water feature

We walked this morning across the Canyon Lake dam, a mile over and a mile back, looking southeastward towards the canyon valley nurturing the Guadelupe River as it curves and bends towards New Braunfels, looking westward towards the lake, its blue waters reflecting the blue sky, its shoreline gravel, its skyline the dark green hills of this part of the Texas hill country.

It was briskly cool this morning, and certainly standing 100 feet or so up in the air, it feels as if the air across the dam is probably the coolest in the area. We walk on a paved road that runs along the earthen dam. The dog runs ahead on the leash. The sun rose. This is paradise of sun and good weather.

There are warnings about grassfires. The weather forecast calls for several more clear days of 70+ degrees (F), and with no moisture in the soil, the dried grasses and shrubs are tender ready to ignite.

I worked some in the garden this afternoon, helping cut back blue plumbago that had had already dried from an earlier freeze. We started yesterday on making a little fountain. It started with buying a painted pot that is flat on one side, as if the pot had been turned over. We got a galvanized tub, a plant stand and a water pump. We half-buried the tub, and put the plant stand on the edge, with one of its three legs in the tub, the other two sunk into the dirt. Using goop, we sealed the tube that goes into the pot. Tomorrow we will hook up the pump, add water, and hopefully, water will fill up the shallow pot, pour over its lip into the tub. This is in a bed by the door. There will be plants around the tub. Simple, easy. Hope it works!

We all ate lunch on the deck. A mother deer walked up to the edge, with her large wide ears and big black eyes, demanding to be fed something. And then her small offspring. And then the dad, with big antlers. They stayed for a bit and then moved on.

Franklin the dog got out this afternoon and wandered along the rocks here that overlook the lake, going into people's backyards. I was barefooted and tried to run without gashing my feet and without encouraging him to breakout and run away. He likes leaping from rocks and crags, and went hopping up and around at a leisurely rate. Partner helped catch him. I sulked with visions of a dog lost or hurt mixed with anger at myself and at the dog. Tonight, he is staying close to me, a far cry from his studied indifference to my pleas and attempts to bring him in from his escape.