Colorado Bend State Park

One of the best places to hike in Texas is at Colorado Bend State Park

By Lance Catchings

Hiking is a favorite hobby of many. There is nothing better than getting outdoors in fresh air amongst nature and taking in God’s green earth. Hiking is exercise, relaxation and rejuvenation all wrapped into one, and by the number of hikers seen out on the trails, many Central Texas residents would probably agree.

Located 89 miles northwest of Round Rock lies Colorado Bend State Park, which is situated on the Colorado River. It makes for an amazing day trip, but there is also overnight camping allowed for those interested in a longer stay. The park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and has more than 35 miles of hike-and-bike trails. Due to limits on capacity in these times of COVID-19 resrictions, it is always best to reserve a spot prior to making day trip arrangements. A quick Google search will give hikers turn-by-turn directions from whatever the starting location.

A favorite hike can be a combination of three trails. Start at Spicewood Springs trail, which begins down by the river and works its way up. Spicewood Springs is an intermediate level trail that crosses backand-forth between multiple creeks, hot springs, swimming holes and a few scenic overlooks. Your feet will get wet on this trail and at times you will need your hands for climbing but it is nothing too difficult.

All trails at Colorado Bend are marked by colored poles and ribbons to help visitors stay on the beaten path. Free maps of the trail system are available at the park office, so be sure to pick one up before beginning. Spicewood Springs trail is three miles long and ascending, but is mostly under tall trees, so there is some protection from the sun.

At the top of Spicewood Springs trail, hikers will cross a road and can jump over to the Lemon Ridge Pass Trail. This trail is more open and the terrain changes to a rocky landscape with more cactus. There is minimal protection from the sun on this trail, but it is only about a mile long and almost all descending. At the end, take the River Trail which runs along the Colorado River back towards the park station, day-use area and the beginning of the Spicewood Springs trail. All-in-all it is a roughly a seven-mile hike.

Hiking is a great way to get out in nature, clear your mind from any clutter and can be an amazing workout. Start 2021 off right with a day trip for the mind, body and soul.

Williamson County Pets of the Month

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas – In 2020, Williamson County Animal Shelter celebrated five years as a No-Kill shelter. The facility staff determines its Save Rate by subtracting the non-live numbers of pets from the live intakes. Then that number is divided by the number of live intakes and that is the Save Rate. WCAS serves the communities of Round Rock, Cedar Park, Hutto, Leander and Williamson County. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, those wishing to view the adoptable animals must make an appointment to come into the facility. Animals that are ages five and older are available free of adoption charges to seniors ages 55 and older.

Juliet

Meet Juliet Animal ID 46059241:

Juliet is a domestic shorthair/mix. She is 3 years, 1 month and 19 days old. Her coloring is black, white and orange, and she is small in size. Juliet has been spayed but is not declawed. It is not known if she is housetrained. She has been at the WCAS since November 2020.

Scout

Meet Scout Animal ID 44986010

Scout is big lug of a dog who wants to be your very. best. friend. He is silly and goofy and full of playful energy, the kind of dog that will have you laughing at his antics every day. The kind of dog that has a special knack for bringing a smile to your face, no matter what kind of day you’re having! We’re pretty sure that if you look up the word “dog” in the dictionary, Scout’s picture will be there. :) Scout is dreaming of a forever home with his own person. Is that you? He’s a lucky boy because an Adoption Angel has paid his fee! Email adoption@wilco. org to arrange to meet him. To make an appointment to visit the shelter, send an email to adoption@wilco.org

Resolve to read more with your children

in 2021 By April S. Kelley

It is 2021. Finally.

As we all hope this year will be better than the last, we must also ask ourselves how we can improve our own lives? Even more important, how can we improve the lives of our children?

An easy answer for parents, and something easy to implement, is to do more reading with our children. Reading with children can begin in infancy, or even before they are born, and can continue until they grow up and begin their own lives.

Healthline reported that reading strengthens the brain, increases empathy, builds vocabulary and comprehension, reduces stress, helps alleviate depression symptoms, aids in sleep readiness, lowers blood pressure and heart rate, prevents cognitive decline as a person ages and contributes to living a longer life.

The best way to make sure children develop a lifelong love for reading and reap its amazing benefits is to read with them.

Infants/Toddlers

Most parents know they should be reading to their babies and toddlers. Reading one picture book to a child before bedtime can help him or her for the rest of their life. Plus, bonding over a story with a little one, hearing giggles and watching them learn -- is there anything better?

Elementary Students

Reading with elementary students is just as important as reading with babies and toddlers. At this time, they are soaking up knowledge, learning to write and read.

Let them read books with you, even if it’s just the occasional word. Or if they’re a bit older, take turns reading pages.

After finishing a story, talk about it with your little one. Find out just how incredible their developing minds are when they pick up important ideas, by fully experiencing the story with mom or dad.

Middle School Students

Middle Schoolers experience many new emotional and social situations during these years. That said, the most effective thing a parent can do is to read what their child wants to read. At this point in their lives, the last thing a lot of middle schoolers are concerned with is reading with their parents. Letting them choose a book that truly piques their interest is the way to go.

Parents do not have to read with them, as when they were younger. Let them pick a weekly or bi-weekly book, have them read a chapter by themselves. Then the parent should read the chapter and discuss it with them over dinner to make sure they are comprehending what they read, as opposed to just getting through it.

Parents may be shocked to learn how excited they get about this book they chose to read, one that you are experiencing with them.

Teens

Like middle schoolers, take a similar approach with high school students. Let them choose a book at their grade level, and read it chapter by chapter with them.

Depending on everyone’s schedule, a parent can read a required text the student is already reading for school, such as Shakespeare or Edgar Allan Poe, and help them through it.

And if there’s time, let them choose a nonschool book to read with you.

By this point, the bond parents have built with children through reading will be unbreakable. Their love for knowledge or just talking through ideas with his or her parent will be worth all the time and effort in making reading a priority in their lives.

What to Read?

If there are not many books in a home, the public library can become a parent’s best friend. Be sure to take children along to pick a book, or parents can grab a few reading options for them to choose between.

Also, ask the child to pick something from the school’s library, if time doesn’t allow a trip to the local library. Likewise, parents can find inexpensive second-hand books at thrift stores, garage sales and book fairs.

Still don’t know what books to read?

Scholastic has an excellent source for books listed by grade level, most of which can be found at the local library. See the Scholastic resource for Pre-k through 8th grade here: https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/collections/17-18/guided-reading-book-lists-by-level/. Reading with one’s children doesn’t have to be part of a parent’s “To Do” list, but rather something to look forward to doing with them. It is always a pleasure to see the spectacular person children are becoming with each book they read.

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