Late Fall

— Fall seems to often come late in Central Texas. Whereas some areas get a beautiful display of fall foliage, here in Central Texas that may happen as late as December or January. Here we are in November, and although we had a strong cold front last week, this week we are experiencing temperatures in the upper 70s. In fact, that trend will continue through next week with highs even reaching the low 80s.

The photo above was made in February 2019. It was a very mild and sunny winter day at Pedernales Falls SP. As close as that park is to Austin, it is very easy to go for a hike there at a moment’s notice. If you hike a little past of the falls area, you can experience the beauty and tranquility of the Pedernales River all to yourself. These cypress roots you see on the photo can be a tad difficult to walk around, but the sound of the rushing waters and the scene itself are worth every effort.

As I post this the day after the 2020 elections, I can’t help but notice how close Texas came to being blue — just like the river above. The large metropolitan areas were again overwhelmingly Democrat, but the rest of the Texas commanded the final results. That is the beauty of democracy no matter how often some people try to change and corrupt it.