Today's Hike and a Sweet Cache

We went to Pedernales Falls today and hiked one of the trails out there. I don't know the name of the trail, but it may be called Trammel's Crossing. The beginning of the trail had us walking down into a valley for a good ways. This was the ascent we would have to look forward to at the end of a six mile hike. I was told it was a five mile hike, but my pedometer read over six. Once down to the river bottom, we crossed Trammel's Crossing which can be hazardous, especially if the water is rushing. Today there was no rushing water, just a bunch of wobbly rocks to navigate over. It was fun!

On the other side of the crossing was a good ascent that lasted for a while before leveling out and becomming flat. We walked for several miles on top. There were maybe two more good climbs before the final descent and then final climb out of the river bottom on the way back to the trail head. This is where I fell to one knee after slipping on shale like rock going down a steep incline. That little mishap cost me a gouged knee that bled pretty good for a while. I didn't feel any pain, only blood trickling down my leg into my sock as I walked on. Another memento I bring home. *GRIN*

Our resting place in an old settlers' grave yard proved to be most enjoyable. It was in forest cover and the breeze coming off the tops of the hills over our supine bodies felt amazing. We all lay in silence for the longest time while taking in the sounds of a symphony of insects. It was a most enjoyable experience.
The cache at this place was also a great one. I took pictures of it and left a lock of my hair there locked up in a diary. The diary was so cool! I was flipping through it and came across a small dreadlock that belonged to none other than Mykel. She left it there in 2004. It was funny finding it, and Mykel knew it was there but never said a word. To think I almost didn't look inside the diary for fear it would be blank. I'm so glad I was compelled to look.

I felt renewed on this trek. Even while out in the sun it was great. I generally hate hiking in the sun on a hot day, but the humidity was lower and there was a slight breeze which made it feel just right. Our next adventure takes us to the Barton Creek Greenbelt on a 7 mile straight through trek. I can't wait!
Trammel's crossing. We had to go over the rocks to the right of the picture. We even had a little helping hand from some of the waders who were already in the water. How nice of them!
Looking up river or down? Not sure.
Out in the sun.
A settler's grave
Resting spot. Mykel hunts for snacks.
Special Effects!
Back of Monarch travel bug. This thing was so cool and it was heavy too.
Front of travel monarch
Some of the cache contents. I took the little blue car button.
The diary.

My latest obsession

So I think I've about lost my mind...sorta. I decided a few days ago that I am going to convert my garage into a music/recreational room complete with drums, guitars, games, and maybe even a ping pong table...if I can sqeeze it in. Of course this means I'll have to sound proof so my neighbors don't hassle me, and I'm sure my husband will be happy for the sound proofing too. In addition to keeping everyone happy by not disturbing their peaceful existence, I have acoustics to think about. All that sound has to go somewhere right? But for now, I think insulating has to be my priority. I can work on acoustics later.

Incidentally, I figured it would be a while before I could get a decent drum set because they are so costly. I spent time looking around on the internet and yeah...just don't have the funds for that right now. Just when I was starting to feel defeat, I had a bright idea. I have a friend named Jamie who has a kick ass drum set (with double base drums)! She has been keeping them set up in a storage unit and when she feels like playing she just goes and opens up her unit and plays. I remembered her mentioning that she can't afford her rent, so I'll make a little proposal...

Yes! Jamie is going to keep her drums here! Now I really need to buckle down and figure this sound proofing thing out and quick. I did some internet research and so far it's looking complicated and costly. But surely there are plenty of ways to sound proof a room...I'm thinking heavy blankets, foam pads, carpet, etc...

I called the police department to ask about the laws and if it's even legal to play drums in my garage in a residential area. It turns out the officer who answered my call has been a musician for about 30 years and he gave me advice on the subject. He said to turn myself in now...because I'm obviously insane. Yeah whatever...I knew this already. It's nothing new. The nice policeman said basically no matter what time of day it is, if my neighbors call and complain, I have to stop the noise..er I mean music. Bummer.

So, I'm off to do some research. Wish me luck in my newest endeavor, I'll need it!

5 more gone

pounds that is.

Good little greenbelt hike and Adonis!

Went on a short hike yesterday along the Barton Creek Greenbelt with a friend named Nikki. We hiked close to 4 miles and it felt great, which was a good little precursor to the hike I'm going on today.

I also managed a good swim at the gym. Nikki came with me and she and I marveled at all the hot guys out at poolside. But alas she and I are heartbroken today after seeing this one guy yesterday who we thought was absolutely the most gorgeous guy we've ever seen in our lives. He was an Adonis and in one sweeping moment he took our breaths away and stole both our hearts instantly, and then in that same instant crushed them both to dust because we knew we would never lays eyes on such perfection again. Dramatic I know, but it's the truth.

So Nikki now wants a gym membership to lifetime fitness and she and I think we need to become regulars in some hope that we will be fortunate enough to lay eyes once again on the perfect man and who knows Nikki might even strike up the nerve to say hi. Me? I just want to gawk. :)

*note to self...bring camera to gym*

Learning guitar

Actually I'm re-learning. I dabbled in guitar many years ago and loved playing but at some point my interests changed and I moved on to other things. I can't believe I have forgotten just about everything I used to know and how I'm having to re-learn it all. I guess that's not such a bad thing in reality. It's challenging me and I love to be challenged.

I haven't been getting professional lessons, but several of my friends play and they are teaching me things here and there. I am thinking about hiring a professional teacher though and really learn it all. Then one day I'll surprise all my friends with an amazing solo. I hear one has to practice about 10,000 hours to be an expert at something. I don't think I'll have that kind of time, but we'll see. ;)

Southeast Metropolitan Park

Great little hike today(Sunday). In attendance were Thomas, Mykel, myself, and Elliott.

I don't think we got very many miles out of this one because it felt over so quick, but what it lacked in mileage it more than made up for in a beautiful trail with nice little ups and downs the whole way...oh and it has lots of shade! We did take the group camp site side trail and it was a nice little extra that made for a good uphill pull when coming back out of it.

There were some great views of downtown Austin in a couple of places and plenty of peaceful places to chill out and relax. This is a trail I'll be frequenting on my own from now on. There don't seem to be many people using it, which is surprising considering how well marked and maintained it is. SE Metro Park gets two thumbs up from me.

Dana Peak

Last Sunday I went hiking with my usual partners, but also brought along my friend Elliott (first pic below). I hope Elliott will accompany us again as he proved to be a worthy hiking partner.

It was one of the more taxing hikes due to the heat and there being almost zero shade. I am guessing we hiked between 5 and 6 miles, considering the trail map was almost worthless and we did get off track somewhat. In any case, it felt like we hiked 10 miles that day because of the heat. Amazing how 96 degrees can feel more like 110! Summer is definitely not my favorite time of year to be out hiking. I can't wait for the fall!
Thomas and Mykel resting on summit.
Beautiful view from my perch at the top. The breeze coming off of the lake was most welcomed by us all.

10 pounds lighter since my last weight news

This makes my weight loss total so far a little over 60lbs. I still have another 60-70lbs to lose, but I'm not worried about it. The weight has come off so easily I'm amazed. At this point it's all a matter of time and patience to finally be thin again.

I am getting closer and closer to my goal of treating myself to a wild cave tour. I could probably squeeze through the cave I have in mind now, but that would be cheating. I have to meet my goal first.

An amazing story

Where do I begin? There is some back story before I can tell the real story so I guess I'll start with that.

My daughter Caitlin moved in with her dad a year ago because he promised her a horse if she did. Caitlin moved and all was well. But things started to go down hill for Caitlin while living with her dad and she started making it known that she wanted to come back home with me. She wanted to bring her horse with her but her dad said no way, that she could only have the horse if she lived with him or if she paid him 900.00. Never mind the fact that the horse has been a wonderful thing for Caitlin and she could actually start entering barrell races with this horse and maybe even win a few.

I'm a reasonable person and I'm trying to understand her dad wanting some kind of compensation. The horse was a gift or bribe if you will. But none the less, it would be a great lesson for Caitlin to earn her own money and buy the horse. However, I feel like her dad put un-necessary pressure on her to earn the money by the end of the summer. If she doesn't, he will be selling the horse and buying a different one for his current wife. But this story isn't about a girl's Indian giving bribing father, it's about a dog.

Caitlin has a little dog named Sugar. They both love each other! But sadly, Caitlin was feeling pressured to get her horse here, so she decided to sell the dog to a close friend of mine. Caitlin reasoned that she would still get to see the dog often and that it wouldn't be so bad. Well the transaction took place and Caitlin felt pretty sad without her little dog. I knew Caitlin loved this little dog and was already missing it, probably more than Caitlin herself realized.

Well the first day my friend had the dog, the dog ran away! My friend Jen was visiting a friend of hers in an apartment complex that is close to IBM. She let Sugar down for a potty break and Sugar decided to make a run for it. Sugar has never done anything like this before so we figured she was trying to get back to Caitlin.

Imagine how awful Jen felt having to tell me what happened. She knew Caitlin would get very upset and was right of course. Jen and our friend Riley spent hours looking for the dog and chasing after, etc... to realize that it was hopeless. Once I learned what had happened I also spent some time looking for Sugar. We all felt we would never see her again and were so sad. Caitlin and I cried and cried. Caitlin cried for her dog, I cried for Caitlin . She was so miserable and worried. It pained me.

Well here is the amazing part. We found Sugar! We were in the process of putting up flyers when I decided to talk to an apt. manager about posting flyers in her complex. She said it wouldn't be necessary because they had our dog! Sugar decided to go up to a man who had a little dog and generally wouldn't leave them alone. Even when he went inside with his dog, Sugar camped out by his door. The man finally picked her up and brought her to the office and asked what to do with this little dog. Another man over heard and said he would take the dog and hold on to it for a few days to see if an owner showed up.

The apt. complex where Sugar was being held, is actually where a really good friend of mine lives. So it's all quite amazing. I strongly felt we would never find Sugar and am astounded we did. Austin is a huge city and the dog could have wandered off miles from where she was last seen. Thank goodness she didn't. You never saw such a happy reunion!
It was totally obvious by Sugar's body language and facial expression that she was so relived to be back with her true master. This little dog licked Caitlin's face and pawed at it as if she couldn't believe it herself that she was back home.

In weight loss news...

I've mentioned before that I'm losing weight but wasn't sure I was going to make it very public in case I failed and didn't lose what I intended. Well I met my first goal. I've lost 50 pounds since around xmas time and am still losing. It's coming off ever so slowly but at least it is coming off. There is so much adventure I want and can't have it until I get in excellent shape. Rock climbing, wild caving, etc...are all on my list of things to accomplish within the next year. Wish me luck and iron will.

Sucks when the mind is ready but the body isn't

So I decided hiking was for me this weekend and was getting excited, but then I woke up this morning with asthma and that was that. So I'm sitting here bored to tears and wanting to go go go, but I like to breathe so I have to sit quietly. Hmph.

To Hike or Not to Hike...that is the question

So my hiking buddies are heading to Colorado Bend this Sunday for an 8 mile trek. Should I go? That is the question for the day. On one hand I think I should go and at least do part of the trail, but then do I want to wait around by myself for my buds to finish up their hike? On the other hand, I could stay in town and do my own hike in Zilker and still get a decent work out.

I hate to miss out on a good 8 mile trek but considering how hot it will be, I'm a bit nervous about heat exhaustion. I think I should train a bit more before tackling those long milers this summer. Doing them in the spring is one thing, but in high heat and humidity it's a different ball game.

Ah but the torture doesn't stop...

Apparently heat exhaustion wasn't enough...now add chiggers to the list of insults. I didn't notice the bites until yesterday, but they were not so bad, just tiny little dots. But today they are awful, itchy, red welts and are popping up all over my body. I showed the bites to the doc yesterday and he said there isn't much that can be done. Time is the best cure.

But I'm not the only one in misery. Thomas, Jen, and Mykel all have bites too. Yes my friends, Comanche Bluff will kick your ass.

Heat Exhaustion Trail (Comanche Bluff Trail)

So I went hiking as planned this past Sunday and felt pretty good, despite getting zero sleep the night before. I knew when I last wrote on my blog that the hike would be a tough one, but I had no idea just how tough. I figured I had done so well on all the others, that I would get through it okay. Wow was I ever wrong!

First of all, the trail pretty much sucked and I doubt I'll ever go back on that one again. It was very overgrown and poorly visible in many areas. We even hit a dead end before we could pick it back up again. Second of all, there was so much poision ivy on the trail there was no way NOT to touch it or step on it! I'm highly allergic to the stuff and knew I was going to pay later if I couldn't get Zanfel on in time.

At some point we ended up on a cattle trail thinking it was our trail. It was in tall grass and reeds with poision ivy slapping at my ankles, legs, and torso. Sometimes the ivy would hit me in the face or the neck because we had to duck down alot, and twist through the brush. I hated it and my moral was starting to slip.

Ok I'm done bitching about the lousy trail and PI and am moving on to the rest of the story. We made it to the turn around point after what felt like forever to me. We sat there for about an hour and rested (see pics). It was a nice spot to do so and the breeze felt great. We also saw a huge wild turkey while sitting there at the picnic table. This turkey sighting was my second for the day. The first turkey I saw was a juvenile walking along the freeway when I was on my way over to Mykel's place! That was something.

A short while after we left the resting spot is when the trouble began. I was starting to notice a lot of tingling in my body. I didn't know at the time what was causing it, but wasn't feeling particularly bad at that point and kept pushing on. I got to a bridge with a very steep hill on the opposite side that I had to climb because there was no avoiding it. I wasn't looking foward to it either but made myself go up without stopping. What a mistake. I crashed hard after getting to the top of that hill and pretty much collapsed. The tingling grew to become very intense, and my body was rushing all over. I'm not kidding when I say it felt like I was having a very strong orgasm that was peaking but never subsiding. It was actually very unpleasant because of the intensity and I couldn't stop it. In addition to that, I felt dizzy, faint, weak, and my breathing was fast and shallow. All I could do was lie there and moan. I had no clue what was happening to me and it was getting scary.

I was being pushed by my hiking partners to get up and keep going, which was pissing me off. I don't think they realized how bad off I was...heck even I don't think I realized it at the time. As soon as my heartbeat went back down and I felt somewhat normal again, I did get up and try to go further to get them off my back lol. Immediately as I got up and went a couple more steps, my heartbeat raced back up to an alarming rate again, and I thought I was going to pass out from the dizziness and weakness. Also that damn orgasm that peaks forever feeling was getting stronger. I dropped back down to the ground and was pretty much sprawled out in the middle of the trail. I flat out could not walk any further. I did manage to drag myself back into a small shady area off to the side of the trail though and that's where I stayed for sometime. I think I may have passed out briefly at one point and Jennifer said I was certainly disoriented.

Thankfully there was a parking lot not far away and I was able to make it there and wait for the car to be brought around. I didn't get to finish the hike though. I did 7.5 miles total and had to stop almost 2 miles short of where we started out. I was lucky I didn't have to go the rest of the way. I went online today and looked up all of my symptoms. I had heat exhaustion with the beginning signs of heat stroke(which can be fatal if not treated immediately). I also hyperventilated.

So here is what I took away from the experience:
*I need a larger camel back because the one I have is obviously not enough on a long hike in the sun (I did run out of water towards the end).
*I won't go on a long hike if I didn't get any sleep the night before.
*The next time I'm told the hike is going to be rough, I'll think twice before going.

The combination of not enough water, no sleep, humidity and hot sun, is why I crashed the way I did. These are the pics I did manage to take from the first part of the hike:

Plaque at one of the many bridges tells about the haunting of this bridge. If you click on the thumbnail you'll be able to read what the plaque saysJen reading about the haunting of the bridge shown in the background.

The Friendship Bridge. This is not the same bridge shown above. Jen tells a quite animated story
Our resting spot at the turn around point. There were a few picnic tables to sit at. This is actually a primitive camp ground and is obviously not used much. You have to backpack in to get here.

Uggghhhh So Behind!

So I haven't actually hiked in what seems like weeks. I am going on Sunday though and am sure it's going to be a bear, since I feel like I'm out of shape again. Miss a few weeks and I feel like I stepped backward instead of forward. Oh well, at least I'm getting back to it and this Sunday will tell me for sure just how much of my hiking stamina I lost.

In other news....

My two teenage daughters moved back in with us and everything has been crazy busy since. I might as well paint my car yellow and black and hire a dispatch!

Government Canyon

This was our last hike before Thomas heads to India. Mykel and I will miss him as we carry on without him. Have a safe trip Thomas! We'll see you in June?

Govt. Canyon was not a bad hike at all. The terrain was a little difficult because it was very muddy and slippery, but the hills have been getting some much needed rain so I can't complain too much. I took a few pics and will post them later.

McKinney Roughs

Hell of a hike! They don't call it "Roughs" for nothing. This place lures you into a nice stroll through the woods and before you know it the terrain just starts going up on some freaky narrow trails that have slight drop off points. You wouldn't want to fall down on this trail in some places. It was such hard work that I didn't take many pictures because I had to focus on moving myself forward!

Let me explain the photos below...

This past Sunday we went hiking as usual at a particularly interesting and beautiful place called Crockett Springs. The weather was pleasant early in the morning when we started and remained so through out the hike. The very first thing we saw was a wild turkey crossing the road before we even got to the parking lot. It was just meandering along in no real hurry.

There was much wildlife to be observed and plenty of beautiful plants to check out. The diversity in habitat was amazing. One part of the hike was a juniper forest, with little else growing. Another part was a narrow trail that followed along the lake from up high with cliffs to our right and dense vegetation all around. There were areas along the top where one can walk right up to the edge of the cliff and peer over to see that 80 feet below is lake water. That put a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach when I leaned over to look down. I really liked the flowering plant (pictured below) that was hanging on the cliffside.

The trail was extremely rocky and difficult to navigate so it was hard to look up for the most part while on the move. What was probably about a six mile hike including the geo-caches we visited, was strenous and felt longer. Luckily I'm not sore today, even though the payoff at the end of the trail would have been worth it.

The pay off was Crockett Springs, or also referred to as Crockett Gardens. It's a GORGEOUS oasis to hang out and rest. The breeze that went through the area was serene and calming and I could have chilled out there for at least an hour. The pictures below of lush scenery might give you an idea of this wonderful place.

The Goodwater Trail...Crockett Springs

Camping!!(HCSNA)

There is nothing like camping in a gorgeous place with the best of friends. Our destination last weekend was the Hill Country State Natural Area and it was such a blast. We saw wildlife and had some fun geocaching too. Here are some pics!goofing off for the camera
Mykel
Dad looks pretty tired! It was rather hot on this hike.
Just some scenery
More scenery. These beautiful yuccas were everywhere.
On the trail to a geo cache
One of the many gorgeous Texas wild flowers
Ben in time out
Notice the sticker on the red vehicle...I didn't know this was in the picture until I went back later to look at stuff. Too cool.
Thomas patiently shows Ben how to work the GPS.
A very busy dung beetle!
Ben finds treasure
Awesome view of the hills!

Pictures of hike at Doeskin Ranch

As far as the eye can see! And don't forget to click on all of the pictures to see them bigger and better!

Upper Prarie lands.
We stopped at this spot for a rest and enjoyed the sounds from many different birds and watched the butterflies flit around.


This was the beginning of an adventure. We went on a trail that seems to be barely used and it was new to us so we didn't know where we'd end up for sure, but it was such a wonderful side loop and made the hike much longer and better.
Some old fence with barbed wire coiled in front

My friend Thomas, who is a very good photographer with a bad ass camera, took this. It's a variegated fritillary and they were everywhere! Check out my links to see more of Thomas's work.
Never have seen this flower before. I have no clue what it is, but will find out later.
So pretty and bright!

I'm not sure what this white flower is, but it looks kinda like chamomile.

Indian Paint Brush
Don't know what this is, but it is so pretty!
This almost looks like Mexican Heather...it could be.
Have no clue what this is but it was just beginning to bloom
Isn't this a gorgeous color? I'm thinking this is some kind of wild onion variety, but not sure.

Sweet hike today at Does Skin Ranch

Today was another great day for hiking and this time Thomas, Mykel, and myself, found ourselves on a great little adventure at Doe Skin Ranch. There was a new trail added that gave us a nice long addition to the normal trail. The view was stunning on that extra loop and we sat and enjoyed the butterflies and calls of many different birds. The smells were incredible on this hike too. Many things were blooming and the air was so fresh and clean.
We got there around 8ish in the am so it was kind of cool when we started out. However, after climbing the first big hill of the day I was greatful for the pleasing breeze and had to stop a couple of times to catch my breath. Once on top of the ridge, we ran into one other hiker and had a nice little chat. He was the first person in the park that day and once we returned to our car, we found he had left us a nice note inviting us to the Balcones Festival or something like that.

We saw a couple of lizards, one being kind of blue, and we flushed out a few quail that startled the heck out of us! It was an explosion of beating wings, which was pretty awesome. I love seeing wildlife on our hikes. There is nothing better than being out somewhere that feels so wild and where one can really connect with nature.

Next weekend we are going camping! I can't wait!

My friends got married!

Last week and last weekend was all one big whirlwind! My dear friends Mykel and Paul got hitched, and I'm the one that hitched them. It was such a complete honor that they asked me to perform the ceramony, which was one of the most fun and memorable ones I can think of in a long time.

The week before the festivities were to begin, Mykel and Paul were in the process of moving. I helped them as much as I could with that task. Once they were moved, Mykel and I spent the next couple of days doing party prep such as shopping, and marathon cooking. I had a great time with all of that, but it was hard work and we didn't stop until we were exhausted.

Let me tell you now, that Mykel is a great cook but she is not very good at stopping at just a few dishes. She bought enough food to feed an army. The two of us spent at least 12 hours cooking, not including the cooking done while the party was going on. We didn't cook half of what Mykel wanted to! I told her next time she has a party, I'm putting the brakes on her after 5 or so dishes. :)

The marriage took place on April fools evening which was a hoot. The party theme was a "god party" where we all dressed up as our favorite god or goddess. Many great friends were in attendance and they didn't even know they were attending a wedding until about mid party! We all gathered out by the pool where I announced what was going on and thanking everyone for being there. I then said a few words to marry P and M, and that was that! Of course everyone was cheering and taking pictures like crazy. Go to http://homepage.mac.com/hankisraw/PhotoAlbum21.html to see pics of the party. It's under the link "Ye Gods".