{Echo} Week 18 - Stripes

  Photo Credits: © Diane Cook (left) © Laura Harrison (right)

Week 18 brings us to a new echo with Chrysti and Susan.
:Stripes:
(Click on picture to enlarge)
Won't you join us?  You can post your pics in the Flickr group, and leave a link to your interpretation in the comment section of either Chrysti or Susan's blog posts.

Once again I turned to my fellow Texas friend, Laura of White Spray Paint, to send her interpretation of the echo, and just as before, she has such a sweet story to tell.

Laura says this:

So many things in my home are tied to memories of my mother.
These plantation shutters may as well be a doll propped on my bed, just as I did as a little girl; they are that memorable.
They remind me of my mother.
Why? Because she wanted these for me.
In her wonderful, eclectic, elegant, traditional way of bringing a house to life, she too dreamed of the day when I could have them too.
Aren't mothers that way?
And so, years ago when they were installed, and she was no longer here to physically stand next to me, I stood in the middle of the house with workmen all around, and I wept.
They were indeed so beautiful.

My picture comes with a story as well, but at the same time I thought I'd share a little more about where I have been for the last week. 

It will all tie together at the end!

  You see, my husband and I have been away on a mini RV trip to a nearby lake.  Big Creek Marina on Lake Sommerville to be exact.  

One of a couple of trips we take each summer with my BIL and SIL. 

We each have a RV,but my BIL and SIL have a beautiful '03 Airstream they bought from an older couple, which was and still is, in perfect condition.  They love it, and I love to take pictures of it, as the shiny metal exterior always puts a gleam in my eye! 

Each morning we rolled out of bed, poured our coffee into a stainless steel carafe and headed outside to sit and look at the water.  We'd sit there soaking in the fresh air, talking about our plans for the day.  Most mornings we were the only people stirring, so all we could hear was the clean sound of nature and a faint engine roar from fishermen heading out to fish somewhere in the distance across the lake.

 I can't tell you how relaxing it is, to not get up at before the crack of dawn, get dressed, catch the Metro bus to downtown Houston, and get to work by 6:30 a.m.  Early yes, but the great trade off for me is I get off work at 3:30 pm!
Ahhh, this was the best remedy to the fast everyday pace I live in.

Lake Sommerville proved to be the perfect place to 
watch children build sand castles.

 Watch people go by in fast moving boats.

 

 Watch birds looking for breakfast,

which included our state bird, 

(the mockingbird)

white egrets,

and my favorite,
scissortails
(which should be our state bird =)
I haven't seen this many

scissortails since I was a little girl.   
Each day I would systematically try to count the number of scissortails I would see.  
I always lost count.

We actually did have one planned event each day.  

We would walk each morning around 9 o'clock.  This particular day we walked down around the park and past the boat ramp.  While passing by a large wild blooming shrub, I noticed all the butterflies

and bees, busily feeding on the bright white blooms.

Bees are quite elusive.  I didn't have the lens to capture it as closely as I wanted, 
but I actually can see all the pollen on its body in this shot!

So, here I am at the point of sharing my interpretation of 
:stripes:
  You see, my BIL and SIL always have a patriotic theme at their campsite.

It begins with their picnic table cover and their party lights, 
and now to a new set of river, or in this case,
lake chairs.

Yes, we use them while sitting in the water under an easy up tent!  
And, there are more stars and stripes there too!
Each day, right after we finished our walk (and breakfast), we would trek down to the water, where my DH and BIL would set up our tent.  Just shy of the water's edge, 
but fully in the water. 

You know this is how we cool off in Texas! 
In the summer.
If we can't go to a flowing river, we get in a nearby lake!

Talk about relaxing!

God Bless Texas!