Colorado River View for Monday's Country Backroads.....

 

Don't let the photo fool you...

Just beyond the tall grass in the foreground, is a

 200' drop-off.

 

What you see are the tops of trees,

 with the swollen Colorado River below.

 

The two storms that moved through here a couple of days ago,

 have left the river beyond the banks.

Click

HERE

to read a previous post

About The Bluff.

 

 

This place is special to me.

 Let go

 Consider

Contemplate

Clear your head

 

It's Monday....

Onward

 

Meggie Mac 

Fresh Look After the Rain Falls.....for Monday's Country Backroads

 

My camera skills consist of "point and click".

 In spite of that, often I'm lucky enough to capture some nice photos.

What I believe I do have is an eye for composition.

 

The above photo came about yesterday,

 while traveling to a neighboring town....

through a driving rain storm.

 

The rain passed, and the sky began to lighten enough

 to get a few quick shots near The Bluff.

 

Click HERE

to remind yourself of The Bluff...

a spot I frequently photograph.

 

 

You can see the beauty in the background....

as the trees rise up the back side of The Bluff.

 

So...here we are again with a new week before us.

The possibilities are endless....

Meggie Mac

 

Linking today with Tom,

and The Barn Collective

 

Click HERE

to view Tom's amazing photography skills

 and other barns from around the world.

 

Stone Fencing with a View...for Friday Fences

 

For me, stone fences conjure up all kinds of questions.

Example:

who did the actual work, how did they gather all of them to this location...

and, maybe the year they were set into place.

 

Can you imagine the labor that went into this project?

 

It's not like they had the option of Home Depot,

 to order a pallet of stone delivered.

 

I know this first hand from laying my own berm of stone.

 

 

It's quite obvious, from the first photo, I'm short on experience.

 

I put mine down, in the back garden area,

to slow down the flow of water from heavy rains.

 

 

And, here I am again, at The Bluff,

with one foot on the stone fence,

 looking at the Colorado River almost 200 feet below.

 

The sun has been out all day,

but the river is still swollen with Harvey's flood waters.

Meggie

 

Linking today with Gosia and

Fences From Around the World

Click HERE

 to view other fences.

Hurricane Harvey Touches Lives on the Prairie

 

The Bluff, as it is called by the locals, is one of

 my favorite places to photograph.

 

Just 10 days ago,

 I made a quick trip over to find some peace and reflection time,

 so easily found on this spot.

 

Don't let the photo deceive you....

I am standing 200 feet above the river.

There is a sharp drop-down.

 

Less than a week later, Harvey hit the coast of Texas,

 dumping some 52 inches of rain near here.

 

Today the road was finally opened

 so I might come back and photograph the changes. 

 

 

Monday, the river crested at 54 feet, leaving a path of destruction behind.

 

You can see one of the bridges in the far distance,

 on the upper right hand side.

 

 

Today, that bridge is still shut down.

 

Here is a link to show some aerial views.

LaGrange Flooding From Harvey

 

 

This is what swift moving water can do.

 

 

 

I photographed for awhile....

but it made me so sick,

 I had to stop and return home.

 

My home, which is about 20 miles away on higher ground,

 had 4 straight days of rain, day and night, along with very strong winds...

Nothing to complain about...

Thankful is what I am today.

Very Thankful

Meggie

 

One of My Favorite Spots....for Friday Fences

 

If you are looking for some quiet time...

I suggest a visit to The Bluff

 

Standing in the shade of the trees,

 the over-look below is spectacular.

 

Do you see the Colorado River below?

 

There is no admission charge to this

beautiful Texas State Park.

FREE....one of my favorite words.

Meggie Mac

 

 

Joining with Theresa at The Run Around Ranch

Click HERE

to view other fences from around the world

 

Simple Beauty....for Friday's Fences

 

Sharing my early morning spot with you, my dear readers.....

a little taste of the land I love so much.

 

The camera captured this early hour, with me directing the camera to the east.

It is still cool this morning and the air is filled with the scent of cut grass.

 

The trees rising 220 feet, in the background, are part of the area called The Bluff. Click  HERE  to read another story about the area. Or look at my tags on the right side of the page, and click on The Bluff.

 

 

Large round bales of hay lined up....

Ready to feed the cattle in the winter months.

 

click on photo for a better view

Hope your Friday is off to a good start...

Meggie Mac

 

 

Joining with Theresa at The Run a Round Ranch.

Click  HERE to enjoy other fences from around the world.

 

On the Hunt....with Wild Bird Wednesday

 

Looking for a post title was not easy. The Black Vulture is a scary looking creature.

 

 

I was on the Bluff, where I have taken so many photos of nature. Click HERE to read a post about the historical brewery on The Bluff.

 

 

The Bluff is an area about 200' high, overlooking the Colorado River and the nearby small town.

 

 

I was afraid if I tried to get closer, my movements would make him fly away. The Colorado River is in the background.

 

 

We must not forget, the Black Vulture plays a very important, but many times under-appreciated role, in the ecosystem.

 

 

Either, he doesn't know I am watching....or, he does know, and isn't threaten by me.

Meggie Mac

 

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas...Everywhere You Go

 

One of my favorite places to photograph is on The Bluff. Click HERE to read other posts about this historical landmark, located just a few miles from where I live.

 

 

The Texas Park is gearing up for it's annual Festival of Lights.

 

 

Decorations are in the process of being installed and strands of lights are ready to dazzle us in the evening.

 

 

Red bows accent yards and yards of garland.

 

The Kreische Historial Home will be open on the week ends before Christmas, with lights burning brightly.

 

 

A rear view of the old Smoke House.

 

 

The park is a photographers' feast...

 

 

Natural stone dots the countryside.

 

 

One lone summer flower holds on, after near freezing weather this past week.

 

 

Shrubbery, with red berries, add to the Christmas atmosphere.

 

 

The Bluff rises 220 feet to give this magnificent view. The river winds its' way through the small community below.

 

 

Beautiful views each step of the way.

 

 

Hope you enjoyed my afternoon on The Bluff.

And to think...there is no admission charge!

Meggie Mac

 

 

Monday's Country Back Roads

In my imagination, I could write a short story about a life, at the end of this road. The one lane road appears to travel to the high sandstone plateau, known as The Bluff.

Just on the other side of the plateau, the rolling hills begin. This is where I call home.

Click on Photo

In the early morning light, the trees can still be seen in their grey winter coats.

Looking at the picturesque site, I see in the distance, a barn nestled beside the rising landscape.

What a peaceful view to start Monday morning....

Meggie Mac

A Tale for a Scottish Lass

I discovered this tree in the beloved state park on The Bluff, near where I live. It is one of the picturesque places I so often post about.

A very helpful Park Ranger, with a great deal of imagination, gave me this wonderful tale to embellish my photo for Valentine's Day.

   The heart was left when we trimmed a branch from another tree that was growing nearby. The branch landed on the thinner end and bounced an improbable direction, striking the other tree.

    The tree that was trimmed has since died. So, maybe, it was making sure the heart tree would never forget it.

I feel a love story is written in-between-the-lines of this tale, where one heart touched another heart...

Happy Valentine's Day
Meggie Mac

Brewery on the Bluff

Midday, as I was returning to the farm, I took a side trip to The Bluff.

To reach this scenic view, I had to walk up several steep inclines. This may not look too difficult to you, but keep in mind, it was 93 degrees today.

The bluff is a very high point overlooking the Colorado River and one of the towns that is 7 miles from the farm. I have written several post about this town, including the Colorado River. If you click on the photo, you can see the bridge I photographed for another post.

There is so much history in this one spot, that I cannot do it justice in a single post. Today, I will concentrate on the brewery and home of Heinrich Ludwig Kreische.

After the end of the Mexican War in 1848, many Germans and Czechs began to arrived in Texas. They were attracted to this area because of cheap, fertile farm land and a mild climate. The tree covered hilly landscape, reminded the immigrants of home.

Heinrich Kreische came to America in 1846 from Saxony, Germany. He raised a family of 6 with his wife, Josepha Appelt. The home was built in two stages. Kreische, a master stonemason by trade, constructed numerous buildings in the county.  .

In this ravine are the remains of his brewery he began building in 1860. By the middle of the Civil War, Kreische Bluff Beer, was being commercially produced.

The Bluff, overlooking the Colorado River, and the land I have been walking today, is truly a part of this community's heritage.

I hope these photos give you a sense of what the land is like, in my small part of the world.... I call Home.

Meggie Mac