5 hours on the border with Poland.

Despite all that, we had a pleasant trip. We got to see lots of Ukraine and Polish countryside. Our private compartment was comfortable. And, we slept soundly in our berths, catching up on our sleep. Even the wheel changing was interesting.

As a result of the long train ride, our stay in Krakow was pretty short, but nice. We reveled in the ease of communicating and navigating. Most of the people we dealt with spoke very good english. Street signs actually looked like those on the map. The old town was small enough that it was a short walk to just about everywhere. Here is a picture of the gate to the old city and a view of the castle.

I had forgotten that Krakow was the home of John Paul II. So, the information about him was a bonus. Here are pictures of his home church, and the place where he lived before becoming Pope.

While he was in town as Pope, he stayed in this building next to the church. After a full day of official business, it is said he would stand in this window for hours discussing every kind of topic with the folks who gathered below. He is quite beloved here.

And we got in our trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Not pleasant, but very interesting and worthwhile. You’ll recognize the pictures from Schindler’s List or documentaries.

Here's one I didn't know, though. Inside Auschwitz, they actually had a jail, where prisoner's were taken for even worse than normal treatment. They had a suffocating cell, where there were more prisoners than air, so some would suffocate overnight. They also had standing cells, where 4 people were put into a cell approximately 3 ft by 3 ft. They had to stand all night, then go back to work the next day. The jail also had a courtroom, where prisoners were tried and sentenced to death in 15 minutes or less. This is for those who survived the initial selection process, in which 80% were sent directly from the train to the gas chamber, just based on a glance by the doctor. Anyway, here is a picture of the jail and the firing wall just outside where the executions took place.

Everyone should visit here, just to remind themselves of what people are capable of doing.

2008-07-14T17:15:00.011-05:00

Kiev, Ukraine

After completion of our work at Baby Eagle camp, we flew back to Kiev, Ukraine, leaving our group there for some travel around Eastern Europe. We were fortunate that Lyuda, Polina and Derek were also staying in Kiev and helped us find our way around. It is a bit more difficult than I expected to navigate in the Ukraine. The map I obtained at the airport was in English, which turned out to be a mistake, since the streets and subway stops were in Ukrainian, with their Cyrillic alphabet. As a result, it was difficult to recognize locations. And, relatively few people speak any English.

Our first order of business was to buy our train ticket from Kiev to Krakow. I had been unable to find any train schedules which included this trip on the internet, and in any case it is not possible to book train travel from outside Ukraine. The best I could do was an indication from a friend of a friend who thought there was a train from Kiev to Krakow which could be booked on arrival in Kiev.

Without Lyuda, we’d have been in deep trouble. The taxi drivers and train clerks we encountered do not speak English. Lyuda negotiated for a minivan ride from the airport to the train station and then bought our train ticket. She helped us find and check into our hotel. They had never heard of Travelocity, but had rooms available at just slightly more than my Travelocity reservation said. Then, we met her sister Ula, who lives in Kiev and they showed us the highlights. We took the funicular up to St. Sophia and St Andrews churches (below). Approximately 90% of Ukrainians belong to the Orthodox Church, and the Orthodox churches and monasteries are beautiful.

We also visited Andryvski Street, a market street and the main plaza. As with many Eastern European cities the main plaza was the focus of activity…street musicians, break dancers, human and real statues. Here is a sample.

We also visited the Chernobyl Museum. It was an eerie feeling seeing the signs indicating the villages near Chernobyl when you enter the museum, then see them struck through when you leave because they no longer exist. And, a lot of brave men gave their lives to make sure the disaster was not worse. Soldiers worked in 15 minute shifts to reduce their exposure to radiation.

Then, Derek and Polina offered to help us attend their church on Sunday. Good thing, because even though I had the address of a church in Kiev, I doubt we would ever have found it. We met Polina’s mother and sister, and Polina’s mother translated the service for us. I’m always amazed that, no matter where you visit, you will find a loving community and family in the church.

After church we visited the Lavra, a beautiful monastery over caves lined with mummified remains of monks who lived there. (I didn't take my camera that day, but I hope to post some pictures when Dee publishes hers.)

After that, it was off to visit the Rodina (a 300 meter tall steel statue) and the surrounding park, celebrating the Russian/Ukraine victory over the Germans in WWII. Despite the difficulty of communicating and navigating, we had a great time. It was a rare opportunity to visit with rare insights into an intriguing world. And, we discovered that if you stared at your map with a confused look on your face long enough, someone would volunteer to try to help you….despite speaking at most a few words of English.

2008-07-12T08:28:00.008-05:00

Outer Banks, North Carolina

My first stop in the Outer Banks of North Carolina is in Ocracoke. It is a small island at the southern tip of the Outer Banks, where Blackbeard operated, and was eventually killed. The waters around the island were a major shipping lane, but are shallow and frequently changing sand banks. There are many ship wrecks in the area…some from the treacherous and shifting shoals or hurricanes, others from Blackbeard, still others from German submarine attacks. A dedicated British Cemetary, Union Jack and all, is the final resting place of British sailors who were killed in submarine attacks.

The island is only accessible by boat, in my case by a ferry from Cedar Island. It is a bit touristy, but in a pleasant way. There are as many bicyclists and walkers as cars. The town is small, so that walking or biking is a viable transportation option, especially with the 20 mph speed limit. In fact, I noticed arrivals at the local grocery store were as often by bike as by car.

All in all, a pleasant place. But, the pleasant beach and atmosphere are the main attractions. Not a lot to see beyond sand, surf and shops. I visited Teach’s Hole, a museum referring to an old haunt of Blackbeard's (his real name was Edward Teach), and the local history museum. Blackbeard was killed near Ocracoke by a British Captain and his crew, hired by the Governor of Virginia. (He was rumored to have struck gentlemen's agreement with the Governor of North Carolina to allow his privateering.) The lighthouse, pictured above, was the one photo that seemed worth showing. It still operates, and is the second oldest operating lighthouse in the United States.

So, it was off to Cape Hatteras, Kitty Hawk, etc.

At Hatteras, it was more ferry, more beach, more sand, more sun, and more lighthouses. Here is the Cape Hatteras lighthouse.

Then, the lighthouse at Bodie Island. As you can see, lighthouses are the big thing on the Outerbanks, along with sea museums, and of course, beaches. Notice each lighthouse is painted differently so they can be identified individually during the daytime.

Finally, Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hill. Here is a picture of the Memorial of the Wright brothers first flight and a view of the field where the flights first took place. They were pretty amazing. I had the idea that they just happened to luck into designing and flying the first airplane, but they obviously were very meticulous and organized about identifying and solving the problems standing between them and the first flight. They built the first wind tunnel to perform tests. They built their own engine. The optimized their wing shapes over many flights, beginning with kites and gliders, developing new formulas and theories. It had me wondering whether I would have stuck with it through the years of development.

, it is off to new locales. I'm filing this report from Richmond, Virginia, and will leave today for the Shendandoah National Park.

2008-07-12T08:06:00.005-05:00

Baby Eagle Camp, Ukraine

I’m back from Ukraine. As most of you know, I spent 2 weeks in June near Donetsk, Ukraine. I was teaching Bible and Christian character in the Baby Eagle Youth Camp, 3 hours north of Donetsk by bus.

The lessons went pretty well, despite the language barrier and constantly changing times and availability of campers. We had translators, who did a great job. So well, in fact, that I sometimes wondered if I was needed at all.

But, of course, the lessons were just the beginning. We also had "hang out" time with the kids, and sports, chess, field trips and other activities. Then, each night after dinner, they would have programs that included skits, singing, etc and then later, disco.

The kids were great. They included us in everything they could, and seemed to really enjoy the chance to meet and learn about us, “The Americans.” Even though most spoke only a few words of English and I spoke even less Russian, it was amazing how the friendship and respect came through in sign language. And the kids were eager to help each other out. Any time we came to an impass where we could not understand each other, they would dash off and get someone who spoke more English to help.

Here we (my sister Dee and I) are with some of the kids in our class, before leaving for a walk to the Monastery nearby. We taught the oldest group, about 12-15 years old. The building in the background is their dormitory. I believe the word says “Turtle”, the name of their group.

And, here they are, hiking to the Monastery on one of our field trips. Talk about well organized and disciplined. I kept causing trouble because I didn't fit easily into the strict two column rules.

Here is a picture of the area where we had our big group meetings, programs and disco. It is a round concrete pad surrounded by bleacher seats, known as “The Valley of the Sun”.

Here is our team, at the main gate to the camp. Both the camp and the surrounding area was beautiful.

Probably the highlight of the trip was giving Bibles to the campers. Everyone was very excited, including campers, counselors, housekeepers, etc. Others wanted an extra, for their little brother or sister, which we accommodated as best we could. One lad made our trip, when he said “This is a dream come true, to have my very own bible.”

These camps are former Communist Indoctrination camps, so being able to visit and teach from the bible seems almost a dream come true to me. Of course, we probably will never know if we had a long term impact, but the interaction, the friendship we found is real and valuable.

2008-06-24T15:10:00.004-05:00

Ukraine Trip Step 1- Check my bag

I suspected there might be an issue with the 50 lb checked bag limit when I had a hard time getting my bag off the ground. Sure enough, when I got to Nicole's and weighed it...61 lbs! After all, I had over 30 lbs of teaching supplies. So, nix the umbrella. Same with the trail mix and peanut butter. Move the Bible and paperback to my backpack. Drop a few articles of clothing. Ok, I'm ready to go... 50.0 lbs exactly.

I also suspected there might be a problem with checking my bag all the way to Donetsk, Ukraine. After all, I had one paperless ticket I bought to combine with paper tickets bought though EEM. So, I patiently waited through the line and told the US Airways clerk I wanted to check the bag all the way to Donetsk. Fine, no problem.

She clicks a few keys and prints the tag and starts attaching it to my bag... uh, that says JFK, I want to check the bag all the way to Donetsk, Ukraine. Oh, she says, that is as far as I can check it. No, no, no, I want to check it all the way to Donetsk. That's where I'm going today, and I want my bag to go there too. Uh, this is all I can do...when I enter your ticket into the computer, this is what it prints. Well, that is because you only entered the JFK ticket, and that is why I also showed you this ticket to Donetsk. Oh, that's an international flight, I can't check it on an international flight. No, no, no, I don't want to pick it up at JFK, then go through security again and recheck. Besides, if it didn't show up at JFK, I'd have a bag floating around with no markings as to where it should go. I'm flying directly to Donetsk and I want the bag to go directly there too. It shouldn't be a problem to check it straight through, I do it all the time.

Sir, we can't check a bag to an international location. We may not even have a cooperating agreement with that airline... Uh, the airline is Delta, I'm pretty sure you have an agreement with them.

Finally, with resignation and drooping shoulders, she picks up the other tickets and says, can you tell me again where you are going? Donetsk? Where is that again? I can't find it in the computer. Let's see, this Kiev, is that where you are going? Uh, I'm going through Kiev on the way to Donetsk, but I want to check the bag all the way through to Donetsk.

Sir, do you know the airport code? I can't find any Donetsk in the computer. Uh, no I don't happen to remember the code, but it is in there, because I looked at it from my computer at home.

At this point, I've occupied 20 minutes of the time of one of the two clerks. When she decides she needs to enlist the other clerk to help her with this issue, I suspect the several dozen passengers behind me may be getting a bit anxious... but the new clerk was anxious to help. Now, where are you going? How do you spell that? D-O-N-E-T-S-K? Where is that? Sir, it might be easier if you just picked up your bag at JFK and rechecked it. We can't be responsible if we hand it over to another airline...besides, we can't find this Donetsk in the computer. No, I want to check it to Donetsk! Maybe those Delta folks over there can find it if you take this Delta ticket over there. Sure enough, she checks with Delta, and a couple of minutes later comes back with a tag. DOK, that's the code for Donetsk. No problem, sir, you are on your way.

And, believe it or not, the bag arrived on schedule. Hooray, step one completed in my Eastern European journey.

2008-06-01T21:52:00.009-05:00

Pisgah National Forest

It has been quite a while since I've managed any interesting backpacking. So, when Jeremy mentioned that he will be going on Wilderness Trek this summer and would like to get some time on the trail, I resolved to work a short trip around preparations for my Ukraine trip.

We visited Pisgah National Forest, near the North Carolina-Tennessee border and the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was a great hike on Lost Cove Trail along two creeks and then up to a peak, before decending along a ridgeline to our starting point...a relatively easy 7.5 mile hike(except for the climb to the peak). Here is a nice Rhodedendron from along the ridgeline.

There were several nice waterfalls along the creeks.

Jeremy climbs a rock near Hunt Fish Falls and our campsite.

2008-05-24T18:38:00.009-05:00

Papa Enjoys Wilmington, Takes on Eastern Europe Next

It has been great here in Wilmington these last couple of months. I got to see some of Myles first laughs. Ryan even managed to capture these over my shoulder and Nicole put them on Facebook. Let's see, there we are, matching smiles. There I am teaching Myles to stick out and wiggle his tongue. And, tummy time. Thanks, Ryan and Nicole, I'll remember them for a long time.

So, besides visiting family, what have I been doing? Well there is hiking, of course, and since I live near the historic Wilmington downtown, it has been fun exploring the area on foot. And, Jeremy and I are planning a backpacking trip to the Appalacians for next week. We've done a few projects and a little gardening. But most of my time here has been spent doing things I never expected to experience in retirement.

Yeppers, that's me in a meeting. There has been plenty of that, along with another activity I hadn't though much about recently....study!

You see, I volunteered to go to Ukraine to teach Bible at a Youth Camp for two weeks this summer. It really is quite exciting...these are the former Communist youth camps, that are now private and looking for a way to instill Christian values. So, they asked an organization called Eastern European Missions for help. They, in turn, asked for volunteers. Here am I. I feel a bit like Moses...I know this is way outside my capabilities, so I thought of every excuse I could to get out of it. Yet, here am I. So, I'll just have to lean heavily on God and my brothers and sisters to try to get it done. Our camp, Baby Eagle, is near Donetsk, near the bottom right corner of the map above. I leave June 6th.

Then, after the work is done, I'm planning to visit Kiev, Krakow, Prague and Vienna on my return. It should be an interesting month. I'll try to make a report in about 6 weeks. Until then, I doubt I'll have the opportunity to post. So, until next time, God be with each of you.

2008-04-07T22:50:00.005-05:00

Myles Griffin Mattox, Born April 7th, 2008

Myles was born tonight at about 8:50pm, and weighed in at 8 lb, 15 oz. Everyone is doing great.

So, here are a few pictures I captured through the glass.

Love,

PaPa

2008-04-01T19:19:00.012-05:00

Myles Goes to OT

Young Myles is past his due date. No news on how long the overtime period will last.

So, I've had plenty of time to enjoy my little house and watch the coming of spring here in Wilmington. I'm on the ragged edge of the historic district here, although my little house and neighborhood doesn't qualify. It is 1940s vintage and is somewhat less than stately. Even so, it suits me just fine, and spring is taking shape in my yard. So far I've recognized the color of dogwoods, azaleas, camelias and jasmine, and just today I recognized the distinctive purple of wisteria emerging from previously unidentified tangle of vines in the front. Here are a few pictures verifying the arrival of spring at my temporary abode.
As I mentioned, I'm on the edge of the historic district, so I have lots of opportunites for pleasant neighborhood walks. Here are a few pictures from my walk today.

A few days ago, I snapped this picture of shooting for one of the several movies or TV series that are routinely filmed nearby.

And, there are 3 cemeteries within walking distance...Wilmington National Cemetery, B'nai Israel and Bellevue. Here is a picture of the National Cemetery, which always gives me chills.

And finally, Bellevue. This cemetery was not established until 1876, but it is apparently very popular with confederate soldiers. I noticed numerous headstones listing rank in the CSA. I wondered if this was the Confederate States of America, and it was confirmed by this monument, which made it explicit. And, apparently his loyalty is still recogized, witness the Confederate flag.

Stay tuned. I'll advise when Myles makes his arrival and the real excitement begins.

2008-03-10T15:18:00.012-05:00

Juggernaut Arrives in Wilmington, Via Florida and Savannah

Ater a few good days of travel though the southeastern tier of states, I've arrived in Wilmington, North Carolina. I was mostly on autopilot, but I did manage a few interesting stops along the way. I visited Pensacola and Fort Walton, Florida for old times sake. I have some very sweet memories of this area from the 70's. The sand was just as sugar-white as I remembered it, but the blue water was turned a bit brown by a couple of inches of recent rain. And, of course the rain and temperatures in the twenties didn't resemble the summer days I've spent here before, but it was an enjoyable visit. I went to Grayton Beach state park and hiked the Dune and Pine Loop trails, so here are a few pictures.

The trail highlights this "Dune Lake", which they say occurs only in Fort Walton Beach and a few areas in South Africa.

I also spent a night and half a day in Savannah, Georgia. The gardens and squares were already in bloom, making for a beautiful visit.

In addition to the gardens, the history was very interesting. For instance, here are two cannons given to the city by George Washington. They were captured from General Cornwallis when he surrendered after the revolutionary war and given in recognition of the part Savannah played in the war. Apparently the British scuttled several ships in the harbor in an attempt to cut off shipping and resupply to the port there.

For more modern history, this statue represents the eternal flame that was brought to Savannah in 1996, when they hosted the sailing portion of the summer Olympics.

There you are. Just another few days of enjoying life, brought to you by Max, the retirement guru.

2008-03-05T22:53:00.004-05:00

Heading for North Carolina

All quiet in Texas. Spent a little time relaxing and working at the farm, but nothing too exciting. Still no usable indoor shower and the outdoor shower was getting a bit uncomfortable in the 30 degree weather. I did think this shot of the wheat planted on the back 40 was worth a photo.

I managed to get at least a little insulation done at Mom and Dad's, then ended up repairing the ceiling where I knocked a hole in the 50 year old sheetrock.

Then, it was back to Houston to meet with my Ukraine mission team. Things are developing slowly there for my trip to Ukraine this summer, but I think it is time to head for North Carolina to meet Myles, my first grandson.

So, it is back on the road tomorrow. I plan to take the southern route this time. Maybe I'll spend a day or two on the beach in Florida before arriving in Wilmington around March 10th.

Keep well. Keep me posted. Keep the faith.

2008-02-25T16:36:00.003-05:00

It's a small world, after all!

Well, lots of interesting doings here in Temple this weekend. It started routine enough, with a few projects, a bit of hiking and some sports on the radio and TV. (Those Aggies seem determined to sink a promising season!)

Then, at about 9:00pm Saturday night, there was a knock on my door. Despite the fact that I've been staying here off and on for about 10 years, this is the first time I've had anyone knock on my door. The place is pretty remote and well hidden in the middle of my 200 acres.

I opened the door to two policemen, who were staring at the still glowing remains of my camp fire. They introduced themselves and asked if I owned that car parked in the field( I park in the field nearby, since the terrain at the cabin is too rough for parking a sedan). "Yes, why?". Their reply, "Why does it have no tags on it?". "Well, I just bought it and it has dealer tags in the window..."

"Oh. Can they see proof that I own it?" After I produced the keys and some paperwork and pointed out the dealers tags, I think they were starting to question why they were asking these questions. Turns out, someone had been riding a 4 wheeler and reported a suspicious "Cadillac" parked in the field. "Uh, its a Ford, but I guess it is different from the Chevrolet I normally park there." At first I was a bit miffed that someone, who obviously was trespassing by 4-wheeling on my property, had called the police. But, after a while, I decided it was good to have neighbors who were interested enough to report suspicious activity.

Then, on Sunday morning, I visited Canyon Creek Church of Christ. A young lady named Gloria came forward to be baptized into Christ. As I'm watching, I felt a tap on my shoulders and looked around to see old friends, Tom and Noni Matthews, from Houston. Turns out, Gloria was their granddaughter.

Afterward, I was invited to lunch at the home of the Huddlestons, the third time someone from the congregation has invited me for a meal. They have a beautiful home on a limestone bluff overlooking Belton Lake. Then, one of the guests, 80+ year old Mr Vaughan, who owns property adjoining mine and knows both the former owner and the current farmer who works the place, allowed as how he remembers the first time I visited the congregation with my son, Jon, who was looking for a friend from work camp that he knew attended there. What, that must have been 6-7 years ago???!!!. Sure enough, when I checked with Jon, the friend was Emily Matthews, presumably the sister of Gloria.

Ok, now you can join me in singing, "It's a small world, after all..."

No pictures, this time. I've got to start carrying my camera absolutely everywhere.

2008-02-19T13:13:00.006-05:00

Cavalier on Steroids-Congressional Hearing Rumored

Some of the rumors are true... the faithful old Cavalier sustained an injury.

I never would have done it just to make her bigger and stronger, but with the auto doctor saying this injury could be career ending, it looks like she may have resorted to steroids. Here she is today...make your own judgement.

Now, the rumor is that I may have to testify before congress. After all, this is my second brush with steroids. You may remember the Personal Finance Guru story in March 2007 (see My Blogs on right) claiming that I had used steroids on dollar cost averaging. But, I want to make it clear that I didn't do it to cheat. I was just trying to keep them doing their job.

Now, I just need to get together with some of my friends in the oil business and get the price of gas dropped a couple of dollars a gallon. What? Now my lawyers are whispering in my ear that maybe I should avoid that subject...never mind, guys!!

Well, if there is nothing else, I need to make a call to Bear Creek Auto Undertakers to see if they can dispose of the evidence. What? I should avoid that subject as well? Anyway, if there are no more questions I'll just be going about my regular business.

2008-02-07T23:19:00.000-05:00

Punta Arenas and Montevideo

Our final two ports: Punta Arenas, Chile and Montevideo, Uruguay. By this time we are getting a bit weary and things are beginning to all look alike. So this will be the last report from our Antarctic/South American trip. Everyone can breathe a sigh of relief, now.

More penguins at a nature preserve near Punta Arenas. This is a breeding area, and you can see them teaching the chicks to swim. You also can see the chicks are losing their baby fuzz. These penguins are called jack-ass penguins, and they bay exactly like a donkey. You can see one baying in the third picture.

View of the ship and Punta Arenas from a square above the city.

Our final penguin

The flag of Chile. Looks a lot like Texas

Lots of monuments, whose signficance I can't remember, or more likely never understood.

Whew! Great trip, but I'm ready to move on. If I'm tired of writing about it, I'm sure everyone is tired of reading about it.

2008-02-06T17:51:00.000-05:00

Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel

Our second port was Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. The Beagle Channel, which we took both to and from Ushuaia across southern South America, was in itself a beautiful and interesting voyage. It is named after the ship that Darwin took through Patagonia in this channel on his "Voyage of Discovery", the HMS Beagle. Ushuaia is also the termination of the Pan American Highway, the longest highway in the world. In fact, this picture, which I took from just off the Beagle Channel near Ushuaia reminded me that I could have backpacked down here instead of cruised.

Jon was already busy doing public relations for his new company, Shell Oil.

One of the highlights of Ushuaia was a catamaran excursion down the Beagle Channel, where we were able to see seals and sea lions for the first time. The black and white birds, which you may mistake for penguins are actually cormorants. And look closely at those rocks. Many of them are actually seals.

Ushuaia was another pleasant, quaint and colorful port city, surrounded by beautiful mountains. Jon and I spent considerable time wondering about how the airplanes dropped in through the valleys to land. They just seemed to appear on final approach, well below the mountain tops.

Even this industrial suburb had quite a view.

This sign summed it up, "Ushuaia, end of the world, beginning of everything."

As I mentioned, the channel itself kept us spellbound for many hours, both from the catamaran and from the ship. It was lined with mountains and glaciers dropping right to the edge of the water. One, with a torrent of water running from the bottom as it melted was particularly dramatic.

2008-02-04T23:04:00.000-05:00

Stanley, Falkland Islands

Stanley, in the Falkland Islands, was the first stop on our cruise. Most people don't even know where the islands are, and I don't know how many will remember it, but Great Britain and Argentina fought a war over these islands back in the 80's. I have some personal memories of the event. I was in Trinidad at the time and had booked a cruise. However, the British government had conscripted a cruise ship from the same line to deliver troops to the Falklands war effort, resulting in my ship running a different itinerary. The first I heard of it was when the Captain made his announcement that we were sailing for....Caracas, Venezuela???? Oh, and incidently, my luggage didn't make the ship. Ah, yes, quite a memorable trip. Anyway, here is the monument commemorating the British "rescue".

The joke back then was that the islands had more sheep than people. It is still true today, with about 3.8 million sheep and 300,000 people. I don't know if they were worth fighting for, but it looks like they make nice lawn mowers.

Here's a comforting thought. Apparently there are still lots of uncleared minefields.

Jon polishes his social skills on the first penguin of the trip.

Stanley is a graveyard of ships as a result of either war, or ships that weren't quite seaworthy enough to round the Horn. This one was a casualty of bad weather as they passed the cape. It limped into Stanley, but was too badly damaged to repair. It was moored here for several years before it broke free in a storm and washed aground in the harbor.

When I saw this monument, again thanking the Brits who rescued them, I assumed it too was from the '80s. Turns out these islands have been rescued more than once. This time was in 1914, and the invaders who had to be evicted were the Germans.

Whaling is a big part of the history of the Falklands, Here is a sculpture made from whale jaw bones.

Government House. Our invitations must have got lost in the mail. The wouldn't let us in, even though I figured this just meant Argentines. We did get a good view of the gardens, though.

Finally, our first real penguins. Somehow I thought they hatched their eggs balanced on their feet. Turns out that, at least Magellanic penguins, make nests burrowed in the earth, well back from the beach.

Port Stanley, a bright, quaint, pleasant little place. At least on January 12th, 2008.

2008-02-03T14:36:00.000-05:00

Rounding Cape Horn, Making new Friends

On Day 10, we rounded the Horn. I actually thought Cape Horn was a part of the South American Continent. Turns out, it is really just the southernmost in a group of islands at the tip. So, we actually sailed 360 degrees around the island that forms Cape Horn. We sailed east of the Horn (first of the pictures, where we saw the Chilean Flag and the famous Albatross sculpture), then around back into the Pacific (second picture) and finally back south of the point, blowing our horn as we passed the traditional cape. Cape Horn, of course, is known for its bad weather, so stories abound of waves breaking over the bow. The captain mused about how the last time he was here the seas were about 30'. They joked that, this time, they are calling it Lake Horn. We had beautiful, calm weather.

At this point we had spent 9 days at sea, with less than 11 hours in port. So, of course, between the scenery we were enjoying the boat, the shows, the food, the Karoake, the making of friends. Jon was doing his best Mark Clancy impersonation. Here he is with Brazilian and Mexican beauties Clara, Rocio and Rocio. I finally found Claire in a picture. Lisa, Nina, Betty, Joy and Barbara cleverly avoided the camera. I'm sure a few more avoided imprinting their names in my brain. We generally had dinner with a new group of 4-8 people each night, and an interesting bunch they were.

But, what can 9 days at sea do for a crusty old timer? I will, of course, exclude those whose main purpose was to make their husbands jealous enough to travel with them next time. Don't worry, ladies, your photos and names are safe with me. Feel free to throw around the names and photos as suits your purpose. I do admit to renewing my acquaintance with Benjamin Graham, Tom Clancy and John Grisham. But I could find only one intimate photo I could show.

Ok, Ok, I'll admit the photographer coaxed us into this position. I used my sole picture of my dance partner a couple of posts back. Seriously, though, I am proud to have met Claire and her mother, Barbara. They are two of the most interesting people I've ever met. How they had time for a mere trip to Antarctica between hiking/backpacking Yosemite, Glacier, the Great Wall and Everest, and visits to more countries than I can name, attending Stanford and Oxford, not to mention writing best selling books, Financial Consulting, Managing Non-Profits in Kenya, running marathons and putting together award winning websites, I'll never know. I've added a link to Claire's blog, Tripping on Words, where you can access associated Hope Runs and Tumaini Kids. If you would like to meet them, I'd recommend a visit to the website, and perhaps even a contribution.

But, enough of sailing the high seas. My next posts will get into the ports we visited.

2008-02-02T23:08:00.000-05:00

Antarctica By Boat

Four days after leaving Buenos Aires, we passed through the Antarctic Convergence Zone. South from this point, the sea temperature falls rapidly as the continuous melting of ice from the Antarctic Continent cools the water. We had arrived in Antarctica. I'll admit I was a bit disappointed that I was not able to actually set foot on Antarctica. I'll also apologize upfront for the endless pictures of icebergs and windswept mountains. I just couldn't stop taking pictures, and once I saw them I couldn't stop picking ones I had to show you. You'll be comforted to know I'm showing only about 10% of those I took. And maybe it can be justified by the stark beauty, or by the knowledge that Jon and I are two of only 300,000 people on the planet to have seen Antarctica.

Trips to Antarctica are always subject to weather, and generally speaking we had the best. Experts on board indicated that our weather was better than 95% of passengers get. We had fog a few times on the trip, but it was almost always limited to times when there was nothing to see. For most of the scenic areas, we had clear and calm conditions. We did bypass Esperanza Station, and back out of an entrance into Antarctic Sound, otherwise known as Iceberg Alley. We apparently had Force 8 winds and heavier than usual ice flows which forced a detour. I missed all that, since it occurred between 1:00 and 8:00am and I slept through it.

There were, of course, a few things to see, besides icebergs and mountains. For instance, in Admiralty Bay we saw Artowski, a Polish research station. A scientist came out by Zodiac and gave a brief talk about their work.

Penguins, of course, are the highlight of Antarctica and other parts of the Southern Hemisphere, the only place on the planet where they exist naturally. Here is a view of the colony studied by Artowski, where several hundred thousand penguins live. You can just make them out at the bottom left and right, the top, and marching single file up and down the mountain.

Whales are another highlight. Sightings were numerous, but most were similar to the first picture below...just a spec and a wisp of warm breath as they surfaced and spouted near the horizon. We were fortunate, though, to have 3 Orcas swim for several minutes alongside, less than 50 feet off the starboard side. The second photo was the best we could get, since they are much harder to catch on the surface than you would think. Besides, there was a near riot on deck as we fought for position.

Sometimes penguins showed up in the oddest places. In the first picture below, a few dozen lazily floated by on an iceberg staring at us as intently as we stared at them. In the second picture, I caught several penguins just before they slipped single file over the side of the iceberg into the water.

We were there too, of course.

Ok, time for icebergs and mountains. I'll let them speak for themselves.

Oh, and the sunsets. Our southern most point was about latitude 64 degrees, 57.7 minutes. Our permit was limited to travel north of 65 degrees. This photo of a sunset was probably taken about 1:00am, and lasted probably an hour, just beating the sunrise. At this latitude we had 24 hours of daylight.

There you have it...Antarctica in 30 photos or less. Despite the fact that this is the most photos I've put in a blog, I see in looking back that I've failed miserably in communicating the nature of the continent. Maybe you'll be number 300,001 to see it. If so, I'd like to see your story.

2008-01-31T22:21:00.000-05:00

Buenos Aires

Well, where do I start? Since my last post, I've been to Buenos Aires. From there I took a cruise with my son, Jon, to Antarctica, with stops in the Falkland Islands, Ushaia, Punta Arenas and Montevideo. Of course we had a great time. We met some great people. The scenery was great. We saw amazing sights, like Orca whales, sea lions, seals and penguins, penguins, penguins. The weather was great. We had full time entertainment and full time 5 course meals. Even all our travel and flights went well. Not a single delay or lost bag!!

We spent a few days on both the front and back end of the cruise in Buenos Aires, Argentina, so maybe I should start there. It is the second largest city in South America, and often called the Paris of South America. I suppose this is because there is a significant European influence in the architecture and they have wide avenues and traffic circles, lots of statues, fountains, monuments and parks. For instance, the Obelisk or the fountain in the middle of 9 de Julio street. This is a street 16 lanes wide celebrating Argentina's independence.

We visited Recoleta, a historic district which includes the cemetery where Eva Peron is buried, along with many heroes and historic figures. The cemetery is pretty amazing in itself. I've never seen such an ornate cemetery.

I saw uncountable statues and monuments.

Lots of beautiful gardens.

Fountains and cathedrals, like these on 25 de Mayo Plaza.

Or, this memorial of the Malvinas war, otherwise known as the Falklands war. But more about that in the Falklands report. The Argentines are still quite sensitive about that.

And, of course, in Buenos Aires you have to have a taste of the Tango, which was invented here!

And with that quick tour of Buenos Aires, it was off to see the rest of the southern hemisphere.

If I haven't lost you already, keep tuned for some pictures from Antarctica, one of the most scenic places I've visited.

2008-01-06T13:30:00.001-05:00

Pedernales Falls State Park

I’ll be off to South America and Antartica on Tuesday, but I had a chance to get in a couple of days hiking in Pedernales State Park. I started at Pedernales Falls, in the north end of the park. I always find it difficult to capture the feel of water falls in pictures, but since these were the best scenery in the park, I’m including several pictures.

Afterward I hiked to Twin Falls, a small but interesting double falls on a small stream in the central part of the park.

I camped in a remote area, about 2.5 miles on the Wolf Mountain trail in the southern part of the park. I was surprised at the number of hikers and backpackers. There were at least 6 sets of backpackers camping in the area, and hundreds of hikers. The weather was beautiful for January, with highs in the 70’s, so I guess this brought out the hikers and bikers. Plus, the park is only about 40 minutes from Austin.

2007-12-20T12:19:00.000-05:00

Graduation Day and Beyond

The big day arrived on December 14th, although the buildup started a day or two earlier as friends and family began arriving.

Youngest son, Jon, walked across the stage at Texas State University and received his BBA in Economics. Later that day we had a small celebration at my place here in New Braunfels. All in all, another in a series of great days! As usual, the pictures of the walk turned out poorly, but I do have a couple from the celebration afterward.

With that, my days here in New Braunfels are drawing to a close. We'll be celebrating a quiet Christmas and New Years before I move out on January 1.

Looking forward, there is more excitement. Jon will be starting work for Shell Oil in Houston on February 11th, which is excitement enough in itself. But the timing gives us a window for one last, big trip before he enters the working world of big dollars and small vacations. After much research and discussion, we settled on a trip/cruise to South America and Antartica. We'll fly to Buenos Aires, where we'll catch a 16 day cruise to the Falklands, Antartica and Chile, then back through the Magellan Straits and along the coast of Argentina and Uruguay. As luck and airline peculiarities would have it, we'll also get to spend a few additional days in Buenos Aires.

If I can fit it into my busy retirement schedule, over the next couple of months I may get in some hikes I've been planning in the Hill Country as well. So, stay tuned...this wild ride is far from over.

One last item. On one of my walks around New Braunfels, I caught this deer playing through on the Landa Park course. And he didn't even ask. The nerve of some deer!

2007-11-30T11:43:00.000-05:00

Canoeing on the San Marcos River

Ok, enough sitting around. I've put back all the weight I walked off over the last few months, plus some, so when Jon told me we could get a good rate on a canoe at the Texas State Outdoor Center, it was off to the river. You put in right there on campus, and if you are lucky and the water is not flowing too fast, you paddle back to the same spot. We were so worried about it we went down to the first rapids and back twice, plus a couple of excursions upstream from the takeout point.

Upstream, in Sewell Park, is the only place we came close to getting wet. I heard an unusual whistle and looked up to realize we were playing frisbee from the canoe with the world renowned Frisbee Dan. Jon tells me he's been written up in USA Today, but when I looked him up I found this video on Texas State TV at http://www.txstate.tv/ . It's harder than you might expect to catch and throw a frisbee from a canoe. Once we had water coming over the side of the canoe. Fortunately, we covered, since I was not prepared to go swimming and you'd have missed the picture version of the trip.

The San Marcos river is similar to the Comal, in that it is spring fed from the Edwards Aquifer. I'm still amazed to see these huge volumes of water flowing from springs. The San Marcos originates a short distance upstream from campus at Aquarena Springs, a well known recreation area.

Our original plan was for a half day trip, but when we arrived we realized we couldn't get the canoe until 2:00pm, so it became a 2 hour trip. The lower end of our trip was at Rio Vista rapids, pictured below. We didn't shoot them, since, as mentioned above, I wasn't prepared to go swimming. I also wasn't prepared to try to return to our pickup point from below the rapids.

Even though our trip was only a few miles, all within the city of San Marcos, there was some very nice canoeing and scenery.

Jon and I had a great time on the river, then capped it off with a nice dinner at sunset at the San Marcos Pub and Grill, which overlooks the Rio Vista rapids.

Here's a view looking toward the pub from below the rapids, and then sunset over the rapids from the pub. Riley had nothing on me.

2007-11-28T18:00:00.000-05:00

A writer or a blogger?

Wow, writing is a tough business. Ever since I was in elementary school, I've aspired to be a writer. It seemed such a cool, glamorous and lucrative occupation. In fact, back in those days, I used to write stories and essays and try to get my friends to read them. You can imagine the laughter. And yet I kept noticing the Reader's Digest offer of hundreds for short, simple stories about things like "Life in these United States." Even this blog probably has some roots in the aspirations of those days. But, as time went by, I departed for other careers, other ambitions.

So, after a few months of blogging I was glad to hear that at least a few people thought I had some writing talent. But, I was a bit disappointed that my readership was so low. About that time I noticed an advertisement on the blog for Helium. If you look back through my blogs you'll likely still see the ads. They publish on line and claimed a bigger readership than my blog, as well as connections to more traditional publishers. Could it be that a wider readership would recognize my considerable talents and lift me to fame and fortune?

I checked it out. I read. I dabbled by submitting a few articles. To my delight, I often rose into the upper tier among dozens of authors rated for each title. And so I wrote some more. Good ratings, but was anybody out there reading? Looking at my earnings, the answer was no. I was up to $2.50 after several months.

Then I saw it. They sponsor contests, with prizes like $75 for the top prize. That's not a lot, but could it launch my writing career and finally recognize my talent? The key was to write more good articles than anyone else on topics within various categories. How hard could it be? After all, I was #1 of 38 on at least one of my articles. And so, last week I jumped in with both feet. I wrote about things I knew. I wrote about things when I could barely guess what I had to say. I spent the better part of 5 days writing a dozen articles. The contest ends today, and if I'm lucky I might get one of several $5 consolation prizes. Boy, am I glad I went into engineering instead of writing!

From now on, I think I'll stick to the life of Riley. Jon and I plan a canoe trip on the San Marcos river tomorrow. Maybe after that I'll use the services of my good friends Sonny and Reva Harris on their travel website, http://www.sonnystravel.com/ . I think I'll be content with communicating my experiences, wisdom and whereabouts to my small group of friends and family in this space. And maybe I'll stick to pictures. How can I go wrong? In an attempt to get back on track I'm throwing in a couple of picture from the "meadow" between my condo and the Guadalupe river.

2007-11-13T19:48:00.000-05:00

Landa Park and Panther Canyon Trail

I've visited Landa Park in New Braunfels several times, but never really spent the time to get to know it. Today I spent a few hours there and found a pretty amazing place. Landa Park is a 200 acre New Braunfels city park in the middle of the city. One of the most interesting features is Comal Springs. This amazing spring today flows over 275,000,000 gallons per day of fresh, clear water. Its maximum flow was measured in 1977 at over 355,000,000 gals per day. The water flows from hundreds of outlets from the Edwards Aquifer into streams which flow into the Comal River and a small lake in Landa Park. A hydroelectric plant nearby generates power for the city. As I walked along the river I could see rainbow trout swimming several feet down in the swift current.

The park has lots of monuments and plaques with interesting historical information about the area. For instance, did you know that the 1850 census shows that New Braunfels was the 4th largest city in Texas, or that it was one of the major camps along the Camino Real and later for the railroads. I'm sure lots of clean, clear water had a lot to do with that. And then there was Sesquecentenial Oak. It was a so designated in 1986 at the celebration of the 150th anniversary of Texas Independence. It was a small sapling in about 1700, and legend has it that when bands of Indians of that time left camp they bent a sapling over to indicate to those that came later which way they had headed, thus the horizontal trunk shape.

Again, pecans everywhere. I picked up another pocketful at the park. They make great hiking snacks, but my hands are sore from cracking them against each other. Pecans were one of the staples for the early settlers as they moved into this area.

Also, I discovered that there is a nice trail, the Panther Canyon Trail which runs from the Park to New Braunfels High School. I hiked this quiet nature trail along a dry creekbed right through the heart of New Braunfels.

Pretty amazing for a city park.

2007-11-07T13:13:00.000-05:00

New Braunfels, Guadalupe River, WurstFest and It's a Boy

New Braunfels agrees with me, so far. My condo is very nice, with a great view of a meadow and pecan orchard leading down to the cypress-lined Guadalupe River. It is pecan season, so I'm getting fat picking up and eating pecans I find on my walks around the property and a couple of small city parks located nearby. Lots of hours spent watching football, basketball and movies on TV help with the fattening process. That's not such a bad thing, since a couple of months of roughing it have my old pants sagging a couple inches lower than normal. If I didn't fatten up a bit, I'd have to buy new clothes! Anyway, here is a picture of the view from my living area.

Here is a view from the kitchen which shows a bit more of the living area.
A view of the Guadalupe from the pool/hot tub area.

Finally, a better view of the Guadalupe from the water's edge on the property.
Jon has visited several evenings, so it has been a great time with him. Yesterday we went to WurstFest (Sorry, no pictures... I forgot my camera.), a popular local festival that is going on right now. We enjoyed some Kartoffel Poffers (potato pancakes) with our wurst, topped off later with fried cheesecake and brownies. Jon even sampled the German beer. We visited all three music venues, Das Kleine Zelt (Little Tent), Das Gross Zelt (Big Tent) and WurstHalle (Sausage Hall), and got to listen to all 5 German bands. Each had its own flair. Unfortunately, I didn't find a frau to dance the polka with, and Jon wasn't game, so no dancing. Jon heads off to Guatamale tomorrow for a few days.

Meanwhile, I just heard that the latest sonagram shows my first grandbaby is doing just fine in NC, and is a boy. These are good days.

2007-11-01T21:37:00.000-05:00

Sunset on The Temple Project

Well, I’m moving on. Next stop, New Braunfels. I know New Braunfels is an interesting place for a weekend in the summer, but it will be interesting to see how it fares as a wintering place for a couple of months. I’m not really sure what I’ll find to do there. Perhaps catch some of Jon’s open mic shows, catch the Big 12 soccer tournament in San Antonio and College Station, or a few basketball or football games. I do still have a few places in the Hill Country that I want to hike. However it works out, I’m sure it will be a change from Temple.

I’ve had a great time in Temple. A typical day in Temple has included 4-6 hours working on some project, followed by an outdoor shower warmed by the sun. Then, I visit one of several places for a late lunch, which usually includes some web time on WiFi. Then, I either shop Lowe’s for building materials or catch a movie matinee. Maybe fish or hike around the place, then grill a steak or chicken over a mesquite fire, while checking out the sunset. Catch the Nightly Business Report on PBS and some TV or sports on the radio, or maybe attend church. Or, maybe do some more web surfing…I can’t get it in the cabin so far, but if I go to the north side of the pond I’ve discovered I can piggyback on my neighbor’s WiFi by hanging my receiver in a tree. My War Driving WiFi setup is making it possible for me surf from an ever increasing number of places. I can even lunch at Taco Bell and log on to the Hilton network over a quarter mile away.

I’ve added a small kitchen counter with a sink I snared from a landfill. It is really nice to be able to wash dishes, shave or brush my teeth without a visit to the pond(of course, the water still comes from the pond, but now it meets the definition of running water and is a bit warmer on these cool mornings). I ‘ve added the room for a small, primitive bathroom in one corner, but I’m a few days away from finishing it. I wasn’t sure whether to add these improvements, since I’m not sure how much time I’ll spend here. But, the truth is, I enjoy the projects.

Church has been great, as well. This past Sunday, I decided to the visit the Canyon Creek Church of Christ. I’ve visited there several times over the years and have found it to be a very pleasant, sound, friendly church, though smaller than Western Hills. And, the singing is great in their packed, small building. This visit confirmed the impression. I was invited out for lunch. Then, I was invited to the preacher’s house for tortilla soup and their group meeting on Sunday night. They are watching a video called the “Truth Project” by Dr Dobson( Not James). It was very interesting and thought provoking and led to a good discussion. And, over the course of the day I got to know several of the brethren better, enjoying the fellowship and study.
I’m looking forward to something new in New Braunfels, but all-in-all, I almost hate to leave here

2007-10-23T23:44:00.000-05:00

Houston Hiking

After almost a week of full time access to internet and cable TV, not to mention hot water, a kitchenette, visiting and shopping here in Houston, I found myself anxious for some outdoor activity or hiking. The weather is beautiful here, after the first significant front of fall came through yesterday. So, I decided to spend the afternoon on a trail that runs just a mile or so from my hotel. It runs between the West Houston Airport and the Katy Freeway.

For those unfamiliar with the area, the closest things to a ridgeline or snowcovered mountain in the area are the RR right of way and the Williams Tower, but, as usual, I was amazed to find enjoyable hiking and such a diversity of flora and fauna so close to the city. First the flora…pine, live oak, cedar, grapes, berries and a host of plants I couldn’t identify. These were interesting, but not so surprising. The fauna, on the other hand, did surprise me. I, of course, did run into the usual cardinals, mockingbirds, sparrows and crows. Then it was a couple of deer. See if you can pick them out.

Then, I spotted this snake trying to warm up in the sun after the cool night and morning

A red cockaded woodpecker....

There were even airplanes passing within 100 foot of me as I passed a stone’s throw from the airport. Of course there was some noise from the planes and the occasional jogger (mostly women) or biker, but overall a very pleasant and scenic 3-4 mile hike.

Tomorrow, it is back to Temple and a bit more outdoor activity, and a bit less luxury. I expect to enjoy that lifestyle until November 1, when I’ll take up residence on the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels for a couple of months. I’m looking forward to the time on the river, but I may go mad in the same place for 2 months. Time will tell.

2007-10-07T20:54:00.000-05:00

Back on the Farm

After a couple of days on the road, I managed to get back to central Texas. I had a nice evening with Jon in San Marcos/Gruene, Texas, and then settled at my farm in Temple for a few days of projects and fishing. Then, Tommy invited me to join him and Lyn for dove hunting in south Texas, so we had a nice day trip there. I plan to spend the next few weeks catching up with friends and relatives here in Texas.

Speaking of farming, a lot has changed since I tried my hand at it. A few days ago, the fellow who works my place showed up with his tractor and plow to turn under the remains of the corn after combining. He worked about 3-4 hours and completed plowing half my 200 acres. He showed up a couple of days later and completed the job. In between, I caught the above glimpse of his tractor. If that is not intimidating enough, you should see his planter and combine. The planter takes up most of my 30’x40’ barn in its folded configuration. I can’t imagine how many bushels of corn it takes to pay for these babies. There was a time I thought I might actually take over the farming one day, but on second thought, I think I’ll just keep puttering around and collecting the checks while letting him do the work.

Besides, that gives me more time to watch football. Tight wins by both the Aggies and Texans this weekend provided plenty of excitement.

I attended church today at Western Hills Church of Christ in Temple. They were having a "We are the Sermon Day" today, with just short devotionals at the normal time in the morning and evening. In between, they worked on service projects, working on the local Ronald McDonald's house, several other local charities and homes of elderly and disabled. Looks like several hundred participated. There was quite a buzz. No wonder the congregation is growing.

2007-10-01T20:15:00.001-05:00

Back in Texas, Big Bend NP

After traveling through 18 states, I’m finally back in Texas. I came in from the west, so I decided to visit the Big Bend NP in southwest Texas, one of the most remote national parks. Despite what the calendar says, fall has not arrived in SW Texas. At low elevations temperatures were around 100 degrees. Fortunately, Big Bend features the Chisos Mountains. I camped in the Chisos Basin, a bowl at about 5400’ elevation surrounded on all sides by the Chisos Mountains. Temperatures here were very pleasant. Most of my hiking was between 6000-7200’. Below is a picture of the Chisos Mountains from about 20 miles away. The South Rim is to the left side of the mountains.

As I mentioned, Chisos Basin is surrounded by mountains. All drainage in the basin exits through the lowest point in the perimeter on the NW side, called the Window. Back in 1981 I hiked to the Window, so this time I settled for a picture from the Basin. You can see the Christmas Mountains through the window, about 30 miles away.

The mountains to the south of the Basin form a popular hiking area known as the South Rim. Here is a view looking south from the Basin.

I hiked the Laguna Meadows, SW Rim, South Rim, Boot Canyon and Pinnacle trails to see views to the SW and SE of the Chisos mountains across the Rio Grande river into Mexico, about 30 miles away. You can see the Sierra del Carmen mountains up to 50 miles SE in the first picture and the Santa Elena Canyon to the SW in the second.

I also took this picture looking back toward the Basin from the trail.

Here is a closer view of the Sierra del Carmen, from about 10 miles away. The Rio Grande cuts the Boquillas Canyon between the mountains in the part of the range in the US in the foreground and the Mexican part in the background.

Here is a picture of the Rio Grande river at Boquillas Canyon. I decided not to swim the river as I did in 1981. Yes, indeed, I am a wetback, twice (over and back). It was common in those days, but Border Patrol is everywhere and pretty stern about it these days. Since I was here in the 80s the Rio Grande has been designated a Wild and Scenic River by the US.

Of course, many Mexicans don’t have a problem with crossing. I saw two places on the trail where Mexican goods were laid on the side with a note asking you to purchase or donate (on the honor system) their products for the good of the children of Boquillas village in Mexico(must be related to Nancy Pelosi). Just before I turned the corner in the trail to find this cache, I would swear I heard voices, but no one was visible when I arrived. Pretty eerie. Being here and seeing the hundreds of miles of remote, unpopulated border reinforces my opinion that closing the border is an impossible task. Next stop, central Texas.

2007-09-26T23:23:00.001-05:00

Yosemite

Great time in Yosemite these last couple of days. I had been there once before and am getting ready to settle down for a while, so the visit was pretty quick. Even so, I saw more than I remember seeing the first time.

I started off with a short walk to a view of Bridalveil Falls.

Then, to Yosemite Falls. Again a short walk to the base of the lower falls, where I supposedly would see a dramatic falls with lots of water dropping over 2400 feet. Unfortunately, fall is not the best time to look at waterfalls. There was just a small drizzle, as explained by the sign below.

So much for waterfalls, but there was a trail to the top of the upper falls with some excellent views of Yosemite valley. It has about 2700 foot elevation gain...more than I wanted to tackle at this point. But Columbia Rock, halfway up, was rumored to have some great views as well. Sure enough, I took this photo of Half Dome and North Dome.

Next, it was up to Tunnel Vista, an overlook on the opposite side of the valley. Great views of El Capitan on the left, and Half Dome in the center. Also a better view of Bridalveil Falls.

Finally, to Mariposa Grove of giant Sequoias. I took a loop trail around the grove, where I saw many Sequoias and learned a bit about them. The largest (about 15 feet diameter) and oldest of them was Ol’ Grizzly. It is over 2000 years old. Can you imagine it was around at the time of Christ!? Sequoias can live to be about 3000 years old.

Almost as amazing, after these redwood trees fall, they are so insect and rot resistant that it can take them up to 1000 years to disintegrate. This tree fell about 300 years ago! After a couple of days camping, I was ready for a shower, a bed and some TV and computer time, so it was off toward Southern California. I made it as far as Palm Springs tonight and expect to head over to Big Bend NP over the next couple of days.

2007-09-23T23:25:00.000-05:00

Washington, Oregon, California

After leaving Montana I drove across Idaho to Washington.

I stopped at a Rest Area, and took this picture of Mount Rainier from there, about 75 miles away.

The Pacific Crest Trail near Mount Rainier was on my agenda, so I headed there next. I found the Pacific Crest Trail about 10 miles east of Rainier and hiked south for a bit near Chinook Pass. I took the following photo of Mount Rainier from a side trail from the PCT, since the PCT runs on the opposite side of the pass from Mount Rainier. The glacier on the NE side of Rainer is the largest in the lower 48.

Unfortunately, the road through Mount Rainier NP from this point was closed, so I had to backtrack to the south side of the park to set up camp in the park. I took this picture from the south side of Rainier.

The next morning, the mountain and any long vistas were covered by clouds and the forecast was for more of the same for the next two days, so I headed to my next point of interest, Mount St Helens, which was just a few miles south. Amazingly, this drive, which was less than 100 miles took most of the day, because the road was small and winding. Here is a picture of the road, which is typical of this part of Washington, Oregon and California, mainly spruce and Douglas Fir forests.

Mount St Helens was mostly covered by clouds, but I did get this partial from about 10 miles away. Amazingly, even at this distance the trees were dead from the force of the blast 27 years ago.

After a night in Cottage Cove, Oregon, I visited the Church there and set off for California. I took this picture of Mount Shasta from a rest area shortly after I entered California. Next stop, Yosemite.

2007-09-19T19:03:00.000-05:00

Glacier Many Glacier. I love Montana, but it is time to go.

I know that being an explorer sometimes requires a certain commitment to “roughing it”. So, when I left Kalispell for Glacier on Sunday afternoon, I accepted a forecast for cool, wet weather for several days along with a reservation back in Kalispell for Thursday night as a reasonable risk of incurring some discomfort and a commitment to stick it out for four days. It started with rain before I reached the park.

Someone at church had told me I should be sure and see the inside of some of the lodges while I was at the park, so I had made a note to self about visiting on a rainy day. So, after setting up the tent in the rain, I headed for the Many Glacier Hotel, just a quarter mile away. What I found was a warm, welcoming lobby with a massive fireplace, reading areas overlooking the lake and a Hootnanny in progress. There were a couple of cabaret/comedy acts along with a professional piano player and fiddler. Great show, and warm, comfortable surroundings…hey, at Glacier even explorers don’t have to put up with hardship all the time!

Monday arrived partly cloudy, so I decided to take my first hike, to Cracker Lake. The Ranger had suggested it when I couldn’t get the Highline Trail, but at the time I couldn’t remember anything about it. After looking at my guide I decided to give it a go. It is about 11 miles with 1200’ elevation.

Here is a sampling of the view along the trail. I’ve given up trying to identify all the mountains.

I did see 3 moose…a bull, cow and calf. Unfortunately, by the time I got my camera out I could catch only one.

Here is a picture of Cracker Lake, with Mount Siyeh behind. The vertical face you see is the tallest vertical cliff in the lower 48, according to Backpacker magazine, at 4200’. For reference that is about 420 stories tall. I’m not sure how much of it we missed, because the clouds were moving in, covering the top. Moments later, the rain started and the hike home was long, cold and wet.

Here is a picture back along the trail toward my campsite, through the valley and around behind the mountain to the left.

After changing to some dry clothes, I remembered mental note to myself #2… the hotel probably has a restaurant. Indeed, they do. The Rocky Mountain Trout, slightly crisped in garlic butter on a bed of rice/walnut pelaf was excellent, and again the warm fire in the lobby was quite a luxury.

Again, Tuesday broke with a mix of sun and clouds, so I decided to hike to Grinnell Glacier, a hike of a bit over 11 miles with about 1600’ elevation. Again, a couple of views from the trail, of Josephine Lake with Gem Glacier and Salamander Glacier and back along the trail of Josephine Lake, Grinnell Lake and Swiftcurrent Lake strung out from near to far. My campsite was just at the other end of the far lake, Swiftcurrent.

On this trail, I saw 3 Bighorn Sheep grazing along the mountainside. I managed to capture two in this picture. Maybe you can pick them out.

Here is a closer picture of Gem Glacier. If you look closely you can see there is a man standing near the lower left side, on the Glacier.

The destination is a group of Glaciers. Gem, the small, round Glacier at the upper left is the deepest in the park. The long, narrow, horizontal glacier is Salamander. The large Glacier touching the lake (Upper Grinnell) is Grinnell Glacier. It is the largest in the park, covering about 300 acres. (Gem and Salamander are above Grinnell, and are covered by the clouds. Just a few years ago, all three glaciers were a single, large Grinnell Glacier. The milky color of Upper Grinnell lake is due to the dust particles which the glaciers grind from the mountain. You may notice the clouds gathering as I snapped the closeup of Grinnell. Yep, just as I reached the top, the clouds moved in. But, this time, it is sleet, turning to rain as I descend. And, it was accompanied by thunder and lighting.

After changing to dry clothes, I remembered mental note to self #3. Several people, backpackers, people at the lodge, people at the KOA had mentioned that I should really eat at the Park Café, a local establishment just outside the park, and to be sure and have a piece of pie. I arrived to discover this was their last night… they were closing for the season within hours. They were out of almost everything, but the Nachos Grande were great, and I got their last piece of pecan pie. That “roughing it” stuff is overdone.

Meanwhile, back at camp in the rain, I began thinking about mental note to self #4. They probably have rooms at Glacier Hotel, seeing as this is their last week of the season….Whoa, the $130-250 per night price tag put that one to death. Besides, my trusty Kelty 20 degree bag has kept me toasty warm so far.

The precip continued all night, and indeed I was toasty. But, in the early hours of the morning I realized my tent was getting smaller. Investigation revealed that 2-3” of wet snow had collapsed it. Once I brushed the snow off, the tent immediately popped back up and I continued my sleep, occasionally waking to pop the snow off. But, when the snow continued at 10:00am, and the forecast called for more of the same, I called it quits. I packed up and headed for Kalispell a day early. Some roads were closed, but I eventually managed to make it to Kalispell and change my reservations. So, all is well. I love Montana, but,as you can plainly see below, it is time to head for Washington.

2007-09-15T23:59:00.000-05:00

Glacier Gunsight Trail

Well, another hike, another set of amazing vistas, but I wasn’t able to do the 2 night, 3 day hike on the Highline Trail because all the backcountry permits for that area were already booked. So, I fell back to my #2 choice, a similar trip on the trail to Gunsight Pass. I hiked to the Gunsight Lake Camp Area on Thursday, then hiked up to the Gunsight Pass on Friday. Finally, back to the trailhead on Going to the Sun Road today. This trail actually starts at the overlook of Jackson Glacier that I showed in a photo earlier and ends up about 4-5 miles closer. I took the following picture of the Glacier from the trail.

I actually was closer to it when I tried the Jackson Glacier trail from camp, but did not complete this trail to get a better view because it was very steep, overgrown and full of signs of bear activity. I did take this view from near my campsite. It shows Jackson Mountain on the left (the Glacier is on the other side of the mountain and not visible from here) and Gunsight Pass in the low saddle in the center. Gunsight Mountain is on the right.

The hike up to the pass was about 6 miles roundtrip, ascending about 1700 feet. By camping at Gunsight Lake both nights I avoided carrying the full pack up to the pass. As usual, the views were great from the pass. Here is the view looking west, of Ellen Wilson lake and various mountains in the background. On the last night I had several backpackers come over the pass and camp at Gunsight lake because a bear had been harassing them at Ellen Wilson, sniffing around the tents 2 nights in a row. On my hike back today I met a ranger who was putting up a sign closing that area. Again, I didn’t see a bear, but the other couple in the area told me an hour or so after I went to bed a black bear walked through our camp area.

Looking back to the east from the pass, you had a great view of Going to the Sun Mountain in the center and Fussilade Mountain in the foreground on the left. Matahpi Peak is the sharp triangle between the two.

On the trail coming back from the pass, I took this picture of the trail and Gunsight Lake below. My campsite was near the far end of the lake.

I saw some raptors, one of which I think might be a bald eagle, but it was too far away to get a good look or photo. I saw some more mountain goats and of course the usual collection of squirrels, marmots and birds. But, probably the most interesting wildlife were a herd of half dozen or so mule deer who grazed up to camp each night as we were having our evening meal. They were quite tame, venturing to within 10-20 feet of us. Here are a couple of them.

Also along the trail I took this photo of a sharp ridge that I believe is part of Dusty Star or Almost a Dog Mountain and this photo of Deadwood Falls.

Again, a spectacular sight around every corner, but I’m cutting back on the photos because they are so time consuming to load.

Tonight I’m enjoying a night with a real bed and shower, not to mention TV and WiFi, and plan to head back out to the park tomorrow. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate. So far, the weather has been great with hardly a cloud in the sky most of the time, but a front is supposed to come through on Monday and cool things down, as well as increase the chance of rain/snow for a couple of days. Depending on how things look I’ll check into the Highline Trail again and/or go back to Many Glacier for day hikes to Ptarmigan Tunnel or Grinnell Glacier.

2007-09-12T18:04:00.001-05:00

Glacier Two Medicine and Many Glacier

After a nice night at Kalispell, Mt and a nice stop for worship at the Kalispell Church of Christ, I decided to try Two Medicine, a less visited area in the South of Glacier NP. It turned out to be just as spectacular as Going to the Sun Road.

My first inclination was to take a section of the Continental Divide trail northwest to Pitamakan pass, but this trail was closed due to excessive bear activity. Bears are the big story here, especially now. They are in the extreme eating period right now in preparation for winter hibernation. Also, populations are increasing. Together this is forcing them out into the open more than normal. The papers every day are full of stories of grizzlies being killed by hunters or hit by cars in areas where they are not supposed to exist. Meanwhile, I’ve yet to see one.

I decided to take a similar, nearly parallel trail, the trail to Dawson Pass. I did it out and back on the same day, and it ended up being my most strenuous day yet, about 14 miles and 2500’ climb. I won’t do that again unless I get in better shape…I was toast by the time I got back to camp.

Even so, the trip was well worth the sore muscles. Here are a couple of pictures of Sinopah mountain and the Pumpelly Pillar from the trail at the lower elevations.

This is looking back toward Rising Wolf mountain on the left and Sinopah Mountain and Pumpelly Pillar on the right framing Two Medicine lake. My campsite is on the other side of Rising Wolf.

Another view of Pumpelly Pillar. This is a narrow ridge cut by glaciers on either side.

Here is the view from Dawson’s Pass. First, looking south toward Caper Peak, Battlement Mountain and Mount St Nicholas. Then looking north toward Norris Mountain, Triple Divide Peak and Medicine Grizzly Peak. Finally, looking straight ahead to the west, Nyack Lakes and Phillips Mountain and Surprise Pass.

Day two at Two Medicine I hiked a short trail to Running Eagle Falls, also called Trick Falls, because of the way it just appears out of the side of the mountain. The stream runs into a cave above and comes out here.

I also hiked a short distance southwest on the Continental Divide trail toward Scenic point. I did not make the full 2250’ climb due to tiredness from the day before, but I took this picture back toward the campsite with Rising Wolf Mountain in the center and Dawson Pass to the left.

After 2 days at Two Medicine, I decided to move to Many Glacier, another famous area on the east side of Glacier NP. I hiked to Red Rock Falls, and took this picture of the falls and of the view back toward Many Glacier from near the falls. Also, I took this picture of the Many Glacier Hotel across Swiftcurrent Lake.

I had plans for another strenuous hike to Ptarmigan Tunnel or Grinnell Glacier today, but a front came through last night and it is cold, cloudy and rainy today, so I decided to get a cabin at the St Mary/East Glacier KOA tonight and file this report. Assuming it clears up, tomorrow I hope to hike the Highline trail by the Garden Wall to Granite Park and spend a couple of days exploring that area.

2007-09-08T16:45:00.001-05:00

Glacier National Park, Road to the Sun

After five and half days of driving, I was beginning to wonder if Glacier would be worth it. After the first day here, I knew it was. The park is really spectacular. It is also clear I made the right decision to get here as quickly as I could, since the Going to the Sun Road, the main road across the park, will close for the winter on September 16. Most of the campgrounds close by September 15, although some at the lower elevations around the perimeter are open all winter. For more visual evidence that I got here just in time, take a look at the picture below. This is a picture of Red Eagle Mountain, taken from my campsite this morning. When I arrived, there was no snow on the mountain. This blanket of snow arrived on Friday afternoon and evening.

The park is formally called the Waterton Glacier International Peace Park. Waterton park was established by Canada in the 1890s and Glacier was established by the USA in 1910. They were combined in 1932 and renamed to reflect our friendly and peaceful relationship. Unfortunately, today, I can’t visit the Canadian part of the park without a passport.

Going to the Sun Road must be the most scenic road in the country. I decided to focus these first few days on this road and short (up to 5 miles) trails from it. Below is Going to the Sun Mountain, one of the highlights of the road, of course.

Glacier Park, as you might guess, was formed by glaciers. These are retreating, but many still exist. Below is Jackson Glacier.

I hiked Hidden Lake trail and took these pictures of mountain goats and Hidden Lakes/Sperry Glacier from Hidden Lake Pass.

Then I spotted these Bighorn sheep near Logan’s Pass.

On day 2, I hiked a short section of the famous Highline Trail, shown below. I hope to take a longer hike on this trail later.

I also hiked the Avalanche trail. Below is a picture of Avalanche Lake where Avalanche Falls drops into the lake, and Avalanche Gorge, a narrow gorge cut by exit of the water from Avalanche Lake.

Finally on day 2, are pictures of McDonald Falls and McDonald Lodge. Glacier is unique in that there are many lodges build in Alpine style in the 1920s. I happened to catch McDonald Lodge with three 1937 Cords parked in back, along with typical classic tour coaches (Red on Left) still used in the park. This is all in the back, since there were no roads when the lodge was built. The front faces lake McDonald, where guests arrived by steam boat on Lake McDonald, after a train and stage coach ride to the other end of the lake.

On day 3, today, I took the picture (top) of Red Eagle mountain from my campsite, and the below picture of Red Eagle from Sun Point over lake St Mary.

Then I hiked to St Mary Falls and took this picture below before stopping again at Lake McDonald to take the picture of mountains and clouds over the lake.

Then, I beat it to Whitefish to try to catch the A&M/Fresno State game. Unfortunately, all the hotels in Whitefish were booked, so I talked the sweet young thing at the desk into letting me use the TV in the Lobby, since the game was already underway. The local papers showed the game would be on, but it was preempted by a Boise State game!

Never to be denied, I booted up WiFi from the parking lot and am listening to the game on the internet at Aggie Athletics while posting this report. I’ll find a hotel later and plan to head back to the park tomorrow after church.

2007-09-04T21:48:00.001-05:00

I don’t know if my idea to drive as quickly as possible to Glacier NP is such a good idea. It is taking a toll on me. I’ll be glad to get to Glacier and settle down a bit.

Since last time, I went to the South Side Church of Christ in Lexington, on the campus of the University of Kentucky. It was a very nice visit. Good singing, good lesson and very friendly. I’d recommend it if you are in the area.

Then, it was back on the road. I traveled across parts of Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and into the south part of Wisconsin, where I spent the night in my car in a rest area. It was actually quite nice. I folded down the back seat and repacked things to create a 6’ by 2’ sleeping area running from the back of the front seat to the back of the trunk. With my mattress, pillow and sleeping bag and a 24 bathroom I was very comfortable. I considered doing the same thing last night, but South Dakota has a limit of 3 hours in the rest areas.

Yesterday, I drove across Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota before stopping near Badlands NP and Mount Rushmore.

Today, I spent a few hours in each park and then drove to Buffalo, Wyoming, where I am staying at a KOA(most of them have Wi Fi). The weather has been great. I've had warm weather and clear skies ever since I left North Carolina, but a front is supposed to come through later this week, cooling things down 20 degrees or so. I think it may have come in during the night. It was calm when I went to bed, but within a few hours the winds were whipping up about 30-40 mph and it is cooler this morning, but still nice.

Here are a few pictures of Badlands NP, including a bighorn sheep I spotted on a knoll, and a view from the trail at the top of the "Wall". And, a prairie dog. Apparently, the lowly prairie dog is the basis for most wildlife up here. They are a main food source for the black foot ferret, the prairie fox and grizzly bear and the mountain lion. The black foot ferret almost went extinct, and the prairie grizzly bear is extinct.

Then to Mount Rushmore National Monument. It was a good visit. Both the view and the story were very inspiring. It was built over a 14 year period from 1927 to 1941, driven by a sculptor who previously worked on Stone Mountain, Georgia. He dedicated the last 14 years of his life to the effort, and died just before it was completed. It is quite a tribute to the great leaders of America and its ideals, and was an amazing feat by the sculptor and his workers. The pictures may be dramatic, but they can’t do justice to the site.

Tomorrow, I should be in, or near, Glacier. Once I get settled in and have a look about I’ll let you know if it lives up to the hype.

2007-09-01T22:13:00.000-05:00

The Appalacian Trail, the adventures begin anew.

I'm off to the 2007 version of the great adventure. My intent was to head post haste for Glacier National Park. But, since I had to drive right past The Great Smokey Mountain NP, I decided to spend one day visiting a couple of sections of the Appalacian Trail that I wasn't able to see back in January due to the weather. So, I drove to New Found Gap near the center of the park and hiked from there up to Charlie's Bunion, a well known landmark on the AT. Below are a few views from that trail.

Here I am on Charlie's Bunion, looming over a couple who apparently had just become engaged.

Then, I visited Clingman's dome, the highest point on the AT and the highest peak in the Smokeys.
While I was there I took the opportunity to hike a short distance on this section of the AT. This also was the starting point of the new Mountains to Sea Trail, which runs from the Smokeys to the NC coast.

After the hikes, I headed north and ended up tonight in Lexington, Kentucky in time to catch the Aggies win over Montana State on Wi Fi. Not bad for 36 hours on the road.

2007-08-26T21:03:00.000-05:00

Table Rock State Park and the Foothills Trail, South Carolina

A few weeks ago, Jeremy and Amanda asked if I would be interested in going on a backpacking trip with them and Ryan and Nicole. I jumped at the chance, of course, and have been waiting anxiously ever since. Finally the time arrived last Thursday.

For those who don’t know, Jeremy and Amanda are experienced backpackers and good friends, so I really looked forward to both the education and the companionship, a rare opportunity for me. And, of course, they planned and organized a great trip to Table Rock State Park and the Foothills trail in South Carolina, on the southern edge of the Blue Ridge.

We started near the lake in Table Rock State Park and headed up the trail lined with waterfalls dropping to the lake.

After a strenuous hike that gained about 1200 feet elevation, we arrived at Bald Overlook. You can just see the lake at the starting point in the first picture below. There are some great views from several directions, so I tried to capture several. I can’t do it justice of course.

From there it was another 400 feet up to the base of Mount Pinnacle before declining to the Rocky Point overlook and then our campsite at about 3000 feet. After a great evening around the campfire at a great campsite, here is the crew packed up and ready to head back down the next morning.

Sometimes the trip back can be a bit anti-climatic on an out-and-back trail. That was not to be on this one, because Jeremy led us in nearly continuous songs of praise to the Lord during our 4 hour descent. It is amazing how inspiring this can be, even when some of us were only able to get out half the words between gasps for air. And, of course, this trip was really about the people. Jeremy and Amanda, below, and Ryan, myself and Nicole. Oops, I can't forget beagles Chaucier and Winston with Ryan at the top of old Baldy.

And, what a great tuneup for the 2007 version of Max’s Retirement Adventures tour of the great American Northwest. I’ll be leaving later this week for South Dakota, Montana, Washington and Oregon. Eventually I plan to circle back to Texas by some time in October. Some of my favorite times last fall were in places recommended by friends, so if you have special experiences in that area, I’d like to hear about them.

2007-07-30T09:55:00.000-05:00

Carolina History Tour- 2007

A couple of weeks ago, I visited the Moore's Creek Battleground with Nicole and some friends. I had not heard of it before, but it turns out to be the site of the patriots first victory over the British in the US War of Independence. The site is a swampy area with a small bridge over Moore's Creek. A Scottish contingent of about 1500 loyalists was moving toward a rendevouz with the British Fleet at nearby Wilmington. They met with a much smaller group of patriots near the bridge and offered their terms... surrender or surely be killed!

But, those patriots were a sly bunch. They had built earth fortifications just south of the creek, but set up a small, vulnerable looking camp just north of the creek for the meeting. The loyalists could see they were a small bunch trapped with their backs to the creek, but generously offered their surrender terms. When the patriots rejected the offer, the loyalists prepared to attack the next day.

When they arrived at dawn the next morning, they found the camp abandoned. Assuming the patriots had fled, they crossed the bridge to the south side of the creek. There the patriots attacked from their fortified positions, pushing the loyalist back to the creek, where they had strategically weakened the bridge to prevent a retreat. The loyalists were routed and the British were denied their reinforcements at Wilmington. Eventually the fleet sailed further south to Charleston. That reminded me of my desire to visit Charleston, where I lived for a few years in the '70s. So, this weekend, it was off to visit Charleston to renew some memories and review some more history.

Ryan, Nicole and I drove down and visited Fort Moultrie, which prevented the fleet from entering Charleston Harbor and taking the city, setting off several years of struggle for the city. Below, you see Ryan and Nicole manning Moultrie, with Fort Sumter across Charleston Harbor in the background. As you probably remember, Fort Sumter was where the first shots of the Civil War were fired almost 100 years later.

Below, Ryan and Nicole at the Battery, from which many residents of Charleston watched the battle and check out the cannons also located there.

Many of these houses and their residents along the battery also witnessed the battle.

And, now to more recent history. There I am in front of the Plant office and Entry gates I helped build as part of the Cooper River Plant in the '70s.

And the beach house we enjoyed in winter '78-79.

Ryan and Nicole with the "Sword Gate" relocated from another historic mansion in Charleston.

And, of course, some of the gardens which are famous in Charleston, ranging from small gardens at a church in the city to Middleton Gardens in the Plantation District and the Magnolia Cemetery.

Stay vigilant, my friends. I hope to start travelling more over the next few months, beginning with a backpacking trip in the Carolinas with Ryan, Nicole, Jeremy and Amanda, and eventually visiting Glacier NP along with Montana, Washington and Oregon, and then ending up back in Texas in the fall.

2007-06-16T11:13:00.000-05:00

Back In Texas

I was back in Texas for the first 2 weeks of June for Lettie's wedding and, it turns out, my aunt's funeral. So, as often happens, this became a time for visiting old friends and family while driving around the countryside. I took my camera, but unfortunately, pretty much forgot to pull it out. So, no pictures of family and friends. Not even any pictures of Mark's new house, which was sitting a few feet above the foundation, ready to be put in place.

I did manage one day at the farm, doing a little work and a little fishing. The fish were biting so fast I could hardly get my hook in the water. Unfortunately, the little ones grabbed it before it could settle among the bigger ones that I assume were there. Everything I caught was 8" long or less.

As you can see, the pond was full to the brim and the corn was looking good. There apparently has been a lot of rain this year. Looks like I may be able to take advantage of the high corn prices resulting from the ethanol fiasco. Meanwhile, I picked a couple of ears of corn, which were just ready for eating. I roasted them in the fire with my steak. That was enough to get me thinking I need to spend more time here.

Now, I'm back in North Carolina and things are pretty darn good here too. In the few days I've been back I've spent some great time with friends and family here, eating, having fun in the garden, watching the Spurs win the NBA Champioship and playing racketball with Jeremy. Life is good.

2007-05-29T10:32:00.000-05:00

A walk in Greenfield Lake Park, Wilmington, NC

I made another visit to Greenfield Park, a hike of about 4 miles. I'd seen the signs indicating there were alligators in the lake, but had yet to see any. This trip I finally spotted this one.

I crept up close to take the picture with him looking right at me until he started to move. Then, just as I turned my back and started to walk away, there was a dramatic thrashing noise from his location. I expedited my retreat, and Nicole tells me I had a funny look on my face. Turns out he was retreating as well, to deeper water. Eaten by a bear or an alligator, which would be worse!? The resident experts here tell me alligators don't eat you initially, they just grab you and drown you. That's comforting to know!

There, of course, are ducks in the water also, and they scattered when the alligator headed their direction. We had a bit of fun speculating whether they had a small hatch, or whether some of the chicks had become alligator bait.

Tomorrow it is off to Texas.

2007-05-13T16:43:00.000-05:00

Back Yard Garden

Finally, I believe we are beyond all danger of frost and the garden is taking off. I thought this was the case over a month ago, but we had a hard freeze in mid April. Lots of things were nipped back and the rest went into hibernation for a week or two. I replanted some things, like cucumbers and some corn.

Anyway, lots of interesting things happening in the garden. The radishes are finished now, but at one point we had so many I had to check the internet to find a recipe for baked radishes. We've been eating all manner of greens for a couple of months now. Within the past week or two, we've been swamped by sugar snap peas and squash. Produce from the corn and okra is a few weeks away, but they are really beginning to grow now. Here are a few pictures, just to prove I'm not picking this stuff up from a roadside stand.

I did spot this bright green lizard in the peas and spinach. He appeared to be eating something from the vines, so I suppose he's helping me fight off any insects.

I'm splitting my time between Ryan and Nicole's back yard and my own, where I'm working on a solar A/C prototype. I hope to write about it in the energy blog soon. And, I'll be back in Texas for a couple of weeks in early June, when I hope to see some old friends.

2007-05-03T11:04:00.000-05:00

Uwharrie National Recreation Trail

I've been a bit frustrated by the distance from Wilmington to some of the better known hiking and backpacking locations, as well as the minimal opportunities nearby. So, I decided to try looking at a middle distance and found the Uwharrie National Forest. It was touted as clearly the best hiking destination in the Piedmont, the central section of NC.

The Uwharrie trail is in the Uwharrie National Forest, which is named after the Uwharrie mountains and the Uwharrie river, named by a local indian tribe, but no one knows what the word means. They say this mountain chain once made the Appalacians seem puny, with peaks around 20,000 feet, but they are so old they've eroded down to less than 1,000 feet now. Even so, they offered the chance to get away from the NC lowlands and do some real backpacking. Even better, no worries of running into a hungry bear.

The route I took covered the southern half of the Uwharrie trail and looped back in a figure eight on the Dutchman's Creek trail, all told, twenty-some-odd miles of relatively challenging backpacking. I say 20-some-odd, because various sources I read listed the trip between 22-28 miles, and I'm not sure which is right. One thing is for sure, I've gotten plenty soft sitting around Wilmington. Although there are no dramatic climbs, the routes include numerous peaks and valleys with elevation differences of 300-400 feet. Between the terrain, my conditioning and some mixups in my water supply I was pretty beat by the time I got back to my car.

Due to the heavy forest and relatively low elevation, there were no dramatic picture-taking opportunities of grand vistas, but I did take a few photos. Although I did see a few deer, squirrels, snakes and birds, I thought the lizard and butterfly shown below were most representative of the wildlife I saw.

There were lots of trails, creeks and flowers, but they all seem to look alike. One of the highlights of the trip was the mountain laurel, which was in full bloom and fragrant. So, here are a couple of representative pictures.

So there you have it, my first backpacking trip into the Piedmont. Not so dramatic, but challenging enough and enjoyable. I've heard about a few other trails, so hopefully I''l have the opportunity to try a few others in my time here.

2007-03-31T15:10:00.001-05:00

Spring has definitely arrived here in Wilmington. The weather has been beautiful and color is bursting out all over. The pears, cherries, dogwoods are blooming around the neighborhood. The Carolina jasmine is out and the azaleas are near their peak. So, I believe it is time for a spring tour. I visit the University of North Carolina Wilmington fairly regularly, since I know a few people there and play racketball with Jeremy and Doc on campus. We also use the intramural fields occasionally for Frisbee, etc. I took the pictures below near the campus entrance and near Trask coliseum, where we play racketball.

I also visited nearby Hugh MacRae park, which is in full bloom. See pictures below.

Finally, I hiked in Halyburton park (No relation that I can see to the Halliburton that is well known in the oil business). This is a relatively new park created to preserve a natural area in the Wilmington city limits. They claim to have deer, red fox, possum, raccoon and alligator, as well as several varieties of owls, hawks, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, jays and buntings, although I saw only a few doves and mockingbirds. I realize more and more how little of God’s creatures you see, unless you spend a quiet night with them. I did see a lot of local vegetation such as various types of oaks, pines, cypress, cherries, bay, etc. I also did see a coatimundi, a south American raccoon. The girl in the picture was walking him on a leash, but he kept getting spooked by all the people, so he climbed any tree he could reach.

There you have it, the Wilmington Spring tour.

2007-03-22T22:17:00.000-05:00

Mattox II, Greenfield III

After my previous trip to Joe and Kathy's, I checked out the area on Google Earth. Turns out I was working my way lengthwise along a low swampy area, which I thought explained why I didn't seem to be able to get through it. So, I visited again with the intention of working more to the west and intersecting with a logging road I saw on the aerial. Unfortunately, I still was never able to get through the swamp in that direction. I ended up working my way back east along the creek and running into a logging road in that direct. Below are a couple of pictures.

Then, today, I decided to make another visit to Greenfield park. With the arrival of spring it is becoming more and more beautiful. The azaleas are still not in full bloom, which is good, since the Azalea festival is still 2 weeks away. Here are a few pictures.

2007-03-15T12:28:00.000-05:00

I’m still here in Wilmington, living the life of Riley. Today, it is watching the March Madness games I like, streaming live on the internet.

Yesterday, it was hiking on Pleasure Island. I hiked along the southern edge of the Carolina Beach State Park, then south along the Cape Fear River. Then around a nice, protected bay and further south, again along the Cape Fear River. All this, followed by singing praises and devotion to God with Ryan and Nicole’s small group meeting, typical for Wednesday nights.

Tuesday, it was tending the garden in Ryan and Nicole’s backyard. We’ve got spinach, lettuce, mustard and sugar snap peas up and growing. The carrots and cucumbers I planted this week, so I’m waiting to see them emerge. I’ve bought the seeds for sweet corn, okra, squash and melons, so I’m ready for next month. Of course, all this had to fit around my trading to take advantage of volatility in the market and completing my March Madness bracket, followed by a quiet dinner at Macaroni Grill with Nicole.

Over the past few weekends, it was helping with Ryan’s “shed raising project” with several friends. It is great working together with Christian friends, and I think the shed/workshop/doghouse is looking great.

2007-03-08T17:47:00.000-05:00

The Bridge to Terabithia-Greenfield Lake revisited

This hike was inspired by an article in today's Wilmington Star News (a subsidiary of the New York Times, more colorfully known by some local conservatives as the "Red Star"). The author refers to the above bridge as "The Bridge to Terabithia", because it leads to an enchanted trail which few visit in Greenfield Lake Park.

You may remember I wrote previously about visiting this park, which is a heavily used inner city park in Wilmington. At that time, I stuck to the apparently open, well travelled part of the park. After a couple of days barely leaving the house, I had it in my mind to do some hiking today and when I saw the article I decided it was time for another visit.

It turned out to be a good time for a visit, since the park is obviously signalling the arrival of spring with azaleas, daffodils and other plants beginning to blossom. While the annual azalea festival is a few weeks away, and it still seems cold to me, spring is near!

I also snapped this picture of 4 wood storks, which a kindly gentleman with a huge telephoto lens later informed me are an endangered species that rarely visits this far north.

And finally, I found the gate to Terabithia. Obviously, it is closed, I'm told because of a problem with squatters and drug dealers and inadequate funds for security. However, as the author pointed out, there is a well worn trail around the gate, leading to the rather tenuous bridge pictured at the top. The relatively short detour from the well used Loop trail is now poorly maintained, but it's disuse by humans contributes to its use by shy forest creatures. I scared up a few woodpeckers as well as a screech owl as I entered the cypress swamp shown above.

Oh, and I found out the name of the mysterious birds I showed in my post about hiking the neighborhood. They are cedar waxwings. They travel in flocks hereabouts, and I found out about them from another article in the Red Star a few days ago.

2007-03-01T21:19:00.000-05:00

Carolina Beach State Park

As you can probably tell from my sparse retirement blog postings, I’ve been struggling to find good hikes here in Wilmington. (Laziness and a few projects and other distractions, I’m sure, had nothing to do with it.) But, Ryan came to the rescue and shared one of his favorite hiking spots on Pleasure Island near Carolina Beach.

It is a pretty large area, so I started by hiking a couple of trails in the Carolina Beach State Park. Interestingly, there are a lot of similarities with the Big Thicket. The first trail I visited, the Venus Fly Catcher trail, is home to all 5 known carnivorous plants because of the poor soil and swamp. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any, probably due to the recent cold weather here. I also hiked the Sugarloaf trail (minus the sugarloaf section, which was closed.). I did take the above pictures of the Cape Fear river and Snow Cut. This was an area of great strategic value in the Civil war, providing transportation for the needed trade. I visited nearby Fort Fisher with Nicole when I was here last year, and learned a bit about it. The civil war chess game over the area is pretty amazing.

I also took this picture of Lily Lake on the Sugarloaf trail. A bit ordinary now, but I'll make a mental note to return in spring, when the lilies may be blooming. And, there were some small cypress swamps, although none as impressive as those behind Joe and Kathy's house. I'm constantly amazed at the number and diversity of cypress swamps. I thought they were fairly rare when I started my travels.

Then, just as was nearing the end of the trail I saw a pair of red pileated woodpeckers working in the woods. While you know my history of taking pictures of birds, I did have my camera on the highest resolution and got a reasonable picture of one of them.

I plan to visit again soon and check out some of the other areas.

An interesting aside... my Word spellcheck doesn't recognize the word blog!! Wow, are they way out of date!