Mar 16, 2013 - Leaving Balcones

After some reflection I realized that one issue of the blog was not enough to cover all that has happened in the last couple of months here at Balcones. So I decided that I needed to get started on another issue. First, I have to mention the great neighbors we have had at the volunteer village for the last two months. Dena arrived just after the New Year and finally we weren't alone on the hill. Dena is a retired school teacher from Astoria, Oregon. We had some stories about seeing Oregon and she had a ton of stories about growing up in...

Mar 6, 2013 - Day at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge

Date: March 6, 2013 Tonight’s Location: Marble Falls, Texas Mileage: End - 10100 Start - 10021 Total Miles for the day: 79 Weather: sunny, cool Temperature: start 41º High 60º Wildlife count: Turtles, Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly Year List: 174 Birds: White-winged Dove, Double-crested Cormorant, American Kestrel, Northern Cardinal, American Crow, Turkey Vulture, Black Vulture, Osprey, Greater Road Runner (4), Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Black-crested Titmouse, Inca Dove, House Finch, European Starling, Lesser Goldfinch, Barn Swallow, House...

Mar 5, 2013 - Travel to Balconies Canyonlands NWR

Date: March 5, 2013 Tonight’s Location: Marble Falls, Texas Mileage: End - 10021 Start - 9899 Total Miles for the day: 122 Weather: windy, sunny Temperature: start 47º High 66º Wildlife count: Buffalo Year List: 173 Birds: Great Egret, Red-tailed Hawk, Black Vulture, Common Raven, Turkey Vulture, Kestrel, Barn Swallow, Goldfinch, Northern Cardinal, Black-crested Titmouse, House Finch, American Robin, Pine Siskin, Downey Woodpecker, House Sparrow, Bewick’s wren, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Carolina Chickadee, Eastern Bluebird, European...

Mar 3, 2013 - February in Balcones Canyonlands

It has been a long time since I have written an update to the blog. I guess it is because we haven't been traveling. We have been here at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge for 9 weeks now and we are enjoying our time very much. Rick is keeping busy with various maintainence chores and I have been working at the office. The staff at the Refuge couldn't be nicer folks and always seem appreciative for anything that we do. Everyone here is awaiting the arrival of the two birds that this refuge was set aside to protect, the...

Jan 3, 2013 - Back at the Refuge!

We are now back on the refuge. It has been two weeks since we arrived and so much has happened. We had our orientation, had the roof replaced on the RV and spent Christmas in Keller, Texas! Re-roofing the RV took two and a half days. We spent two nights at the La Quinta in Marble Falls and had all our meals on the insurance company. We arrived back at the refuge on Friday afternoon and then on we Monday left for Keller to celebrate Christmas. Michele had flown in on Sunday and was staying with her BFF Ciara Hartmann. Ciara's family invited...

Dec 22, 2012 - Kissin'

Well, we finally did it! Almost everyone does, sooner or later! And what is that, you ask? We kissed a tree! Not like a tree hugger, though. We were driving down a county road, a pretty road with a granite bottom stream running along the road and lots and lots of trees along the way. I think that most of the trees in Texas are along that road! Rick was doing a great job of avoiding the the overhanging limbs but he jigged instead of jogged and a branch tore at our roof! Now you non-rv'ers probably don't realize that we are not roofed with...

Nov 8, 2012 - Sunset Point on Lake LBJ

Eventful driving; head winds @20mph providing a wopping mpg average of 6.2. Lots of traffic, construction, several double wides, PU pulling trailer had flat on trailer and was unaware. CG recomended by Lynda and Glen. We spent several days touring TX with them including Lucanbach which was interesting along with many campgrounds and many wonderful areas. Unforunately they did not have their coach since it was flooded and in Iowa getting rebuilt by Winnebago so they were staying at a friends vacation house near by. CG was very nice. Saw many...

Mar 9, 2011 - Marble Falls Texas

March 8 2011 We have been through Marble Falls Texas 4 times but never have really visited the city. Today was our chance. The city of Marble Falls takes its name from a 20 foot fall in the Colorado where the river cascades over marble ledges. The famed Pink Granite of the Texas State Capitol Building was quarried at Granite Mountain on the western edge of Marble Falls. The surrounding beauty of the spectacular Texas Hill Country, and its location on the shores of this famous gorgeous blue water lake makes Marble Falls one of the most...

Jun 9, 2010 - Purpose of the trip

The purpose of this trip is to meet up with friends from my single RV group, The Freeroaders, in The Smokey Mountain National Park at Cades Cove Campground. I usually take my motorhome but because of the price of gas, shortness of the trip, and the heat with no electricity at the park campground, I decided to take this trip in my Prius which gets much better mileage than my small motorhomes. Because I was either motelling it or staying with family/friends, I also decided to adventure into interesting cities that I would be hesitant to drive...

Apr 11, 2010 - Fredericksburg

It was a gray and spritzy day, so we headed to the biggest town around - Fredericksburg. The Hill Country is definitely a touristy area, but we've marveled at the absence of T-shirt shops and other typical tourist stuff for sale. That's because it's all located in Fredericksburg. However, this attractive town has placed these souvenir and gift items in the beautiful, historic shells that housed the original residents, many of them German immigrants. A number of signs were in German with subtitles, quite a change from all the Spanish we saw...

Apr 10, 2010 - the bluebonnet festival

Although Burnet boasts that it is THE mecca of bluebonnet watching in Texas, it is a small town of 5,000, so it could only do what it could only do to celebrate this special flower. The parade, which took place in the main square, was a traditional small town event. Some people visited the vendors before it began, while children competed in events like bag races and decorated bike competitions. The elderly woman sitting next to us must have known everyone in town. Although she had brought a lawn chair she jumped up continuously to bow to...

Apr 9, 2010 - upping the ante

I saw the first Blue Bonnet in Big Bend State Park February 19. It was a single bedraggled plant, struggling through the mud by the side of the road. It was wonderful to see it - a sign of spring and a reminder of the nice views we had seen in the Hill Country. I took a photo of it. When we first got here in the Hill Country, we were thrilled to see the first blue flower grouping at the side of the road. We stopped to take a photo - well, to be honest, many photos. Then we started to look for more: Lets find a field that has mixture of red...