A Calm Mind is a Precious Gift

On March 10, 2016 By DGThomaIn 2016, Exercise, Family, News and Reviews, WritingLeave a comment

The Bastrop State Park is a quick 20-minute drive from my home. I love to visit the park, picnicking, cooking on the grill or hiking and running the trails. My memories are peppered with hours spent in the park.

In September 2011 a roaring fire swept through Bastrop County in Central Texas. The fiery inferno didn’t spare the state park. The resulting devastation affected ninety-six percent of the park as firefighters struggled to extinguish the blaze. Ultimately, it charred 32,000 acres.

The recovery has been amazing and the many volunteers who work tirelessly to revitalize it are inspiring.

Last Sunday, we arrived at the park for our first visit of the new year. As I tightened my laces, my spirit stirred. The sandy trail, flowed beneath my sneakers, grabbing for traction, keeping me sure-footed as I navigated the rocky trail.

The rustle of the dry leaves falling from the trees whispered, reminiscent of a Texas rattlesnake.

Fallen trees lay tangled, a jigsaw of trunks etched on the ground by spring flooding. We passed a young hiker garbed in a pink dress and knee high cowboy boots. She grasped her father’s hand wide eyed as her brother warned us “to watch out for those ants up ahead”. He punctuated his words with his walking stick, the stick twice his size.

Regal pine trees crooned a melody, their branches, the wind’s violin. Small white flowers sprinkled across our path an embryo that would soon be plump juicy berries, ripe and tart.

Trudging up slopes I flew down the other side, shedding inhibitions. I felt free to stumble, laugh, fall and get back up to do it again. Leaping mud puddles in a single bound, I conquered makeshift bridges and eluded poisonous tendrils of vines alongside the trail.

Fire damage and destruction faded. Sparks of green climbed over and under fallen and damaged trees.

Seven miles of fun later, wonderfully spent but also energized, I sat. Warmed by the sun, I enjoyed the song of a bird, the notes carried on the breeze. Marveling at the unexpected joy of a soul unburdened, my soul and body were restored. What a precious gift!

Winding down the Old and Quietly Ushering in the New

On January 20, 2016January 22, 2016 By DGThomaIn Family, News and Reviews, Travel, Writing2 Comments

My anniversary is the first week in January and instead of exchanging gifts, my husband and I often take a weekend trip. We are usually in need of a bit of recuperation. Although fun, holiday travel can take a toll. Our hectic schedule begins with Thanksgiving and culminates with our anniversary weekend.

I love to travel but am always grateful to return home. This year our holiday plans included multiple trips, and I wanted to avoid piling on more miles when planning our anniversary.

I debated planning a special meal instead of a weekend trip, but decided to search online for day trips. A few familiar options popped up, but, there was one I had not heard of , the 9E Ranch. Intrigued, I read the following blurb:

“On a 320-acre ranch, this rustic cabin resort lies 13.4 miles from both downtown Bastrop and Smithville.

The 4 antiques-filled cabins are individually decorated and come with full kitchens and country views. Some add sleeper lofts, claw-foot tubs, air-conditioning, decks or wood-burning stoves.

Paths and hiking trails crisscross the property. Breakfast muffins and coffee are complimentary.”

The description sounded perfect for a quiet restful weekend! I checked the website for a vacancy and found The Eagles’ Nest Log Cabin was available. I booked the cabin and on Friday afternoon, we headed for the 9E Ranch.

We arrived at the ranch half an hour after we left home. The entrance was easy enough to find but I recommend using GPS. It is well marked but in the dusk it wasn’t as obvious as I expected. As we drove through the gate, we shook, rattled and rolled down the hard-packed dirt road.

It was a typical ranch road as expected on a working ranch. When we pulled up to the cabin, a smile spread across my face. The scene was idyllic. Thankfully, we had packed light, bringing few bags. The air was chilly and damp, so minimal luggage made unloading easy.

Inside, I was instantly charmed. The view was lovely. The stately pine trees meandered across the grassy slope tossing pine needles in their wake. Huddled at the bottom of the hill a small herd of longhorn cattle strolled.

We stowed our bags and settled on the sofa as the evening dusk faded to cast delightful light show across the horizon. Later, we sat at the little wooden table and ate a light meal. Tuna and fruit on a bed of greens and a tray of cheese with crackers on the side made a light and tasty meal! The rest of the evening we sat quietly reading, talking and just looking at the skyline.

On Saturday we drove to Smithville to visit a few antique stores and enjoy a fun lunch at Pocket’s Grille. At Pockets, the burger bar is the trunk of a 1961 Ford Galaxy. I ordered fish tacos and it was a delicious choice. Ron opted for a burger. We both cleaned our plates. After lunch, we headed back to our cabin. With the drizzle now a rain, we stayed inside the rest of the day. We had planned to take long walks on the trails and view the animals that roam the ranch.

Instead we stayed indoors, wrapped in a quilt while we played Trivial Pursuit and watched the night sky come to life. We left the Eagles’ Nest cabin around noon on Sunday, refreshed and rested. It was the perfect getaway and I can hardly wait to return.

Zooma Half Marathon 2015

On April 1, 2015 By DGThomaIn Exercise, News and Reviews, Writing3 Comments

Saturday morning Mar 29, 2015, the much awaited/dreaded race day. Up at 4:20 AM, we needed to arrive at the Cedar Creek high school parking lot before 6:00 AM. The shuttle buses would start running at that time to transport runners and spectators to the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa for the Zooma Texas 2015. We were out the door by 5:10 AM and on our way. We arrived at the parking lot by 5:55 AM and scrambled to make sure we had our watches, gels and sunscreen before boarding the bus.

The temperature was mild at 55 degrees with a light breeze. By the time we arrived at the Resort, I was grateful to be wearing my jacket as the temperature dipped to 47 degrees. The resort is beautifully nestled in a wilderness setting. The run is not ‘a walk in the park’. It is peppered with multiple hills from slight rises to steep grades. If you plan to run this race, you should train on hills.

We arrived at the resort and moved inside where staff opened the door and welcomed us. Inside additional staff were stationed throughout the building offering smiles, greetings and directions as needed.

For runners who are used to port-a-potties at the start of a race, it was quite a treat to have indoor, clean and warm restroom facilities. It was wonderfully relaxing to sip a cup of complimentary coffee seated on a comfortable chair and visit with fellow runners. In the lobby, I met Shonda and Lisa from Houston, TX where we joked, laughed and discussed race strategy.

As we lined up at the starting line there were a couple of llama’s on the sidelines to send us on the way.

Once on the course, runners were full of smiles and waves. As I turned onto Highway 71, a school bus full of kids passed by. With the windows down, they were all shouting ‘Run Forrest Run’! I smiled for several miles remembering their enthusiasm.

The last couple of miles were on the resort property, along a relatively flat only slightly rolling path on the golf course. Mile 13 was marked by the resident longhorns lounging in the grass.

This is the third time I have run Zooma at the Lost Pines Resort. It has not disappointed yet. If you can forget about those hills for a minute, the scenery is lovely. The run starts in the parking lot and continues to Pope Bend which is a county road. The road is lined with wildflowers including Bluebonnets, Indian paintbrushes and natural grasses. There is a short leg of the course that takes you down the shoulder of Highway 71, but it’s relatively short and downhill.

The temperature and winds both rose as I neared the finish line. The wind, although gusting at times, was a relief from the 70+ degree temperatures.

The Zooma race mission is to inspire women to live healthy, happy, & active lives. The post-race celebrations included vendors, live music, food, and massages. Sponsor Barefoot wines provided post-race samples and complimentary coffee was also available.

The race field the inaugural year 2009 was over 1200 women. This year the event included a 5K and a 10K in addition to the half marathon. There were only 362 runners in the half marathon, 162 in the 5K and 173 in the 10K but the celebration was just as entertaining.

Nature, miles and friends

On February 25, 2015 By DGThomaIn Exercise, Family, Food, Friends, Writing4 Comments

While much of the country has been dealing with extreme weather, in my area we’ve been more fortunate. Austin, TX residents woke Saturday morning to a mild 64 degrees. It was a perfect day for a long training run. If you have to run long, you may as well run for fun! Bastrop State Park is a short 15 miles from my home. Running in nature while I train is a great distraction.

A fire devastated Bastrop State Park in September 2011 along with many other areas of Bastrop County. The fire destroyed many of the ancient pine trees. It affected 96 percent of the park. The fire was a tragedy, but it has been wonderful watching the rebirth of the park, aided by many volunteer organizations and their members.

Dez, Ron, and myself arrived at the park with two expectations; to complete an 11 mile training run and to enjoy ourselves. We put no constraints on time or speed. Dez and I kept to the trails as much as possible while Ron opted for the park roads.

The trails range from sand, gravel, or packed dirt and is easier on your body than pounding on pavement. The steep inclines and declines work muscles not used in street running and compel careful navigation to prevent falls. The combination is a great workout.

We quickly realized that it was going to be a silly, fun day when we started laughing at everything. We stopped along the way to take pictures, to view the blackened, fallen trees and to enjoy the newly planted baby pines.

Throughout the morning, park guests greeted us and we shared waves and greetings in return. At mile 6 we found a restroom, which had been recently renovated and was sparkling clean. While we were stopped, we visited with Ranger Carpenter and learned a few facts about the park rehabilitation.

We stopped at mile 9.25 to enjoy a bit of solitude at a pond hidden among the trees. I had spent the day in search of the elusive Houston Toad. We were pretty sure we heard one in the distance while we were at the pond.

The park ranger we spoke with encouraged us to find a tree and claim it. He suggested we take our picture with the tree and return annually to document the growth. So we each picked one and began a tradition.

Our final mile tally of 11.5 miles was full of fun. After surviving our trek through nature, we ate lunch and stopped by Austin City Wide Garage Sale. This weekend the sale was being held in Bastop, Texas. After an hour and a half of wandering through the maze of exhibits we were a few dollars poorer and a few items richer, and our energies had been fully expended.

We ended our day with sweets from the Sugar Shack in Bastrop. We each had two scoops of ice cream and I brought home treats for later. It was a lovely day and the best one I’ve had in a while. A special thanks to my cohorts today for helping me make wonderful memories!

Biking and Other Happy Rembrances

On September 17, 2014 By DGThomaIn Friends, Musings, Writing2 Comments

Flipping through some old journals recently, I found an entry about my introduction to bike riding. It invoked a wonderfully pleasant memory.

About 20 years ago, I was recently divorced and trying to determine who I was supposed to be and who I wanted to become. One of my newly acquired interests was cycling. I’d made a new friend who was an avid cyclist and was not only teaching me to love riding but also loaned me a bike.

One of our first cycling trips was to Caprock Canyons State Park just outside Quitaque, Texas. We started the trip on Friday, arriving late and spending the night at a campsite. Early the next morning we awoke to a herd of deer outside our campsite. The deer were shrouded in fog and milling about on the grass completely unaffected by our presence. After a quick breakfast of granola bars, we set out on our bicycles.

6:00 AM and ready to ride - maybe! — 6:00 AM and ready to ride – maybe!

We rode on the park roads to help me get comfortable on the bike. The roads were very hilly and I remember flying down the hills, building speed and then having to get off the bike and push it up the next hill, so I could soar down again! I felt like I was six years old! Of course my friend had no problem biking up or down. We logged seven miles that morning and I was quite proud of the accomplishment.

In the afternoon, we drove to Quitaque Canyon Trail. The trail is a nature trail formed along the path of an old railroad route.

The Quitaque Canyon Trail is about 17 miles long and according to Rails to Trails “This area is one of the most picturesque and interesting throughout the entire Trailway due in part to Clarity Tunnel at mile 12.”

I wouldn’t know about that. I only made about 1/2 mile through the sand when I realized I wasn’t quite ready to tackle bicycling through sand. I chose instead to sit at the trail head and write in my journal. It was a beautiful and restful afternoon.

A few things that stand out in my mind from that day are: Friends are invaluable, laughter really is the best medicine and the Rails-to-Trails Conservatory is a great organization.

The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is a non-profit organization. They have repurposed over 20,000 miles of trail. If you enjoy nature and the idea of recycling the rail network to provide a trail system appeals to you, I highly recommend searching one of the Rails to Trails across the United States to hike or bike. Relax, rediscover nature and maybe smile a bit.