Guadalupe River State Park

Last week our day trip was to Guadalupe River State Park. After 2 hours in the car with a 10 year old and a drooling bulldog that had backseat boundary issues I was relieved to escape the wrath on the inside of the car.

I knew the minute I walked to the edge of the cliff and saw this scene that it was going to be our kind of place...



The river was a little low due to the drought, but it was crystal clear and flowing well....












As usual the day was not long enough to be able to explore all the park but we saw enough to know that we will be back again.

Cathedral of Junk

The Cathedral of Junk is another Austin icon that I just now got around to visiting and I must say that even though it was near the bottom of my list of things to see and do, I couldn't help but, for the first time ever, be impressed with junk.

I usually save my little morning getaways with my friend Robin for myself and leave Mr. and Mrs. Sleeping Beauty in the bed while I enjoy some much needed uninterrupted adult conversation, but this morning was different. We were going to the Cathedral of Junk and I thought that it would be a fun outing for Summer also.

The Cathedral was tucked back into a suburban neighborhood and unless you knew it was there...or saw all the people hanging around waiting to get into the backyard to view the "sculpture". I'm sure this guy's neighbors really love him....



If I were to use a phrase to describe the Cathedral I would say that it's visual time capsule. I stared mesmerized into the whole being of the creation..kind of like looking through a microscope at a large object and seeing all smaller parts that make the whole over time.

You can meander through the halls Cathedral looking at all the junk collected over time to create this 3 story Cathedral.

This is one of those instances where you definitely have to be there to get the full effect. I have seen pictures before but it's nothing like really being there and walking through it experiencing it.











We also squeezed in a picnic lunch at a nearby park. We had fun looking at the historical tombstones tucked away in the woods at the park.





A little playground time and end the day with some Amy's Ice Cream. I think we all had a thumbs up kind of day!

Capital of Texas Zoo

This past weekend we headed to local Capital of Texas Zoo. I really like this particular zoo even if it wouldn't be considered among some of the more popular zoos. It's very "country" feel to it, but the reason I most like it is because it's more up front and personal - rather than standing back and admiring the animals you can interact with a few of these creatures.

I was highly annoyed with myself when I realized I had forgotten my digital camera so the pics that are posted are from my phone camera and are not as easy to view.

Summer enjoyed playing with the prairie dogs the most. They weren't shy and let her touch them..



Feeding the goats...



There was one little fella that was loose. He followed us all over jumping up on us for treats. He reminded me an awful lot of my dog....




The horse was cute too...



This bird was very chatty. Someone taught him well....



Another favorite was the bird cage. The quaker birds kept trying to bite our feet but the cockatiel was very sweet....




It was an enjoyable day for us all.

RAIN

Rain is something most people complain about. I know I have been known to. But after the past couple of years of living without it you come to miss it.

Yes, since we have moved to Central Texas we have been in a drought, but this last year has been the worst on record for us.

I came from an area where afternoon showers are a common thing, to an area where you wake up every morning and it's a beautiful day..every day, day in and day out. As Toby once said.."The meteorologist here have it made."

But after a while you come to miss the rain. The ground begins to crack, trees begin to wilt, flowers die, water restrictions start being enforced, wildlife dies or can't reproduce, farmers crops suffer, and it just keeps getting hotter and hotter because there is no moisture to cool things off.

Where I live, when it rains people jump for joy. It's like seeing snow in the South. They stand out on their porch and watch in amazement. Kids run around playing in it.

As I type this post, it is finally raining and has been steady for the last 2 hours. We even got a little rain yesterday. I hope this is the beginning of a new weather trend and we will begin to see a little more rain, but if it's not, I'm thankful for the rain we are getting...and I'm sure the trees, flowers, and animals surely appreciate it.

Boredom

"I'm Bored" seems to be a fairly common expression you hear come out of a child's mouth.

To be honest, I have a distaste for the expression and obviously my mother also did. When my brother and I were young, if we expressed boredom we were promptly put to work dusting, cleaning our rooms or some other mundane chore. Mom nipped the word bored in the bud really quick - didn't take us very long to figure out the word bored was just as naughty as the "F" word.

I can now see where she was coming from. Certainly SHE was not bored with all the household chores and responsibilities that it took to run a household, satisfy a husband, and raise kids.

Although I have heard the word come out of Summer's mouth once or twice...mostly from mimicking her friends that were using the word, it's a rare event.

She doesn't get bored very often and when she has, those were the times she would concoct some of her most inventive ideas and creations.

It seems bored is a common word used among her traditionally schooled friends. I have noticed that even when they are sitting around in a group they proclaim to be "bored". How can one be bored with a group of friends I ask you???????

My observation is that a schooledchild has been so scheduled as to what the next activity will be that they have very little free time on their hands. They have no idea what to do with free time when they have it. They have been molded into what society wants them to be....ROBOTS that are told what to do, how to think, what to wear, and how to behave. No need to think about what you want to do in your free time because there is not much FREE TIME.

I can remember when I was in the "workforce" I would sometimes call in sick to work to give myself a day of freedom and relaxation. At the end of the day, I never really enjoyed my day of freedom because I ended up wasting my day away wondering what I should be doing. I was so used to my daily routine of scheduled tasks that I actually felt out of place and odd with free time. I was always glad to get back to work the next day just because I knew what was expected of me.

Is this what's happening to our young generation??? They can't even think for themselves anymore because there is always somebody there that knows more than they do to tell them what is expected of them??

I hope not, but I think so....

Random Thoughts on Paper

Over the past several months or more I have been seriously contemplating dumping my blog. For some reason or another I always end up coming back to it as if it's crack cocaine.

I never knew exactly why I kept coming back until the other night when I had to go back into time on my blog and search for some personal info.

As I scanned through all my posts I took note to how much Summer has grown in just a short few months.

I saw Lucas in random posts and it gave me the comfort and knowing that he will be back again.

I saw all the fun we have when our family members visit and I was also comforted by the visual evidence of how full our lives have been since our move to Texas 4 years ago.

I couldn't imagine not keeping those memories going now matter how insignificant they may seem to blog at the time. Those memories are what snap me back into the moment and enjoy...the moments caught in time.

Since entering the blog world a few years ago, I have read some exceptionally interesting and well written blogs. Over time I have narrowed my favorites down to a select few that I look forward to checking in on each week.

I think somewhere along the way I got caught up in whether I would post something based on whether someone would enjoy reading it or not.

Shame on me. I know better...

So, I trudge on in the blog world for the self-satisfaction I get from watching my life and my family grow day by day....via my personal blog.