What's Been Happening?

I guess it's time to update my blog. It's been a little bit chaotic around here.

HURRICANE HARVEY
The big thing in our family life these past few weeks was Hurricane Harvey. Here in Temple we didn't get more than a couple days of rain and some gusty, but not excessive, wind. But our kids, Chris, Kelsey and the grands, experienced the full force of Harvey. A couple days before Harvey hit land, Kelsey gave a lot of thought to whether she should pack up the kids and head to our house before the storm arrived. But already there were a lot of people evacuating Houston, and the traffic on the roads was not something she really wanted to get caught up in. Besides that, she didn't know how long it might be before she could get back home. In the end, she decided she and the kids would stay home with Chris and ride it out.

They stayed home until the day the city released water from the Addicks Reservoir, near their house (I think that was on Monday, August 28), when they evacuated using their kayak, which they store in their garage. Their camping trailer was stored somewhere else, and they were able to get to it and have it towed to some friends' driveway, where they cozied up for a few days. 

We were all so thankful that our prayers were answered in such a wonderful way. The water never did enter their house, and they were able to return home on Sunday, September 3.

Now they are hosting a family from their church congregation, whose house was destroyed by the flood waters. They are packed in pretty tight, but are thankful to have a house to share, when so many others lost theirs.

These are some pictures that Kelsey sent to me, showing the condition of their neighborhood street when they evacuated.

Kelsey and the kids launching the kayak from their house.

There they are down the street.

Even their cars were spared damage from the flood waters.

DAN'S VOLUNTEER WORK
With summer, comes vintage car races for Dan to work. He worked one in Oklahoma in August, and is looking forward to one near Houston in a couple weeks. Besides working on the tech team, he has also taken on the role of chaplain for the group. His first time to serve in this way was in August, and he was encouraged by the response to his short, early morning devo.

FIRST FOOTBALL GAME OF THE SEASON - SALADO!
Fall means football in a big way in Texas. On September 1, Salado played its first game of the season. We met a group of friends from church at Miller's Smokehouse, a great barbecue place in Belton, for dinner, then we all went to the game, which was held on the campus of Mary Hardin Baylor University (Belton). Salado stomped its rival, Troy, with a final score of 33-0. It was a fun night out.

Salado cheerleaders

Here they come!

In case you can't read that - the final score is 33-0

 ART
I'm really enjoying working with he Salado Village Artists. Most of these artists are far more talented and advanced than I, but that gives me so much opportunity to learn. We held an art camp for Salado school children during the summer. It ran for four Tuesdays in a row, and gave me a chance to work with children, which is one of the loves of my life. Lately my art interests have shifted to watercolor, and I've been trying my hand at making greeting cards.

FUN WITH FRIENDS
We are so blessed with a network of good friends, and they seem to be ready at the drop of a hat to go have fun. Many times we just go out for a meal together, but at other times we go to events, such as concerts. This past Sunday six of us went to lunch after church. We went to Cotton Patch, and the server called our attention to their new appetizer, Chicken Fried Bacon! Talk about a cholesterol party! Since six strips came in one order, Kay decided we really should have the experience, at least once. Oh, my goodness! It really was good.

WORKING WITH FRIENDS
This past Saturday was a work day at the church building. Dan and I were there from about 8:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. It was a wonderful day. So many showed up to do outdoor work - cleaning up the foliage and flower beds, power washing the buildings and sidewalks; and indoor work - cleaning every nook and cranny of classrooms, nursery and bathrooms, and painting some of the classrooms. When we all showed up on Sunday morning, the place was shiny and fresh. Oh, and did I mention . . . some of us went out to lunch after our work was finished. No more chicken friend bacon, though!

The Great American Eclipse

Today was the day many people have been waiting for, the day when a total eclipse marched across much of our nation. Here in central Texas the moon only covered approximately 68 percent of the sun.

Dan and I watched and definitely noticed a dimming of light, but no darkness. Over the entire course of the eclipse, the temperature dropped a couple of degrees, according to our thermometer. Dan used a couple of paper plates to make a pinhole projector, and it worked perfectly. Here's what the eclipse was like at its maximum. The second picture is just an enlargement of the first one.

Oh No!

See these little cards - the size of sports trading cards, but with ancestors on the fronts and interesting personal facts on the backs? I'll actually blog about this - another big project I've taken on - later, when it is finished. Suffice it to say, for now, that on Thursday I picked up a few of the cards from the print shop because they wanted me to fix something in the layout before they printed a preliminary proof-set for me.

They sent me home to make the changes, and let me take all but one of the six cards that they had already printed. I got in the car and tossed them on top of the sliding door that covers a compartment in my center console. Here are a couple pictures of what I mean.

I laid the cards down on top of the little sliding door,  just like I've laid the pen down in this photo.

As you can see, when the door slides open, there's a handy little compartment inside.

I stopped at the first traffic light, and those slippery cards slid forward, and disappeared under the top of the frame (above where the top of the pen is pointing). Two of the cards still had corners sticking out, so I was able to retrieve them. But the other three were gone from view. When I got home I tried to open the compartment, but the door was jammed because of the hidden cards. Oh no!

Dan wasn't able to solve the problem, either, and said I should call the service department and make an appointment. So, on Friday I went down to Georgetown to get some help. The only way to get the cards out and get the sliding door functioning again was to remove the console assembly, AC control head and bluetooth antenna; retrieve the three cards; and reassemble everything. What a surprise: "Retrieving cards from inside the console" is NOT covered under the warranty! Yeah . . . this fun genealogy project is becoming much more expensive than I had anticipated! Ugh!

Just a Little Walk in the Woods

Last evening Dan and I went to Chalk Ridge Falls Park, about a 15-minute drive from our house, and hiked the portion of the trail that leads to the first of two falls - the one that gives its name to the park. I was hoping to get a few pictures, and that's what a got - only a FEW pictures. The sun was still a wee bit too high in the sky for completing the assignments from my great on-line Craftsy.com photography class I'm enrolled in. The park closes at 8:00, so we couldn't stay for the sun to set (about 8:15) and still walk the trail back to the car.

The scenery was lovely. We were in the shade of tall trees almost the entire time. Getting down to the level where I could get some good shots of the falls was a little tricky - steep trail and stairs - but it was worth it.

From the trail

Fishermen on the bank of the river. Pretty steep stairs to get down there.

A little pond

Finally, Chalk Ridge Falls! 

With a fast shutter speed, and . . . 

with a slow shutter speed - all "foamy."

While down at the falls, Dan struck up a conversation with a young couple. We talked for about a half hour, and really enjoyed listening to the fascinating experiences they'd had in their world-travels. They were newly-weds, having gotten married on 7/7/17 in an underwater wedding at Stillhouse Hollow Lake. The young man is a photographer and a diving instructor, and his bride, who was one of his diving students, is from Venezuela.