Texas Reflections Photography Journey

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Ready or Not....I'm Starting my Countdown!

Not much happening around here....I'm now going to PT for some Lower Back problem and my Plantar Faciitiss ...got into 3 digit heat....I am trying to get everything together to take my late Summer, early Fall trip...hoping to leave mid to late August....have decided to do Colorado and then roam around the Southwest....New Mexico and Arizona...my goal is to do as much Boondocking as possible...with my newly acquired solar panels..."Field Testing".. :)

I am enjoying the Blogs of those folks that are currently out seeing this Great Land...especially liking the posts of Jerry and Wanda (Eggrolling) they're picking out some super spots for me to camp at.. :) Thanks Jerry!

(2012)Horst kelly photographer

I'll keep this short and provide updates as I firm up stuff..... like the direction of the adventure :) ......I am Sooooo ready to "Be on the Road Again"

My Philosophical snack for digesting.....

"TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN; YET THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER BE, SO ENJOY THIS DAY TO ITS MAX!"

Until next time......Happy Trails...Horst sends

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Independence Day.....

Wishing everyone a Joyous Day with Family and Friends...and remember our Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen....I found a piece that Red Skelton shared many years ago on his TV show....thought it was appropriate to bring to the forefront on this day.....it kind of peels back some layers of time and gives us a "Reality Check"...for me its "Ground Truth" of what America stands for...IMHO....Horst sends

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Build a Ark....but don't take "Termites"

Its been a while....Two plus months....not much in the way of trips.....The Headline for "since forever" months has been the weather....RAIN, hail.... with flooding, and tornadoes thrown into the mix....we where lucky concerning the latter two, though we had 3 tornadoes touch down one evening within 5/10 miles from us....numerous communities weren't so lucky, especially Wimberley, Texas....they had the river overflow and extreme flooding with loss of life. We had been there a year or so ago..stayed at a quaint motel right on the banks of the river....the town is a stones throw from the famous BBQ place called Salt-Lick... a tornado touched down a near Salt-lick and I don't think the Motel survived....

The Rains are still coming....not as torrential as before...but enough to have to cut grass when its still wet and a bit soggy.....Haven't been able or "wanting" to do much with the "Albino Armadillo"(The Casita)...though the Hitchitch keeps raising its head....and of course "old Age" aliments also keep popping out of the box.....the latest is that Plantar Fasciitis has come back with vengeance...on both feet...which keeps my daily walks going a very slow pace and maybe every 3rd day instead of daily and the miles walked to almost nil....

No all has been bleak....we did manage a trip. To Charleston to help surprise SIL with a 50th birthday party.. did not take the Egg....took l-10 there and l-20 back home....had a great time/party...it was a complete surprise to SIL...due to my warped sense of humor, I had to package a bunch of "old F...ts" stuff...most of which I use.. :) It was a fun time and spent time with folks we haven't seen in a while...plus the icing was spending quality time with the Gboys....since the parents where working we got them a couple days....HEHA!

Now we're back and waiting for some sunshine and drying out....I am still trying to decide where I want to go on my Fall trip...part of me wants to venture to the East ...New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Kentucky, etc...I just don't want to deal with the crowds.....which brings me back to the West....open roads, solitude and magnificent Vistas....though I want to go to places I haven't been before...If anyone has ideas, I sure am open to suggestions!...

In the meantime, I'd like to take some day trips....and get the Camper ready for the Fall.....So for now, I'm staying happy reading Blogs of all you Folks taking those neat trips to include Canada and Alaska....I can only wish......

The photos of the BBQ Competition are from a year or so go..we have an annual competition...it draws people from all corners of the Country...3 day event and lots of fun.....of course a pic of SIL's 50th...take care and Happy Trails...Horst sends

Sunday, April 19, 2015

I'm a Free Range...So I'm Told

I've been home for about a week...when I last posted I was in the middle of my stay at Bastrop....

The rest of my stay was a continuation of traveling up and down rural unpaved roads looking for some interesting scene with wildflowers....the weather kept getting worse...the winds where ready kicking up, some rain and the forecast was for storms moving in to the area within the next day or two....

My first thought was to go back west, but the weather reports included storms cells also moving into that area...I decided that I would leave sometime Friday morning...I had 3 alternative routes, depending where the cells where and which direction they where heading...

That evening I grilled a chicken breast, corn on the cob, salad and some French bread.....decided that I would go ahead and hitch up, in case it was raining in the AM....decided to watch folks fishing on the lake...the weekenders where arriving in mass...even with the likelihood of storms coming. I got a neighbor that arrived early evening...from Shreveport...he and his wife where also on a "Bluebonnet Adventure"...in fact they where heading for Burnet at first light...

Got up about 0600, no rain yet...looked at my weather app and saw a HUGE storm cell...it was south of San Antonio area heading northeast..Mmmm, if I went southwest I would sure run into the worst of it...I decide to head east and then south, in hopes that that by time I want to head west it is far enough north for me to miss the brunt of the storm...

My plan seemed to be working....I started heading south and got on l-10 heading west....I should have looked at the weather app...the rain came sideways....I found a large Gas station, pulled in over to one end and went into the camper...Three hours later I started up again for the final stretch..arrived home at a lull in the storm and unhitched...it started again about 10 minutes after unhitching....

The weather may have shorten my trip...but it did not "dampen" my spirit...I enjoyed my time being out and shooting Bluebonnets....The first evening back my Bride had seen a Geico commercial and stated that it reminded her of us and my travels...so I leave you with a Utube of the commercial...which I sure you've seen.....Happy Trails....Free Range sends :))

Friday, April 10, 2015

The Miles are Flying By......

Not counting towing , I've travel 850 or so miles chasing down Bluebonnets…. Some say I’m ready for the “Home”…

This is a Tuesday Post….woke up around 0530….and that was the second time….The first had to do with my emergency weather radio….around midnite it goes off and needless to say its loud..I jump up, finally figure out what is making the racket..and then it engages in information…its not a weather alert, but an amber alert…don’t even tell me its about a old Guy who is chasing wildflowers all over the Hill Country…and hasn’t been heard of in a week..Ha,Ha….

I start sawing logs again about 0100 hrs…and wake up to a crow or Raven perched close to the camper…made some coffee and went outside to see the sun rise…met the Guy next site over…in his early 60’s I’m figuring, …we sit and chat for a while…he works in the oil business, trouble shooter, travels all over the Country..loves the outdoors and camps in the bed of his truck(has a cap) or, weather permitting, has a hammock type sleeping bag..covered …unique, and very functional. Its getting close to 0800, I tell him I’ll catch him this evening, and its off to the races,,,

I first go East to Giddings, Carmine, a place I camped at 3 years ago, Then Burton and Brenham. Took the better part of two hours with photo stops….next in was NE to Washington…then south meandering in a triangle faction(125 or so miles). Did get some shots, a couple places the fields are filling up nicely…Today the wind was probably the worst its been for the entire trip…can’t get crisp close ups and the fields look a little bit funky in a photo…but its still a magnificent sight and I’m happy to be able to be out here.

Got back late afternoon, decided to grill a ribeye , with corn on the cob, salad, and some French bread…pretty tasty…. The neighbor came by and we chatted...He received a call from his Boss and is headed to North Carolina on Wednesday(8 Apr)…He has decided to get himself an Artic Fox camper(what do you think Barney?)..in fact I told him about the Nash camper which Artic Fox makes..great 4 season campers…so we said our good-byes, wished each other well and hoping to meet up again down the road…he is based in Austin.

Came in to download and write this post….Tomorrow I’ll probably take myself South and East…need to watch the forecast, seems some sort of storm activity is heading this way…which could impact your fishing on the Trinity River , Mr. JerryC….

Until next time..Happy Trails…Horst sends

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

East To Bastrop

(c)Horst Kelly Photographer..By Back Yard

Its been a great 5 Days…but I do want to see what the other side of I-35 looks like..some my goal was Bastrop, Tx..about 150 miles from Llano..Originally I was going to get a camp site at Somerville State Park which is on a lake and just north of Brenham…never could make a reservation on line and nobody answered the phone or called be back…Super customer Service..Maybe not so much!

(c)Horst Kelly photographer

So after looking for places to camp, and there aren’t many in that area..I decided that Bastrop would do. I found a site which I thought was Bastrop State Park, made my online reservations and was delighted about going to a location I hadn’t visited previously….

I left the Llano area about 1030 hours and decide not to take the shortest route which would south on Rt71…which goes through South Austin and then on to Bastrop…I was in no hurry and wanted to see some towns I hadn’t been to before…So off I went East on Rt. 29 to Burnet, Bertram, Georgetown and then south on on Rt 95 heading towards Taylor, Coupland, Elgin, and reaching Bastrop about 1pm…Took Rt 21 a few miles, saw Bastrop State Park sign and here I am….not so fast Buckaroo…….and another adventure begins…When I was checking in the folks kept looking and relooking at their computer and Finally asked me when and how I registered..I told them when and that I did it on line….I pulled up my confirmation email on my phone, showed them and they where grinning from ear to ear….after they got there lost good chuckle off there chest, I was informed that I made reservations at The nearby LCRA Campground..Mmmmm

I now learned something new…LCRA stands for Lower Colorado River Authority…They have 8 parks with RV hookups,19 tent parks with 4 of them having electric…that’s not sites but parks…coverings 8 towns.cities along the Colorado River in from around San Saba, Tx. to the Gulf…Their web site is www.lcra.org/parks oh, almost forgot, their also have cabins at some of there parks….Price for me was twenty bucks per day, plus the “old Guys” day rate use of $2.00….The site is wooded and the lake is directly behind me about 30 feet..ducks in the water means no “crocs” in the area.. :)

Bottom line…it ended up being better than the State Park and cheaper by a few bucks…clean, quiet and friendly….my Camping Guardian Angel pulls through again….I now have on my “Bucket List” to visit all the LCRA campgrounds in the next 12 months….

BTW Barney aka OFM…you sent all your “kayaking, fishing Buds to the wrong place…It has been peaceful.. :)

After I unhitched, I did a little scouting around, took a few pics…came back and grilled a salmon, corn on the cob, salad, and a glass of red wine… They say it helps lower the Cholesterol levels….mine being as high as it is, I’ve been drinking a couple 3 bottles nightly…haha..tomorrow I’m going to do some major chasing of wild flowers..this Blog is going to be a day or more behind….sorry!

Stay Happy and I’ll see you when….Horst sends

Monday, April 6, 2015

....Bluebonnets and little Else

Its Sunday evening..and I am getting ready for a travel day tomorrow to Bastrop St Pk...the southern campground....will stay until Friday...Today was overcast and misty.....I did manage to put over 150 miles on the Xterra looking for photo ops...being Easter Sunday in the Hill Country, it seems everyone else had the same idea.....The area has sure starting filling up with Wild flowers in the last 3 days.

Instead of a boring recap about which rural road I raced up and down today, I'll just post some photo's.....hope you enjoy...until next time......Horst sends

Saturday, April 4, 2015

This is Better Than Sipping Brandy....

One of the perks of being outdoors is waking up to a bird singing, maybe the sounds of a river flowing by, a train traveling across country..even a sound of a rooster waking up the hens...usually these items occur between 5 or 6 in the morning....I had all the windows
open with a nice breeze keeping the camper cool and comfortable....at about 1:30 in the wee hours of the morning I hear a Mockingbird singing full blown "opera style"..and it doesn't stop until I leave at 0800 for the Days Adventure. Wow....I haven't seen or heard him or her the rest of the day....I'm hoping I don't get "Act 2" tonight.

Not having any success getting some deep sleep, I got myself up around 0500..made some STRONG coffee, go outside and star gaze, while my mockingbird friend is still serenading me.... as the sun is peeking over the Hills, I get cleaned up, dressed, make another cup of Java and decide on todays adventure...its going to start with the Willow Road loop...a 13 mile country road onto private land that winds around and kinda ends close to Fredisburg. Your speed is about 5/10 miles per hour and you are not suppose to stop or pull over and/or get out of your vehicle to take photos...I learned a long time ago that it's far better to ask for forgiveness...then to ask for permission.

I am somewhat disappointed in that there are not the vast open fields of Bluebonnets as in past years...especially since this year is deemed a "Bumper Crop" year..maybe I'm a week or so early....after I finished the loop, I meander on numerous rural roads with little luck and end up in Johnson City...having high hope...nothing..Mmmm Its 1pm by this time so I head back to down load what I have, plus the wind has picked up again, which plays havek on closeups....I feel kinda like JerryC stated in his blog about he and the Guys only catching 50 crappie.

OK....time has somehow slipped by me...its now Saturday evening.....I guess I'm just plain lazy, or I get tired out to fast and just go and tuck myself in....anyway let me close for now and add some photo's....its suppose to rain tomorrow, so there shouldn't be any excuse for not posting some more words and photo's ......

In closing let me say that I am having a Terrific time...even with the overcast and very windy day....its great to be outdoors, fresh air, nature, solitude, and photography...combine that with Casita living and it's about as good as it gets.....

This is what happens when you try to take pictures while driving....Until next time...thanks for stopping by...Horst sends

Almost forgot...a Happy and Wonderful Easter to ALL.......