Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night …
That may have been the one-time motto of the local postal carrier back in the day but it also was words for Nancy and me to live by during the second half of last week as we spent an expanded weekend getting some much-needed R&R in the backwoods of the Texas Hill Country.
Well, at least the snow and rain portion. Heat was difficult to come by over the four days we were away.
We made our reservations and arranged for the couple of vacation days in front of the weekend weeks ago as we sought an out-of-the-way place to get away from it all.
We found the place but little did we know the weather would try to wreak havoc on us and our plans.
The weather was rather inclement, but we wouldn’t let it, um, dampen our spirits or plans. It did change our suitcase contents, however, as shorts and T-shirts were replaced by pants and sweatshirts — and long underwear and stocking caps and gloves and jackets.
I resembled Nanook of the North and Nancy could have been Suzie Snowflake as we trekked through Inks Lake State Park and huddled outside to enjoy the beautiful Hill Country view our higher-altitude cabin offered us.
But, take it from a man who does not get chilled very often … it was cold.
And believe me, the cabin was, indeed, remote as we traveled through cow pastures, over rutted roads and climbed a steep hill to get there.
It was a perfect weekend to get away from it all.
Being the workaholic I am, I don’t take enough time off. We usually go on vacation for a week during the summer and I may take a day here or there for something or other – but that’s really about it. And the 60-hour work weeks pile up rather quickly.
So, any time off for relaxation and fun is a good – and needed – thing.
When we booked the cabin for last weekend, we made plans to visit and hike in a couple of state parks in the area – the aforementioned Inks Lake and Enchanted Rock. And, we wanted to do a little antiquing in nearby towns.
We also had plans to stargaze as the cabin was so remote there were no nearby lights to hide the view above. We also hoped to do some wildlife watching, including seeing some bats exit a nearby cave.
We did see plenty of wildlife, minus the bats and including deer, a bald eagle, hawks, pelicans, Canada geese, ducks and even a skunk crossing the road in front of us. And then there were the birds … bushels of them, including hundreds of cardinals decked out in their brilliant red.
We’ve never seen so many cardinals, not even when we lived outside St. Louis before moving to Texas.
That was a treat at the highest level for us and something we will remember forever.
Another great thing about the weekend was we had no internet service and limited phone service so we could basically shut off the outside world for four days.
I needed that, too. We awoke on Thursday morning with a layer of ice on our vehicle’s windshield and the threat of freezing rain and ice on overpasses and bridges. The temperature hovered around the freezing mark as we headed to Blanco County to find our destination.
Thankfully, the roads were fine.
But the cold drizzle continued all day and we abandoned our plans of trekking up Enchanted Rock outside Fredericksburg and instead drove along some Hill Country backroads and enjoyed – despite the poor weather – the rolling hills and canyons along our route.
We returned to our cabin by dinnertime and enjoyed a homecooked meal and an evening of relaxation and playing games. And I took a hearty nap before I went to sleep, something I did each of the three nights we were away.
In fact, I slept more over the four days than I have in decades – and did something I never do. I’m a true early riser, even on the weekends, but I slept in past 8 a.m. twice.
On Friday, it remained cold but it was dry, so despite temperatures remaining in the 30s, we bundled up and hiked in Inks Lake State Park. That’s where the pelicans, geese, hawks and ducks greeted us.
We had never been there before, and it immediately became our favorite Texas state park.
We planned to have a picnic lunch in the park – and we did – but inside our vehicle parked at the lake.
We had another great day, returned at dinnertime and relaxed and napped before calling it a day.
Saturday was cold and rainy again, but it was a predestined shopping day anyway so the conditions didn’t matter.
We antiqued in some Hill Country cities – and I found more Snoopy and Peanuts memorabilia to add to my collection. We picked up something for dinner, returned to the cabin and again relaxed and enjoyed each other’s company.
And another lengthy nap was enjoyed before we retired for the day.
On Sunday afternoon, we returned home – relaxed and refreshed – but not necessarily ready for the workday ahead.
And I took another nap that evening on the comforts of our own couch.
I am so blessed that I continue to greatly enjoy spending quality time with my bride of more than 40 years. I still can’t get enough of her, and I thank God for our wonderful and as close to perfect as possible marriage. It just doesn’t get any better than what we have.
And I look forward to our next little journey, whenever and wherever it may be – and whatever Mother Nature throws at us along the way.
Try it, you’ll like it.
Ahhhh. Here’s to time off and spending it wisely with your favorite person.
As always, thanks for reading.
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