Hiker. Blogger. Photographer. CrossFitter. Dog Owner. Austinite.
Austin Outdoors
Last Lake Day of Summer
Aug 23rd
Sunset from West Beach Marina on Lake Travis
Sunday was most likely my last “Lake Day” of this summer, as my pal Chris will be pulling his boat out of the water for the season next week. An intrepid crew of seven rode the faithful Cracker I and a pair of jet skis to a quiet cove on the north side of the lake, then over to Devil’s Cove, where the party was winding down. It was scorching hot, and the water felt more like a bathtub, but a great day was had by all.
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Underwater, in the Water
Aug 1st
Chris swims in the Barton Springs pool on a hot afternoon.
In anticipation of next week’s trip to Puerto Rico, I needed an excuse to test out a new underwater camera, the Fuji Finepix XP10. So Barton Springs pool was the first test area. It was also hot as blazes in Austin this weekend, so the cold spring-fed pool was perfect. Most of the shots were lousy thanks to lousy water quality and the fact that my eyes were above the water as I was trying to shoot in the water. Perhaps with goggles, the results would have been better.
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Murph Day
Jul 6th
The athletes, coaches, and spectators who stayed through the bitter end of heat number four pose for a Murph Day photo outside CrossFit Austin's box.
On Saturday morning, I took on the “Murph,” a grueling workout in honor of a fallen hero, Lt. Michael Murphy, who died serving our country in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005 (Read about his heroism here.). In his honor, Crossfitters take this challenge the weekend of the Fourth of July. For CrossFit Austin, it was the second annual Murph Day and my first time to take on the full workout.
“Murph” begins with a 1-mile run. Back in the gym, the athlete performs 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, and 300 squats in any combination or order. A final 1-mile run caps the workout.
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Lake Day, With Great Lighting
Jun 20th
Couldn't ask for better lighting as we wrap up a great day on the lake.
Had a great day on the lake today, with some great lighting at the end as I pull the boat up to the dock. Couldn’t ask for better lighting or camera angle! Thanks Steph!
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Beating the Heat, Eventually
Jun 13th
Chisos and I try to beat the heat on a muggy summer Saturday.
Early summer in Austin has been hot and muggy, with high humidity and sauna-like temperatures. Beating the heat hasn’t been easy. Chisos and I tried to enjoy an afternoon outside, but it wasn’t easy, until our pal Chris decided to take an evening cruise on Lake Travis.
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Camping, Lake and Pools
Jun 4th
Chris prepares for a ride behind the jet ski.
The last two weekends saw much-needed aquatic recreation. Afternoons on Chris’ boat sandwiched around two nights of Africa-hot camping at Grelle. We spent as much time as possible in the water, as the early summer here in Austin has been a scorcher.
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Grelle Camping Weekend
Apr 25th
Chisos and I enjoy a beautiful spring Saturday beside Lake Travis at our Grelle recreation park campsite -- the 2500th photo posted on jeffblaylock.com.
Chisos and I spent a restful weekend with good friends at Grelle, a Lower Colorado Recreation Authority park on the southern shore of Lake Travis. This is a favorite camping area for us, and this time the lake was high. We arrived Friday night and got our shelter set up before a series of thunderstorms moved in. Walter, Suzanne, Kennedy, and I watched the storms under my canopy for a while before retiring for the night. The storms cleared by sunrise, and we enjoyed two straight wonderful sunny days.
The bluebonnets were beautiful.
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