The GR nature trail

Below that dam walk is the river and a trail running alongside.  Zou and I visited it - once on a cloudy, cold afternoon, and once on a sunny day.

 The power plant at the trailhead.

 We're actually on the other side of from the nature trail, but I wanted to investigate and get some shots from here.  I wish I could get this viewpoint on a sunny day, but at least we got to see it!  I'm so amazed at how many places in the US have such gorgeous color water!  Places you'd never expect to see such turquoise shades!

 The bald cypress line the river practically everywhere.  Their roots are so amazing!!  They really have to be to hold these giant trees up, come flood or drought!

 While on the trail, you can see houses across the river.  Some are nondescript, average little homes.  Some are much more, or at least have much more imposing riverfront presence.  But all have great river access!

 And a couple of shots on a sunny day...  Cool clouds here, eh?!

And here's one of the more posh river residences (actually looked like it was under construction or renovation).  Definitely could be one for Architectural Digest if you ask me!  (although maybe more for location than architecture?!)

GRSP

We like places that end in "SP."  And so we liked the Guadalupe River State Park.  Susan and Joe included it as a tour stop on our way home from Boerne.

I had to keep remembering we were in TX at its "ugliest" time of year - winter barren.  In the spring and summer, things are much greener (or should I say gruener?!) and prettier.  But this shot has more brown in it than normal, as it has obviously had a recent controlled burn.  

 Mostly a forest of oak trees, down by the river it's a different story.  Green grass, even in winter!  And big beautiful trees, including...

 the big bald cypress trees that I so love!

 Susan and I were out front, following our cameras.  Bill and Joe, lacking any fun photographic gear, brought up the rear.

I don't have macro, so this is pushing it, but when Joe wondered aloud if these were displaced leaf cutter ants, I had to get a shot.  Maybe these are a different, US variant - grass cutter ants?

Boerne's for the birds!

On another day, we drove to Boerne (pronounced Bernie - yeah, I know!  If you don't know German, you ain't gonna know how to say these names!!) with Joe & Susan (who's of German lineage and served as our Official Prononciator!).

 A much larger town than Gruene (which wouldn't take much!), Boerne was also a cute place, with lots of 'antique and boutique.'  And a really nice river walk... 

 that must have been the bird-feeding capitol of the world!  Not sure what kind of ducks these all were, but they came a'runnin' at the merest whisper of a Wonder bread bag opening!!

 Mine, mine, mine!!!

 And a couple other duckies - although this shot may be X-rated...  Does it not look like that one is flashing the other?!!  But she's playing it modest and acting like she's not looking...

 A damn fine-looking dog!  And obviously a well-loved and well-socialized pit/husky mix.  Bill and I fell in love with him right away!  And we are dog-shopping...  But this guy was already taken!  And we would've had to fudge his ethnicity to get him in the RV parks - he looks like husky/shep x, right?!  He was a highlight of our Boerne stop!

Going to Gruene

 Gruene (pronounced Green) began as a cotton-farming community in the late 1800s but is now known as one of those quaint tiny historical towns...

This old dance hall is one of the tourist draws and has featured all sorts of big names, such as...

 Before the cowboy rode away...

 Special flooring

The old general store - one of the few other buildings there.  What a fun store - they have everything and anything there!

Buddies!

 We arrived on a day much like today - cold!  So our first visit with friends Susan, Joe, and Carlee took place inside our motorhome!

 Tractor and Carlee get reacquainted.

 On a warmer, sunnier day, Zou and Carlee take it outside.  This campground doesn't have a dog park, but there is some open space where we were able to let the doggies run.  And run they did!!

 Friends.

Al, the border collie from "across the street," joins in.

 Zou and Al hit it off.  Al's an easy-going guy and gets along with everyone...

including the cats!  He wasn't too sure at first, whether to herd them or what, but he was so calm, they were fine with him.

Carlee is much more excitable, however, and Tractor felt the need to tell her a thing or two!

 You can't see it that well, but he's still yelling at her here!   

 No yelling or instructions needed between these two though!

 They know just what to do!

P-L-A-Y!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Zou later got another opportunity to get to know Al one on one and decided she really liked him!

I think Al must've liked Zou too...

Just too bad the dog dance was such a short one.  It isn't every day that one finds such compatible playmates, and they could've played all day!!

And yet ANOTHER dam walk!!

 Zou and Carlee find another friend!

 And here, here's a buzzard overhead!  This one's a brown turkey vulture - not only are the feathers a different color but the head as well.

 And I'm not sure what the dynamic was here (serious or play?), but this one brown buzzard was getting repeatedly dive-bombed!

 A full quorum today!  And Bill is properly outfitted in a Texas T!

A pretty day at the lake.

Having to take the dog for a dam walk

 Yeah, it's a walk on the Canyon Lake Dam.  What did you think I meant?

 Zou and I walked here almost every day (though we avoided the cold days.  There's always a wind that blows pretty good across the top of the dam, and on the warmer days, it actually feels really good!  But on the cold days, it would make the walk miserable!!!)

Me and my walkin' buddy!

Most of the time, we were walking with Joe & Susan and their pooch, Carlee (photos coming soon!).  They were one of the reasons we came to this neck of the woods!  Zou and Carlee are good friends, and we know her parents from our summers in Colorado!

 On the other side of the dam...  There is a nature trail that runs along the river (more on that soon, as well).

 Black (and brown) buzzards (aka, turkey vultures) frequent the dam.  They enjoy riding the air currents off the surrounding hills.

 Not a buzzard...  I had my point and shoot pointed upwards, planning on getting a shot of a vulture gliding by, but caught this guy instead!  Not sure what he is, other than some kind of hawk.  A bit prettier than a buzzard, eh?

  

The nice little park area at the dam trailhead.