A hike, you say...¡Oye!

Yesterday, we all (including my uncle, who was visiting from Colorado) went on a morning hike. Because it gets so hot here (it reached 106 degrees yesterday), about the only time you are able to enjoy being outside is either early in the morning or in the evening. Needless to say, it was very nice to be outside for more than ten minutes before feeling the magnetic-like pull of an air conditioned house tempting you inside!

It seemed as though the animals thought it was nice too. I tried to take some pictures of all the birds and the deer that we saw, but they all seemed to have an inkling, or "sixth sense," as I like to put it, about what I was doing, and didn't want any part in it. Here are some of the animals I was able to capture (with my camera, of course).

A cottontail rabbit:

A snake (anyone know what kind?):


My puppy Brittany got her first summer haircut yesterday. Isn't she a sweetheart!

Observe

Tonight, I stepped into my backyard to see...well, what I could see. Normally, I am in the backyard giving my puppy some attention, watering the garden, or refilling the bird feeder, but, while doing these things is important, I believe that it is equally important to stop "doing" things, and to instead just observe. "Observe?" you ask. "Observe what?" Well, that depends...it depends on what part of the country you live in, what season it is, even what time it is. But, no matter what, where, or when, one thing remains true: If you're like me, you will come away with a feeling of awe and inspiration. But, most importantly, you will be reminded that just as God has a hand in shaping this earth, He also has a hand in shaping us, and in shaping our lives. And after stepping into my backyard today, and seeing all that I could see, I am glad to be in His hands!

Our redbud tree:

The caterpillars think it looks good...good enough to eat:

The sunset tonight (beautiful, as always):

Stop and Smell the Roses

Today, my mom and I went to Whole Foods (an organic market) for the first time in probably a year. And wow, was everything beautiful! There were all sorts of colorful produce and products there, but nothing beat the freshly-cut flowers they offered. So, what is my favorite flower, you ask? It is actually a tie between hydrangeas and lavender, but today, I think all of them were my favorites. As with all of my "aventuras" this summer, I look forward to stopping and smelling the roses (or hydrangeas, lavender, etc.), and with such a beautiful summer ahead of us, I hope you do too!

Seashells and Sunsets

On Saturday, I went on a self-guided hike through the woods above our house. It was a lot of fun! I sort of felt like a pioneer...forging my own path through the trees, over the boulders, and up the hill; I even made some discoveries, and got chased down (albeit by a dog the size of a shoe box); but, let me just say...he could move!

Here are a couple of the fossilized seashells I found...it's so amazing to think that at one time Texas was covered by water! Sometimes, you can even find dry seaweed lying amongst the seashells!



On Sunday evening we went down to the lake to watch the sunset. It was gorgeous! I hadn't been down to the lake just for the sole purpose of watching the sun set in awhile...I forgot how nice it is! Here is a picture I took, and a video clip from that night.

Ojala que tengan buenas "aventuras" hoy y siempre! (I hope that y'all have great adventures, today and always!) ~Abril~

Lake Day!

This past week, we took Brittany (my puppy) down to the lake. It was her first time this summer. She seemed to really enjoy it...she dog-paddled her way through the water, ran along the sandy shore, and chased after all sorts of birds...whether they were in the air or on the water!

A little stroll on the beach (i.e. lake shore):

A dip in the water:

"Ahhh, how refreshing":

Journey to Boerne

Wow, it is such a beautiful day outside! So, since this is my first blog post, I thought I might tell y'all about an adventure that my mom, dad, and I took last weekend. About a 2 hour drive from where I live is a town called Boerne, known for the Cibolo Creek that passes through it, and many other things as we soon found out...

First stop: Boerne Market Days

That was, well...interesting. Let's just say...we got some good emu oil. For all of you wondering right now (believe me, I did too)...the oil comes from the emu's hair.

Next stop: The Hotel Pool

This pool was an attraction in itself...palm trees, waterfall, tiki torches (that sounds like the lyrics to a Kenny Chesney song) that light up at night. Yeah, let's just say there was never a dull moment out here, except for when I took this picture. I guess all the party animals were fast asleep at 10:00 am!

Next stop: Hiking at the Cibolo Nature Center

It was a beautiful hike through the woods and along the cypress tree-lined creek...very quiet, too, which is always a plus! The Cibolo Nature Center is a 100 acre nature preserve; they hold many different workshops (all with a focus on conservation and rehabilitation of nature) throughout the year, but we just came for the hiking!

Next stop: Boerne City Lake Park

First of all, who knew? This lake is a true gem, and it's only a couple of minutes from downtown Boerne...we rented kayaks, and went out on the lake for an hour or so; if you're ever in Boerne, don't miss this! I think it's one of those places where the majority of visitors are locals.

Next stop: The Shops

What else could this trip use? If you said "a little bit of shopping," you'd be correct. Sadly, most of the shops are closed on Mondays; again, who knew? We were able to look around The Little Nature Store (gifts to fulfill any environmentalist's dreams), and the Hill Country Lavender store in Blanco (about 25-30 minutes from Boerne). Actually, Blanco is a great "aventura" in itself; be sure to go the weekend of the lavender festival though, or just pop in to the store we did that's right on the square. Blanco labels itself as "The Lavender Capital of Texas," and believe me, you won't leave disappointed, but you will leave and rightly should leave with a bunch of lavender!

Last (but certainly not least) stop: Our Trip Back

Oh yeah, the sight of two horses resting under a live oak tree was the cherry on top of this trip! If you ever visit Boerne, keep an open mind, and be sure to explore, because as we found out, there are new discoveries around every corner, and that is what makes Boerne a great aventura! ~Abril~