Leaving a Legacy for Those Around Us in God's Great Outdoors
Author: legacyoutdoorsblog
I am a retired teacher and coach with 38 years in public education. I have a love for the outdoors and all the opportunities it provides. I love to fish, hunt and surf. Through this blog I hope to share some of my experiences in Gods great outdoors.
Yes I am 66 years old. Yes I entered my first TGSA surf contest this October. The John Oliver Open in Corpus Christi, Texas. Named in honor of an award winning surfer, artist and philanthropist from Corpus Christi. My result was not what I was hoping for but the experience was a fun one. I am looking forward to the next one. Here is a short video of pics with the younger competitors in a finals heat.
The tropical storm in the eastern gulf would soon become Hurricane Idalia. The pulse of waves from these storms usually proceed unimpeded to the lower Texas coast. South Padre Island is typically a good bet when it comes to catching a clean, long period swell from a hurricane going into Florida. The forecast called for 2-3 feet at 10-11 second intervals. That was considered small, but enough to get me motivated to take a 6 hour road trip from Clear Lake City to the southern tip of Texas.
This has always been one of my favorite destinations in the state of Texas. When I was in high school, I began making the trip through the coastal towns and brush covered ranches to surf the cooler, less crowded clear waters in front of Isla Blanca Park. I even honeymooned there in the 80’s. Yes, I surfed then, too, and I am still catching grief from my wife about the old man that hit on her as she sat on the beach while I caught more than a few waves some 41 years ago.
When I arrived shortly after noon on a Tuesday, I drove to the park for a surf check. I found a very small wind swell with some strong side shore winds on it. It was not really rideable, and nobody was out. I drove to the hotel and dropped off my board and went exploring on the island for some photo opportunities for the upcoming Blue Moon. The next day, I was there to watch the sun come up. I was hoping the swell would be arriving also. There was a small increase in size and the winds were light offshore, so I threw on some board shorts, waxed up my board and played in the shore break for a while. The waves were breaking on the second sandbar but just not connecting to the inside. It did get a little better when the tide started going out. Around 1 the wind got on it from the northeast and blew it out again.
That night I took a few shots of the blue moon coming up behind the statue called Cristo de la Pescadores (Christ of the Fishermen). It is a statue built in Spain and commissioned by the mother of two sons who died by suffocation from chemical fumes below the deck of their boat. The landmark is used by shrimpers to stop and pray for safe passage to and from the gulf waters. I used a mini Lume Cube light to illuminate one side of the statue and positioned my camera so that the Blue Moon was on the backside of the statue creating a glow from heaven effect. I also took a few other shots of the statue from other angles, including the sunset, which is in the video.
The next day, I arrived before sunrise again and set up my camera to shoot a time-lapse of the sun coming up. All the surfers and paddle boarders were entering the water as the swell was starting to arrive. As the morning continued, the swell started to fill in and it was met with some light offshore winds. The wind groomed the faces and provided some clean waves for the large number of surfers who had arrived. I have always loved the extra juice of the waves in SPI. The faces are a little steeper and the clear water allows the sun to put a green glow on the wave in the morning hours. After getting my fill of fun waves, I went to the truck and got my camera. The waves started getting better again as the tide started going out. I walked down in front of the second lot at Isla Blanca Park and took some pictures for about an hour. I got some nice shots with the sun illuminating the waves. You will see the awesome colors in the video.
I left happy and ready to refuel for another afternoon session. When I came back later that afternoon, the north east wind had gotten on it again and it was super choppy and difficult to find a clean wave. I left hoping to catch some cleaner waves in the morning. That evening I set my camera up looking across the Laguna Madre at the Queen Isabella Bridge from Port Isabel to South Padre Island. I took another time-lapse video. This time it was the sunset which is also in the video. That night I took my tripod and camera to the beach to catch the Blue Moon coming up over the gulf waters with a life guard stand in the foreground. I put my mini Lume Cube at an angle in front of the stand and focused on the full Blue Moon rising next to it. I put it in the video also with some other shots taken during the trip.
The next morning the winds were off shore again but the swell was gone. Sadly, I started the long journey back home. The amazing thing about SPI is how developed it has become since I started going there in the mid-seventies. The number of high rise hotels, condos and businesses continues to grow. The excitement created by the Space X launch site in Boca Chica has also added to the tourism appeal.
The one constant that has not changed is the quality and beauty of the surf, dunes and friendly people. I can’t wait for the next road trip!
Thanks for reading my blog! God bless you! Until next time.
It was almost that time again. The new moon was approaching during the month of July. To be exact, the new moon would fall on July the 20th. That is when the moon passes between the sun and the earth making it invisible. That is the time each month when the skies are the darkest. This allows for some beautiful star gazing nights. This month we planned a trip to South Llano River State Park. The park is a member of the International Dark Sky Association. It is a non-profit organization formed in 1988 to preserve and protect the night time environment and our heritage of dark skies through quality outdoor lighting. Light pollution is the result of outdoor lighting that is not properly shielded, allowing light to shine into the eyes and night sky.
We searched for an AirBnB close to the park and came across a location just west of Harper, Texas, off Highway 290 called Run Away Ranch. As luck would have it, many reviewers stated they could see the Milky Way from the bunkhouse porch. It is a one bedroom, one bath converted garage with the comforts of home. When we arrived, we were greeted by a group of friendly longhorn cattle which we fed each day with food provided by our host. The deer were just as friendly and would come close to eat the food that was also provided during our three night stay.
The first night there, we had some amazing star gazing and photo opportunities. The only ambient light came from Harper and Fredericksburg. As you will see in the video, I was able to experiment with different foreground subjects for the Milky Way pics. I even set my camera on a ten second delay and got in some of the shots myself.
On the first full day there, we went to the State Park and floated the Llano river. Using Photo Pills, I planned out a few shots for later that night. When we returned to the park for the night skies, we got to visit with Buddy Richter. Buddy leads a session on Thursday nights in the park called “Astronomy With Buddy”. Buddy sets up his telescope and allows patrons to look through the lens at some of the amazing stars, planets and galaxies. I missed a photo opportunity to get a shot of Buddy looking through his telescope with the Milky Way behind him. I just wasn’t thinking and let it slip away. Maybe next time. On an interesting note, Buddy graduated from Texas A&M nine years before me, and we both have a son with the same name. Small world. Lol.
I did manage a shot of a windmill with the Milky Way in the background, but it was partially blocked by a group of trees. While talking to Buddy, my wife, who was lying on her back on top of the car looking at the stars, hollered “What is that?” We both looked up to see a train of about 40 satellites crossing the sky. Buddy told us that was the Musk train. Elon Musk launched them to provide internet services to more people. I did not realize what it was and told him I had seen it the night before from Run Away Ranch.
When we left Run Away Ranch, we drove to Cranfills Gap to visit with my brother and sister in law at Sun Down Valley Ranch. We sat on the porch and watched the sun and moon set each evening and were greeted by a visible Milky Way and a couple of starry nights. There is an old stone Norwegian house on the top of a hill on their property. I have been wanting to get a Milky Way shot rising next to the remains of the historic building. We drove the property and stopped on the hill. Using my app, I discovered that the Milky Way would rise next to the stone house at around 1:30 that night. I set my alarm and drove the farm truck to the house only to find a lot of high clouds blocking the view of the Milky Way. I patiently waited and after about 45 minutes, I had a clear sky and a good opportunity. After taking several photos, I drove down to the pond and took some shots of the pier on the pond, and the pond itself, with the Milky Way in the back ground. The ambient light from Gatesville made it a challenge, but I managed to get a few decent shots.
We loved our time at Run Away Ranch and always have a blast with my wife’s sister and brother-in-law at Sun Down Valley Ranch. I can’t wait to see where our next adventure takes us. Night skies are fun to just sit and stare at while also providing some amazing photo opportunities. Check out a dark sky map and plan a trip to see some amazing skies in the state of Texas.
Psalm 147:4 says, “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.” Let that sink in the next time you find yourself stargazing.
Enjoy the video! All photos are one shot photos. No stacking or photoshop editing, just a few tweaks in light room classic.
The West Cave Discovery Center is a wildlife-rich conservation sanctuary home to a canyon waterfall, a wet grotto & savannah trails. It is located on Hamilton Pool Road in Round Mountain, Texas. It is a privately owned 76 acre nature preserve. The expert-guided tours take visitors from an arid savanna through a limestone crevice into a sheltered canyon of lush plant life. The main feature is a beautiful grotto with a slow running waterfall (when we visited). There is a small cave to one side of the grotto once used by Indians and early settlers. The guided tours are by reservation only and cost $20 for an adult and $10 dollars for children. The main entrance is gated and opened shortly before the tour times. The tour takes approximately an hour and a half, and you are allowed to stay a short while to take photographs. This preserve is home to the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler and attracts birders from all over the world.
We enjoyed our time at the preserve and enjoyed the tour guide who was a retired science teacher. He was quite knowledgeable about the eco system and the geology of the area. The outdoor scenery in the state of Texas is as beautiful as it is diverse. Take some time to explore the beauty of God’s creations in this great state.
Thanks for reading my blog. I hope you are filled with joy this fine summer day. God bless.
On our spring anniversary trip, we took a day to visit Longhorn Cavern State Park in Burnett, Texas. This park has a long history including the Civilian Conservation Corps who built the original administration building. They also did a lot of the excavation work making the cave accessible to the public in the 1930’s. The cave has a long history of use from Comanche Indians to a weekend dance hall in a large open part of the cave.
The cave is accessible by paid tours only. Randy, our guide, was excellent. He is a retired fireman and has been guiding there for several years. His historical knowledge and humor made the 1.5 hour tour very enjoyable. The temperature inside the cave was a cool 68 degrees, and we descended about 132 feet below the ground at its deepest.
Caves have always amazed me with their formations and beauty. God’s handiwork is amazing to witness in our great outdoors. Isaiah 2:19
Enjoy this short video of the pictures I took at Longhorn Cavern State Park.
While riding my bike at a local park, I found some sunflowers all around the bike path. The next morning I came back early with my camera and tripod. I was hoping to catch the sunrise as a background for the sunflowers. The sunrise was filtered by a dense, low fog. This made for a really nice, hazy background for my photos. Check them out and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading my blog and God bless you.
I went to my first photo workshop the past two Saturdays. They were put on by the Armand Bayou Nature Center. The instructor was Gary Seloff. He is an award winning photographer and excellent teacher. He has spent countless hours over the years taking photographs of wildlife from his kayak on Armand Bayou. Check out his Flicker page for some amazing shots. https://www.flickr.com/photos/gseloff/albums
Here is a short video of some pics I took on the boat tour portion of the workshop last Saturday. Enjoy and thanks for checking out my blog.
Passiflora incarnata, the purple passion flower, is a bloom on the passion vine. My wife received the vine as a gift, and it has flourished on our fence lattice. I have taken pictures of the strangely beautiful flower after full bloom but never attempted to capture the actual bloom on a time-lapse. I have been experimenting with the S&Q function on my Sony A6600 camera and decided to try it out on the blooming flowers.
According to Bob Thomas of Loyola University in New Orleans, the passion flower has Christian lore that has long been associated with the last days of Jesus Christ. That is where it got its name “the Passion Flower”. According to Thomas, “The five blue sepals and five similarly colored petals, together represent 10 of the 12 apostles, except Peter and Judas who distance themselves from Jesus before the crucifixion. Two rings of thin filaments, representing the thorns on the crown, encircle the reproductive organs. The wounds on Christ’s body are depicted by the five pollen-bearing stamens, and the three stigmas (the part of the pistil, or female anatomy of the flower, that receives the pollen) representing the nails in the cross. The tri-lobed leaves symbolize the spear that entered his flesh, and the tendrils that help the vines climb by growing rapidly and wrapping around branches portray the leather strips that cut his flesh.”
Passion flower vines also attract fritillary butterflies which lay their eggs on the vines. The ants you see on the flowers are attracted to a nutritious nectar produced by the extrafloral nectaries at the base of each leaf. In return for the healthful liquid, the ants protect the leaves from predators including fritillary caterpillars. These caterpillars can consume the vine at a fast pace until they form a chrysalis.
What an amazing cycle of life God has provided us to witness in the relationship of these three species. I am amazed at what I learn when I take some time to slow down and look around at the amazing things God has created. Revelation 4:11
This year we decided to celebrate our wedding anniversary in the Texas Hill Country. We found a tiny home Airbnb out in the country not too far north of Fredericksburg, Texas. Cresta De Fuego is a well furnished, very comfortable tiny home set on a hillside. We woke up each morning with a fantastic view of the sunrise from the comfort of the bed. We saw deer, turkeys, cattle, rabbits and a lot of song birds. We watched sunsets from adirondack chairs under a large old oak tree on the top of the hill. We could even see the pink granite mound of Enchanted Rock State Natural Area from the chairs under the big oak tree. At night we gazed at the starry skies from the deck and listened to the serenades of crickets, cattle, and night creatures. On our second night there, the skies cleared enough for me to get a few shots of the Milky Way as a few thin clouds passed by. The property is on Willow Loop Rd. which features some beautiful fields full of wild flowers.
Willow City Loop
In this video you will see some of the beautiful scenery at Cresta De Fuego.
Crestadefuego.com
@crestadefuego
There are many state parks in the area. The closest is Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. On our first full day, we hiked the Summit Trail at Enchanted Rock. The skies were over cast, and there were three separate burn piles in the area putting a lot of smoke in the air. The experience was nice and cool on an otherwise hot April week. On our last night, I made the short drive back to Enchanted Rock to take some pictures of the Milky Way. As luck would have it, the clouds and smoke obscured my attempts. Here is a video of the pics I took at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area.
In part two, I will feature our short trips to Longhorn Cavern State Park, West Cave Outdoor Discovery Center, and other sites close by.
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and watch the videos. God’s beautiful creations are all around us. Exodus 15:11
Recently my wife and I celebrated a special wedding anniversary. We decided to splurge and travel to San Antonio and stay at Hotel Emma. This was an amazing trip. The Emma is the old Pearl brewery that has been converted to a luxurious hotel. The service, accommodations, and food were top notch. The location is right on the San Antonio River. You can travel by water taxi to all the river tourist venues. One of our reasons for this trip was to visit and learn the history of the other 4 of the 5 missions of San Antonio since we’d both already been to 1 of the 5, that one, of course, being the Alamo. We asked the concierge for any knowledge she had on the best way to see the missions. Immediately she suggested a private tour with Michael Robinson of San Antonio Pro Tours.
We took her advice, and she contacted Michael for us and set up a tour for the next day. Wow! What a great experience it turned out to be. Michael picked us up the next morning at the Emma and gave us a personal tour of Mission Espada, Mission San Juan, Mission Concepcion and Mission San Jose. Michael is a former history teacher who brought the culture of each mission’s historical period to life with his knowledge, passion and humor. We came away with new knowledge and an appreciation of the historical significance of the Spanish influence on the native Americans and their struggles during the 1700’s and beyond.
As a bonus, we were treated to a guided drive through the King William District of historically restored homes. This is one of the oldest neighborhoods in San Antonio. It was named after King Wilhelm I, the King of Prussia in the 1870’s. The restored historical accuracy and architecture of the homes is amazing. Michael pointed out the famous people who are currently living in a few of the houses along with the history of the neighborhood.
Next, we were treated to a stroll through El Mercado where we bought some souvenirs for the grandkids and some Mexican pastries at Mi Tierra Cafe and Panaderia. Michael’s knowledge of the best restaurants in San Antonio came in handy as we sampled a few of them during the next couple of days. Our favorite was La Fonda on Main. It is the oldest Mexican food restaurant in San Antonio. It was started in 1932 and was one of my Mom and Dad’s favorites. Michael also drove us through some of the most historical parks in the area with some very informative historical information on each landscape. He even drove us by my grandmother’s old apartment building where as a young boy I used to gaze down San Pedro Avenue from her ninth story bedroom window.
Michael dropped us off back at the Emma where we ate an amazing supper at the hotel restaurant named “Supper”. He suggested we visit the San Antonio Botanical Garden and the Witte Museum while we were in town. We enjoyed the Witte Museum and were amazed by the color and beauty of the Botanical Gardens.
I have included a video of pictures I took while on this trip below. If you travel to San Antonio, you will want to treat yourself to a stay at the Emma and a tour with Michael Robinson of San Antonio Pro Tours.
Legacy Outdoors 