It’s possible I’ve mentioned that I had a busy series of weekends for about the past month at this point. It’s likely I noted around this time last week that one more of them was coming. It’s certainly the case that this past weekend, the last one before Ms. 8 started back to school, took my family and me afield, and it ought to be the case that I let you know how all it went. Hence what follows.

We left Wednesday for and returned Sunday from Foxfire Cabins, where we lodged at around the same time for the last couple of years, as noted. On Wednesday, we made the drive out, and, as in previous years, the drive was pretty. We did go by a bit of a circuitous route, admittedly, one that showed the ongoing effects of the 4 July 2025 flooding in the Hill Country (rebuilding continues, and having support continue would also be helpful); had we gone by our preferred route, I think it would have been harder to see. But we arrived in good form and good time, and we were able to settle into our cabin–which was lovely, with an expansive deck and direct access to the upper Sabinal River–easily. I even joined my wife and Ms. 8 for a brief swim in the river, something I don’t often do. (Since I sink with a life-jacket on, swimming isn’t usually my thing. But it was hot, the upper Sabinal is usually fairly shallow and cool, and it seemed the thing to do.)

On Thursday, the three of us stayed more or less at the cabin. My wife and daughter spent a lot of time at the river, wading and swimming; my daughter also tended to a loose rockwork dam that had been set up to help pool some of the river-water and which a group of hooligans had spent the morning doing their damnedest to destroy, hucking rocks at it loudly to the cheers of their father. She also conceived of a like for frogs, and I have to wonder if she will take up batrachology as a field of study later on. For my part, I joined Ms. 8 and her mother on the water for a while, enjoying short floats on borrowed inflatables–but I also made a point of getting in a long nap. I’ve been tired, and for a while; it was nice to be able to rest quietly for a time, and I did feel somewhat refreshed by the time it came to light the grill and start dinner. I appreciate it greatly.

On Friday, we went into the nearby Lost Maples State Natural Area once again, where we went on a hike on the Maple and East Trails. We made it to Monkey Rock before the heat started really getting to people; temperatures reached the century mark (37°C for the metrically inclined), which takes some getting used to. (I used to be used to it, but I’m older now than I was then, and I work an inside job with no heavy lifting.) Some time in the air conditioning later, my wife and daughter found their way back to the upper Sabinal near our cabin, and I spent some time reading. (It was, admittedly, reading for work, but it was also reading I enjoyed doing, and I might well write here about what I read there. Maybe.) Dinner was grill-work for me, which I was pleased to do; it’s a part of outdoor living that I do actually enjoy, indoorsman though I am.

On Saturday, we went to Concan again, floating on the Frio River with the help of Happy Hollow. The river was higher than when we visited last year, and so there were more people in attendance; I am given to understand that it was a much more normal year than last year was. It made for a decidedly different experience, one that I am not sure I enjoyed; the crowds were friendly enough and seemed to be having a good time, and I’m not complaining about them, but I was unable to relax. For one, I was worried about running into people; I’m not the smallest person or the lightest, after all. For another, I was worried about revisiting the approach to drowning; again, I sink with a life-jacket on, and I had flirted with it on the Frio last year. For yet another, parts of the river seemed intent on beating me up; the riverbed punched me in the butt and back several times, and one cypress tree kneed me in the shoulder rather forcefully. Still, my wife and daughter enjoyed it, just as they enjoyed going to the Frio Float for a bit of refreshments afterward. And I was glad to fire up the grill again that evening to make dinner; I usually am.

On Sunday, we made our way back home. My wife and daughter took one more chance to wade in the upper Sabinal as I got our stuff loaded back into our vehicle for the drive back; they enjoyed it, and I’m glad to have facilitated their enjoyment. We did make a stop in Kerrville on the way back, as it was my nephew’s birthday; we had presents for him from our trip, and we enjoyed a lunch and birthday cake with him before his mother came up to take him off to see her family. The drive home thence was easy enough, and after we packed in and got some briefing on Ms. 8’s coming school session, I fired up my home pit and cooked both dinner and some meat to eat across the next several days (we’re still working on it as I write this, in fact). So it was a good day, and one I’m glad to have had.

I’ve got some more fun and adventures coming up in the next weeks. School has started here, and that means football season is soon to follow; I work with the local band, and so I’ll be driving to a number of games, both home and away. Too, I have some travel for work coming up, and there are already some plans for another brief getaway, depending on how matters go for Ms. 8 as she moves through her new coursework. I’m sure I’ll have something or other to say about at least some of what’s coming after I manage to make it through–which is good, because I like to write, and I like to write here.

I’d also like to write for you; fill out the form below to begin!

Or you can send your support along directly!