2016 August . . . HOT . . . HOT . . . HOT!!!

Sep 7, 2016
5 min read

We expect August to be hot and it has lived up to its reputation. We finally got some rain on the 13th. It lasted overnight and into Sunday and was very welcomed! On my way home from church the temp went from 100 degrees on the south side to high 70s when I arrived back at Lake Conroe. Several days required more than one shower.

Next morning was dreamy waking up, hearing the pitter patter of rain drops on the roof of the motor home. I did take the puppies out about 1 am between rainfall and they had lots of new smells to explore. A day or two later we got pretty wet going down to the island exploring in the morning dew.

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I captured a couple of dragonflies . . . they fascinate me . . . they light on the twigs of the tree branches on the island.

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I captured a couple of barn swallows in the same area.

We are at Lake Conroe until the 21st then heading to a new Thousand Trails park (for us) on the Colorado River at Columbus, Texas.

My daily goal is to do some laps at least every other day. My goal is 36 and most days I accomplish that . . . some days not. The pool at the Colorado River is smaller and I wound up having to double up on laps.

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After being challenged by my friend Kate Newman to the Love Your Spouse Challenge, Tony received some well-deserved kudos on FaceBook.

These are two of my favorites . . .

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A group of us sited a Swallowtail Kite soaring over the swimming pool. I do not remember ever seeing one before. It was beautiful and remarkable with its distinctive black and white pattern and tail.

I am using some birding apps that Debbie recommended and have even taken advantage of their help desks when I am in doubt (and Debbie is not able to bail me out). They even have a dragonfly app that I will use to id the fliers I shoot.

My photogenic heron was waiting for me at the lake when we returned, along with a whole group of Black Vultures.

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I am taking advantage of ViewBug.com which has a vast array of photo contests, some free and some available with a paid subscription which I might do after using the free part for a while. I have entered two of their contests so far . . . The Golden Moment and Color. Working on several more photos for other contests with them. My connection is on my FB page where you can actually vote for my photos or someone else'.

We moved to TT Colorado River, Columbus, Texas on the 21st. We will be here 3 weeks. Here are some highlights so far. They had the entryway to the park lined with lights and flags for Labor Day weekend.

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The park is smaller than Lake Conroe but well laid out with good sized sites. Many have trees that give shade at least part of the day. Tony pulled the car behind the RV and the trailer with the golf cart behind the car . . . what a caravan.

The sunsets are great here . . . there are deer in the foreground on the left . . . it is a little dark.

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There is plenty of wildlife here to 'shoot' with the camera . . .

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I ventured into Columbus and scouted out the Live Oak Art Gallery and got the grand tour of the first and second floor full of beautiful art. Shawn gave me information about joining the Art League and the connection to the local photography club. It meets on the 1st Thursday of the month so . . . September 1st will be a new experience.

My next stop was the Chamber of Commerce where I gathered several brochures about local points of interest. First on my list was the Court House . . . it was built back in the 1800s and wreaks of history. The unmistakable smell of seasoned wood greets you at the front door. The lack of scanning devices is obvious. They are only used the days court is in session and are mobil. The workings of the clock on top of the courthouse, a huge antique safe, a historic quilt, and more are on the 1st floor. The second floor has a huge court room with a stained glass domed ceiling. Check out these photos . . .

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There is a water tower in front of the Courthouse that housed the fire department wagon that was pulled by a horse. It has a museum in it but I have not been inside yet.

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Across the street from the courthouse is the opera house. I have not been inside yet but the exterior is gorgeous.

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At the end of the month I went to Beason's Park and the surrounding area. I was fascinated with the trestles and bridges over the Colorado . . . very old and very interesting! The Old Spanish Trail historic marker is one of about 100 in the city of Columbus . . . a VERY historic area!

As I was leaving I happened to glance to my left into a thicket to see if there were any birds I could shoot . . . NO . . . but a very calm cat was watching me and posed for a perfect portrait.

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I wandered down some narrow roads and shot some photos of debris on the barbed wire fence. It looked like hay . . . so I thought that the cows in the pasture would have a snack if they ever ran out of grass in the pasture. It must have collected during the recent floods. That is incredible to think about . . . our park was flooded also. The bank at the river is very high . . . hard to imagine how much water covered the area.

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A great trip I took in August was to the 2nd (or 3rd depending on who you ask) largest live oak tree in Texas. You feel VERY small next to this tree. You can see how small my car is in the back ground and it is not that far from the tree. Check it out.

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It has been a different kind of month. My bucket list has grown tremendously. Whatever does not get done on this trip will be at the top of my list next visit.

In the midst of all of this I discovered a beautiful puzzle in the Activity Center that had a couple of big holes. I could not resist finishing it . . .