We spent Saturday & Sunday nights on the lake this past weekend with Marty & Sue. As I looked back over the photos I took, I was captivated by the different colors in the sky from shot to shot. These are several from a 24 hour period, Saturday evening to Sunday evening.
Saturday sunset:
Crescent moon and Venus in Saturday’s twilight:
Sunrise on Sunday:
Thunder-boomer building Sunday night:
And the crescent moon again, Sunday night:
Life is good.
My fantasy football league draft day is here. I’m going to participate from the lake. Wish me luck.
I spent this weekend on the lake with some girlfriends on Nirvana. In the cove that we anchored in, there is a lovely view of both the sunset and the sunrise.
Saturday’s sunset from the stern:
And Sunday morning’s sunrise glow from the v-berth hatch.
Lovely sunset off the stern:
We ended up sleeping on the boat in our slip last night. Lori, Marty & Sue, and Joe did the same. Sunday morning we all hung around and visited. In the afternoon, Monte and I went out on Marty & Sue’s boat and went for a great sail up past Windy Point and back. The winds were sporting! Here’s a shot from that trip.
Taken off our stern last night. 
I love the water and being out on our boat on the lake. We are out there nearly every week, year round. I don’t take for granted the beautiful scenery and the freedom of feeling the sun and wind on my face. We have fun too; lots of fun with friends. We spent Friday through Monday on the lake this past July 4th weekend. We were sun-baked, sore and tired when we finally got home. But we did get home. Sadly, on Lake Travis alone, on this one weekend of the year, there were several accidents and drownings: a 2-year old baby girl fell off a dock near Emerald Point and drowned before her family could rescue her; a bi-plane crashed into the crowded waters off Windy Point, thankfully with no casualties; two motor boats collided one evening near Devil’s Cove, sending ten people into the water in the dark, four people to the hospital, and one driver to jail for DUI; and the body of a 50-year old man was found drowned off Graveyard Point. The previous weekend a 9-year old girl was injured by the spinning propeller of a motor boat operated by her father as she was floating off the back of the boat near Mansfield Dam Park. And there have been 2 or 3 other drownings on Lake Travis just in the last month. Tragic. Sad. It makes you pause. It should make you pause. It is easy to underestimate or disregard the potential dangers of being on the water, and the responsibility all boaters have to take care for ourselves, our guests, and the other boaters whose paths we cross.
The lake can look serene, but can be deadly. Put your lifejackets on your kids! Keep yours on or at least within reach if you are in the boat, and always put one on if you get out of the boat to swim or jet-ski or kayak or SUP or ski or wave-board. Learn the rules of the road… who has right-of-way, when. Maintain the required 50′ minimum distance from other boats while underway. Study the maps of the lake so you know where you are and where you are going. Don’t drink and drive a boat. Learn how to anchor securely and safely. Don’t drive over the anchor rodes of boats you are approaching. Pay attention to the wind to know how it will blow your boat relative to other boats at anchor. Know that your boat throws a wake and be courteous to other boaters. Learn to recognize marker buoys: hazard buoys, no-wake buoys and channel markers. A cove with a no-wake buoy means just that: don’t drive your boat or jet-ski at a speed that will create any wake. Do not operate your motor if anyone is near your boat or any lines are floating near your boat. Watch out for floating debris in the water. Use your running lights after sunset. Learn how to interpret the running lights on other boats to know in what direction they are moving. And for God’s sake, slow down.
Check out the LCRA’s safe boating advice. Or, better yet, take a Texas Parks & Wildlife Department boater safety course. It is actually required by law in Texas for anyone born after September 1, 1993 who is operating a jet-ski, or any boat with 15 HP or greater motor, or any sailcraft over 14 feet.
Learn how to recognize the signs of drowning. It’s not necessarily how it is depicted in the movies.
Please be careful out there.
We spent Friday night and Saturday morning in Cow Creek, one of the loveliest coves on Lake Travis. In the morning we had the entire cove to ourselves. We each took a turn kayaking around it. The wall has water perpetually seeping out showering the lake below and there are curtains of mineral deposits and caves along its face. It’s a beautiful thing.
We headed up the lake yesterday (yes, a Friday!) for 2 or 3 nights to see what we could see. We are anchored in a lovely cove this AM about 20 miles upriver from our marina. The sun was scorching yesterday. I like how it was illuminating our flag. I hope you have a great 4th of July.
I took this shot from the back of the boat, as the sun was setting last night.
We anchored out in our cove last night with Marty & Sue, and Kurt & Kevin. This morning I paddled around to check on the 2 geocaches that I have hidden along the shore there. The first one was still there, just above the highest level of floodwater. I lifted a rock and found it. Right next to it was critter I would rather not have come across!
The lake levels are dropping from the 693′ levels from earlier this week. Lake Travis was reopened today. It’ll need to get to about 683′ before we have power on our docks restored. But we’ll probably head out there this weekend anyway. The shot below is of the downstream side of Lake Travis’ Mansfield Dam, with 3 flood gates open, from last weekend. What a difference a year makes!
Today was one of our first days on the lake this year! Usually we’ve been tearing it up for several months already. But life has keps us both busy. Julie and Ryan joined us for the day. We were excited to see Marty and Sue and their beautiful new boat!
We both went out for a sail in light winds. It was nice to be out there – a beautiful sunny day.
Back at the marina, we enjoyed watching the setting sun together. The lake is at 683.66, several feet over full. The water is flooding parts of the parking lot at the marina. A site we have not seen for 6 years or more. The flood gates on the dam will be opened on Monday to lower Lake Travis a bit, as more rain is expected next week. I have not forgotten the feeling that many years of drought brought, but to see the lake brimming is truly a sight to see.
And it’s only Saturday!
In my life, I’ve picked up and moved from one city to the next over a dozen times. Each time saying goodbye to old friends, making new friends, and making a home and new memories in a brand new place. My last move, to Austin, was different. Not only did I stay, but when I moved here, so did over 700 of my colleagues. One day we were all working together on one campus, in one state. A few weeks later, we were all back together again, but everything else was different.
Many of us took root here, getting married, having kids, living out our passions, and spending a very big chunk of the time that we’ve been given here on Earth loving living in Central Texas. We’ve scattered. Some moved back home. Some moved on. Some have passed from this life. But, this week marks the 20 year anniversary of our migration. So, last night we held a reunion to celebrate. A hundred and fifty or so people turned out. And it was amazing!
I don’t know what the next 20 years holds for me, but I’ve enjoyed this last round. 🙂
TODAY, we headed to the lake, of course. The winds were blowing 20-30 knots. So Lori and Kurt jumped aboard Nirvana with us and we all headed out. This is a shot of Lori at the helm. Sunny. Windy. A tad chilly. But a wonderful day.
Sheila365 