Great day amongst the gloom...

  Austin, Texas, United States
Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Great day amongst the gloom...
Well we're still here... just in case you were wondering.

Ugh! the tennis balls in case you were wondering..

It has been a dismal week, much like you have been having in the UK. Cold fronts have been racing down across Texas, bringing arctic like chill - well there isn't much to stop them is there, all the mountains run N/S! We did contemplate seeking warmer climes, but having checked the forecasts we would need to go west to Arizona before there would be much improvement and that is about 500 miles, 600 to the good weather. Since we need to be in Houston early in Feb to meet our old friends Anita & Malcolm, it would mean another 600 miles back, and then on to Houston. So we decided to sit it out; in fact, mad as it may seem, we plan to go a little way north to visit Fort Worth and Dallas. Two destinations we wanted to explore last time, but guess what it was too cold then!
Anyway, amongst the drizzle we did have two bright, dry days at the weekend. Austin has loads of parks in and around the city, and we chose to go to Mt McKinney Falls State park, a little way south of our campsite. www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/mckinney_falls
Though rather dry and bare, it was a revelation; on land donated in the 70's by the last owner, it provides an oasis for city dwellers.

No shorts today

'Big Baldy'...

It will stand as a buffer against the inevitable building that is spreading every which way outwards from the capitol. Apparently Austin is growing so fast that the equivalent of a new classroom is being built EVERY week to provide for the growing population. (By the way no child can be turned away from a school if they live in the catchment area, though they do seem to move those boundaries easily) I digress; back to the park - the limestone that underlies it has been sculpted into a fantastic landscape by the waters of Onion creek, which cascades over the upper and lower falls. Though low water at this time of the year, they were still mesmerizing.

Sculptured landscape

Probably covered in Spring

Great day for photos

Captivating

Lower falls

Pretty

The sound of water is one of those things that just so captivating. In the summer I imagine that it is packed with people trying to cool of in the 100+ degree heat! Picnic benches abound and BBQ's are everywhere. Evidence of early occupation indicates that Indians lived here about 7000 years ago. 

Indians used this for shelter

Needless to say it was a great day for taking photos - so we took a few!  what a difference the sunshine makes - 

Artist at work

Great colours

Uneven surface...

Later we drove south down the I-35 to an RV Dealership for some odds and ends and couldn't resist a visit to Cabelas. Last year's bloggies may remember the huge fish tank and all the stuffed animals. You can see those photos in the Feb 4th 07 entry in www.malbetinstates.spaces.live.com
One or two interesting features, the sign in the car park - only in America! 

Place for eveyone!

A shell cushion!?

Practice in the shooting gallery

One for Barbie...