Clouds – Big Guy Hiking

I don’t usually run on roads but when I do

I am getting more road time than usual especially since most trails are open. We had a day with plenty of rain so I hit the road. I enjoy the road a little more than I used to for two reasons. The trails close at sunset for good reasons and where a live I still can get a wilderness feeling. I can run along the boundary or on the roads of Cedar Hill State Park or Joe Pool Lake. Some of those views are spectacular at sunset. I really do need to get pictures of both the next time I am on a slow run(slow being a relative term). As a random thought does anybody else but me just look at the sky. The clouds and colors are so impressive. I like the north Texas skies but sunset in central Texas is a must do for everyone at least once. I do get sunset pictures post run in my neighborhood. Low clouds across the street.North Texas sunsetThe sun reflecting off the cloudsNot as late as beforeNot as pink but just as nice.

A quote that everybody gets wrong and is now driving me crazy. “Money is the root of all evil.” I hear it this way all the time and they are not saying the quote correct and it ruins the true meaning of the quote. “The pursuit of wealth i.e. money is the root of all evil.” What does this quote have to do with running or hiking, nothing. People who have worked hard and earned money are not evil. They made money. Doctors, lawyers and businessmen who have made millions have worked for their money. It is those who are in pursuit of money and do not earn it fall into evil ways. It is those with the ability to make money but do not want to earn is who the quote is referring.

I am going to stop here because this can go in many different ways religious, political, philosophical and my favorite nonsensical. I try to keep it light.

Oh yea I am still training and down to 247, twelve more pounds to go.

Pedernales Falls SP Pedernales Falls Trail

I am back at Pedernales Falls Trail and this time I went further upstream. Just to get this out of the way, I got lost on the way back and had to follow the horse trail to the main road. I used a compass to go in the right direction and from the main road I hiked back to the parking lot and trailhead.

The falls were flowing with more intensity than the last time I was here. I decided to go to the obvious picturesque spots then headed up the river. I was happy that there were few people out today and got all the pictures I wanted. It was a midday day middle of the week hike so I did not expect to see many people. As most know I love waterfalls and I just kept following them further up the river. I would have kept going but the sound of thunder and a cool breeze with darkened clouds cut my hike short. It did not rain but this area is prone to flash floods and the river rises fast. I did get to parts of the park I had been to before and it was a great hike. The park gets better every time I am here and it did not disappoint. My favorite picture of the dayFour armadillosTrying out new settings on my camera phoneMy favorite beach spotSky was changingClear water and darkening clouds

I have one more day in the Texas hill country before returning home. I visit another park I have to but a different park.

Lake Bob Sandlin State Park

Lake Bob Sandlin State Park was my home base for the east Texas trip. It is about two hours east of Dallas in Mount Pleasant, TX. This park had Christmas decorations at every turn and that made the easy hikes fun. The park had no difficult trails and I was there at an odd day and time so I had the park to myself. The hikes were very peaceful. The sunset was magnificent turning the sky blue and pink. I also got to hike around in the dark and see the Christmas displays lit up. This is what I expected all east Texas parks to look like but of course they all are different. The bonus was seeing dozens of deer and a mini waterfall.