A walk in the park

On the very edge of the west side of Lake Ray Hubbard, you can find the Rowlett Nature Trail.  When looking for different places to muddy up our hiking boots this summer, this one looked promising.  Lots of suggestions in an Internet search were turning up paved paths in pretty parks, and those are nice, but we wanted to see dirt and trees and critters.  Cas has a pair of Red Wing hiking boots all the way from beautiful Red Wing, Minnesota.  Through no small coincidence, he also has a wife who is from Red Wing, Minnesota.  Needless to say, he likes wearing the boots while hiking with the wife.  A paved path simply won't do.  

So we set out this morning to find a little bit of nature.  

It was a nice walk, though not a really challenging hike.  It was three miles total, so it wasn't really that far.  We wore long pants, as several Internet comments mentioned snakes, and we didn't want to find out the hard way that our ankles and calves might just be delicious.  It rained pretty hard yesterday, so we did get the opportunity to trudge about in some mud.  There was also the kind of humidity I have heard referred to as "air you can wear."  No matter, though, we had a good time.  

Dallas weather has been pretty kind to us this summer.  We still haven't hit 100, and most days, we don't make it north of 95 degrees.  Hardly seems like the end of June, if you ask me.  It's all for the best, though.  If we have to socially distance and do outdoor things to stay safe and CoVid-free, we're pretty happy Mother Nature is cooperating.  

If you are interested, parking is free, the trail is also free to use, and aside from a difficult-to-find entrance from the main road, the rest is easy.  

Map: https://goo.gl/maps/PHwEdyuRsDkKofq79

Website: https://www.ci.rowlett.tx.us/Facilities/Facility/Details/23

Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2XJ3mX7a61qq3KRj7

La dolce vita

About a week and a half ago, I got a new job.  It was a long time coming.  There were two and a half years of grad school, tests, practicum hours (like an internship) and lots of time spent searching job sites.  I applied in six different independent school districts for a school librarian job.  Because I want to stay with middle or high school kids, I saw exactly seven jobs even come up.  I managed to interview for four of them, and when a job offer came, Cas was ready with a very cool gift.  To congratulate me, he purchased a virtual tour of a Tuscan vineyard.  

It was supposed to be a real time tour of the vineyard, hosted by the friendly, smiling Italian man in the image they used in the promotion.  Cas booked it, and the company cancelled.  He booked it another day, and they cancelled again.  Maybe no one else booked, and it wasn't worth the hassle for our fee alone.  Cas had already purchased three bottles of wine from the region as a part of his super-thoughtful gift, so he came up with something even cooler.  He projected his computer to our living room TV and used Google Earth to "travel" to where the wines were from.  He even started at he airport, then "flew" us across the ocean to Italy.  After zooming in on the first vineyard, we went to the bar for a tasting.  Here's what my super creative and thoughtful guy came up with: 

We went to the couch (tour bus), traveled to the next vineyard (on Google Earth) and stepped off the bus to go to the tasting room (the bar between our living room and our kitchen).  For good measure, I found a Pandora station that played The Three Tenors.  Seemed correct.  

After the tasting tour, we poured a pair of glasses full and watched a few YouTube presentations from different Tuscan vineyards.  We rounded out the evening by eating lasagna and watching The Italian Job, because why not?  I didn't leave the house all day, but we spent the afternoon in Italy.  How cool is that? 

Photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2XJ3mX7a61qq3KRj7

The show must go on

Last night brought a new socially distant adventure in the form of a throwback activity.  We went all the way to the city of Ennis and watched a movie.  I wouldn't go to a regular movie theater at this point in time, even if we were somehow able to do so- and I have no idea if they are even open.  What we did was head to a drive in theater.  There are a few peppered around the area, and the other one we considered was in Fort Worth, but in the end, we went to the one in Ennis, because they seemed to have the most well constructed plan on their website for how to deal with operating while implementing Coronavirus safety measures.  

The theater plays second run movies, and last night, we decided that, of the available options, it would be pretty great to watch Jurassic Park on the big screen.  Nothing like watching dinosaurs from your car under the moon and stars.  

Typically, the drive in would not allow outside food and beverage, but they've made an exception for the current situation.  We didn't take too much advantage, though.  We only brought water, and we didn't even drink that much, because they say on their website that they're hoping people will use their bathrooms for emergencies only.  Gotcha loud and clear- stay in your darn car.  Done and done.  We took my car and put the top down, but most of the people there were good about sticking in or around their vehicles.  When anyone got within a few feet of our car, we put on masks and waited for them to leave.  Still, once the movie started, it ceased to be a concern.  We did each venture to the bathroom, but we showed up an hour early for a two hour movie, and the drive was quite a haul.  Bound to happen.  

Anyhow, it was a fun experience, and I think Cas and I can both recommend a trip to Ennis if you're interested.  I don't think we'd head back a whole lot more this summer, as it takes a full hour in the car each direction from our house, but we may see one more movie before school starts.  Here's what you need to know:

The website said the movie starts at 8:30 and you should go early.  We went on a Thursday, and it seemed we could have arrived right at 8:30 and still been fine.  They actually started our movie just after 9, though it may have to do with how recently the summer solstice was and how late sunset is happening these days.  I don't know how crowded the weekends are.  

If you have a portable, battery operated radio, bring it.  If you don't, by a $10 radio somewhere.  The audio for the movie plays on an FM station, so you need to tune in.  If you don't want to have your car sit and idle for two hours or drain its battery by operating the car radio while the engine is off, just get something that you can operate separately from your vehicle.  As a bonus, if you tune in to the correct station before the movie starts, they will have a DJ playing pop music from the late 50s and early 60s.  Not every song will be a winner, but it certainly sets the mood.  

Check the weather before you leave the house.  It was perfect last night.  It did not rain, and the weather dipped from the low 80s to the high 70s while we sat and watched the dinosaurs.  There was also a pretty spectacular breeze.  I would try for a night like that, even if your car has a permanent roof.  Roll the windows down.  It's pretty great.  

There is a downside.  The bathrooms are pretty gross.  They have proper plumbing, and everything functions correctly, but you get to share your space with a lot of flies.  Think highway rest stop.  And when you do go, wear a mask, stick a Kleenex or a baby wipe in your pocket and throw a small hand sanitizer bottle in the other pocket.  We used the baby wipe to open/close the door, latch it shut, flush, operate the sink handles and get back out of the bathroom.  After that, you're on to sanitize your hands on the way back to the car. 

Other minor downsides are the distance from home and the presence of cigarette (and other) smoke, though the space is pretty open and the smoke dissipates quickly.  

All in all, a good entertainment option for a socially distant summer.  Nothing fancy, but a unique experience.  Here is the view as I was walking back from the bathroom:

Tickets are $8 for adults, $4 for kids

They have what I am told is a very good concession stand, though we skipped it.

Website here: http://www.galaxydriveintheatre.com/

Naturally, photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2XJ3mX7a61qq3KRj7

Paella and sangria

One year ago, Cas and I were in Valencia.  We went to a cooking class with award winning chef (and International Ambassador of Paella) David Montero.  When we took the class, we snapped a photo of the recipe that was sitting out on the table.  I also took a lot of notes while the cooking was going on.  When we got home, we made paella a few times, but it kind of trailed off during the school year.  It's pretty involved.  Yesterday, exactly a year from our cooking class, we made paella.  

We made some sangria and listened to Tuna music.  Enjoy a few tunes.  

If you would like to try the recipe, it's here. 

The seasoning we use is here. 

And, of course, we took photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2XJ3mX7a61qq3KRj7

Row your boat

Today's social distancing win: Kayaking.  We decided to head out on a lake and rent a pair of kayaks.  We checked out the White Rock Paddle Company today.  At the current time, they are open Wednesdays through Sundays, and the kayaks are $20/hour.  It was the perfect day and the perfect activity.  We've been feeling a little cooped up, lately.  I have been searching for a new job (just got one!) and Cas has been decompressing from the long semester.  We packed some bottled water, a ton of sunscreen and our really cheap baseball caps that we typically use on river floats.  We booked in advance, as their new business model demands, and we paid online.  The White Rock Paddle Company apparently changed its payment processes so nobody has to touch anything in order to do business.  

We got in our kayaks, wiped down the oars and roamed the lake for an hour and a half.  It was a really fun thing to do, and today was a beautiful day to do it.  The wind was in our faces on the way out, and the water was surprisingly choppy for a portion of the time.  We went out farther than the other folks who rented kayaks at the same time as us, and we saw a lot of pretty shores and a cool bridge.  We managed to take some water into our kayaks- thank God Cas keeps some ratty, old towels in his car.  

All in all, it was a pretty perfect activity if you need to stick around Dallas.  We're definitely going back to this rental company, and there is a pretty good chance we will check out other kayak rentals at different lakes before the summer is over.  We can both recommend this company- they have a great location and decent prices.  Do the reservations online from your computer, though.  Their interface is pretty tough to use, and it's worse from a phone.  

Photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2XJ3mX7a61qq3KRj7

If you are interested: https://www.whiterockpaddle.com/index.html

$19.99/hour + tax, not including gratuity

Dinner and a show

Last night, Cas and I had a socially distant dinner and a show date.  We started outside.  While I do an awful lot of the indoor cooking, he runs the grill.  Anything cooked outside over fire is all Cas.  Last night, he grilled a pair of steaks and a couple ears of corn.  We combined that with a few other side dishes, and it was a very nice meal.  

After dinner, we logged in to a show.  We've been to the Pocket Sandwich Theater many times before, and their shows are always fun.  They are the folks who encourage you to boo the bad guy and throw popcorn at actors.  Given how tightly packed the space usually is when they do live shows, the online option was pretty smart.  

What it boiled down to was folks at home watching what looked like a Zoom call.  The actors were on screen in a grid pattern.  The premise was that some money went missing at a company, and one of the six people on the screen was the culprit.  From there, folks watching from their homes gathered clues, and during the intermission, we all had the opportunity to send in our guess as to which of the six was the thief.  

It was pretty cute.  We didn't arrive at the right conclusion, but it was certainly more interactive than scrolling through the Netflix cue.  

I am not sure if Pocket Sandwich is doing this sort of thing again, but I think we'd pass.  Once was cute, but I'm not sure they can keep the concept fresh for a second iteration.  Still, I have never been to dinner and a show like this: 

Website: https://www.pocketsandwich.com/

Cost: $10/device, additional donations encouraged

Xing Street

The bike trail we use most often is called Preston Ridge Trail.  It runs North-South and starts at a point that is 1.3 miles from our house.  When you ride this trail, it crosses several streets and a set of railroad tracks.  There are painted notifications on the pavement itself that tell you to prepare for crossing the street or the railroad tracks, and they are written so that the words look like they're in reverse order.  XING is above STREET.  

I get the need for brevity.  If you are moving fast, you need to know there is a street to cross just ahead, and you don't want to waste time with extra letters.  Crossing becomes Xing.  Naturally, we pronounce Xing as though it was a Chinese word.  It sounds a little like Jing.  

So, today, we rode down Xing Street for a while in the morning.  

Fun fact: Cas looked up Xing to see if it was a Chinese word.  Bingo.  It has several meanings, but my favorite one says it's a Chinese verb meaning do, travel, walk or go.  Pretty apt definition, if you ask me...  

Here is a current trail map- the green ones are best: https://www.dallasparks.org/DocumentCenter/View/5362/City-of-Dallas-Hike-and-Bike-Trail-Network-Existing

The animals are not the problem

Today, Cas and I went to Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch.  It's an entirely outdoor facility with animal enclosures and information about the creatures they have housed there.  There are bears, monkeys, lemurs, sloths, kangaroos, camels and tons of other critters.  It was all very interesting, and the animals were quite active.  Typically, if you were to go to the Dallas Zoo, for example, most of the enclosures feature animals large and small, lounging around with not much to do.  At this place, though, the animals were active.  The bears were playing and splashing in a bath.  The lemurs were practically bouncing around.  You can buy a bag of food for $3 and feed certain animals.  Cas and I fed miniature horses and camels.

The only reliably lazy animals the whole time were the lone crocodile and the kangaroos.  They were pretty unimpressed with the visiting humans.  

I don't think I would recommend Sharkarosa to people who are trying to do a good job of social distancing, though.  The animals were fine, but the humans were another story.  Of course, the people who worked there were behaving very well.  They wore masks when interacting with others and stayed appropriately distant, observing good safety protocols, but the clientele was decidedly different.  They huddled together in shaded spaces, sitting nearly on top of one another during presentations.  They stood in the center of walkways, and very few of them wore masks.  As careful as I am when I just go to the grocery store, I am not about to rub elbows (or anything else) with folks who don't feel the need to practice a little bit of what I now regard as common courtesy.  

We were very careful, and more than once, we hung around in a spot we wanted to leave, just to make time for everyone in our path to vacate.  It was pretty frustrating, but the great thing about Cas is that he was on the same page.  Neither of us wanted to walk through a narrow space while someone was coming the other direction.  We may be vigilant at best and paranoid at worst, but we are really trying to get the social distancing right.  When we saw everything we wanted and noticed that more people were coming in the entrance gates, we made our decision to head back to the house.  Sharkarosa is fine, but the humans leave something to be desired.  Since they are not open on weekdays, there is almost no chance we are heading back there until there is a vaccine or a good treatment protocol for the Coronavirus.  After that, we may just enjoy the whole thing.  

Photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2XJ3mX7a61qq3KRj7 

If you are interested: https://www.sharkarosa.com/, $24/2 people, $12/2 people with Groupon: https://www.groupon.com/deals/sharkarosa-wildlife-ranch-14

Who are you?

The thing Cas and I do every Christmas and birthday is try to come up with a cool activity instead of a tangible gift.  We each had homes before we bought a house together, so we had more stuff than we knew what to do with when we moved in.  We put half of that stuff in boxes and bags and gave it to whatever charity was willing to pluck it off the porch whichever day we were ready to donate.  We don't need stuff.  

Christmas of 2019 brought us two things to do.  We already played Whirly Ball before the world turned on its head, which is good, because it's a group game with a ball and some goofy bumper cars.  It just seems like a lot of contact in a CoVid world.  What we had to wait for was the concert.  He wanted to see The Who when they passed through Dallas last month.  I think you can guess what happened, there.  I got the first email saying the show had been postponed indefinitely.  The second email said the whole deal was off, and a refund was on the way.  Bummer.  He wanted to see them.  So, we developed an alternative.  Thank you, YouTube.

We had several shows to choose from, and the final decision came down to a show from 2017 and one from 1982.  Both strong contenders, but in the end, we selected the 38 year old show.  Rather than the reality of what we may have seen at the American Arilines Center, we opted for the band in their prime.  They were younger, fitter, and very energetic.  

If course, we tried to have the full concert experience.  We poured beer into plastic cups.  

We did consider the comedy (only for a moment) of throwing $30-$40 out the back door of our house as we held the plastic cups, just to have the full experience of paying too much during a rock show.  We opted to keep the wallets closed, though.  

And because I had the amazing good fortune to marry someone fun, there was a break between songs when Cas disappeared up the stairs and returned with a beach ball.  Of course.  

All in all, a great success.  We joked about lines at the bathroom and how long it would be before the parking lot cleared out.  Had we actually attended a show in person, he theorized we would have found a nice bar in the neighborhood and wait for the rest of the crowd to dissipate before driving home.  To that end, we sat at the bar between our living room and our kitchen and had a post-show cocktail.  

So, it wasn't exactly the full concert experience, but at the moment, it's as close as anyone should probably come.  

Socially distant

The usual summer travel habits Cas and I have established so far have to change this year.  In fact, they had to start changing at spring break.  If this had been a normal year, there would be a series of entries in this blog from March about the trip we fully intended to take to New Orleans.  Alas, the novel Coronavirus has changed everything.  Walk into any public space, and all of the sudden, people are in face masks.  The world turned sideways for a bit- I mean, there was absolutely no toilet paper at grocery stores or warehouse stores for over a month.  People stopped getting their hair cut.  The young and healthy were encouraged to behave on behalf of the older and infirm.

In parallel to that, of course, our summer travel plans withered on the vine.  Maybe next year...  We were going to travel to major cities exclusively within the US, but now, it seems, we are sticking even closer to the house than that.  Still, the fact remains that we are teachers with a whole summer stretching out before us, and fun stuff needs to be done.  

So, here we go.  Cas had his last meeting or whatever work-ish thing he did yesterday.  I had my last day of work on Thursday of last week.  We are free until somewhere in August, and certainly, we don't intend to spend the entire summer holed up in the house.  But how do we keep ourselves virus-free while having a good time?  It will take some strategy, to be sure.  Today's strategic move: The Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area Nature Preserve.  

Cas and I packed a few sandwiches, a few apples, some hand sanitizer, bug spray, wipes, etc. and headed off for a hike.  They have several hiking trails, there, and we walked the majority of one, switching to another for the most shade on our trip back to the car.  We saw the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, a log home from 1869 and plenty of bugs, flowers and butterflies.  It was a good first thing to do, and a nice way to dip a toe in the water, so to speak.  We have now ventured out of the house for something besides groceries, takeout food and socially distant lawn chair happy hours.  All in all, a great start to a rather unusual summer.  More to come.  

Photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2XJ3mX7a61qq3KRj7 

If you are interested: Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area- $5/car- https://www.llela.org/llela-home