“After the divorce, I decided that our house was going to be way too big for my family in a couple years. My kids were going to be out, and it would be this five-bedroom home with just me. We talked about selling it right then, but decided to hang on to it a few more years.

“I didn’t have a grand plan for what I would do or where I would go. But I did love the Hill Country, and always dreamed of living there. I’m big into nature. Before I became a teacher, I worked for environmental agencies and nonprofits. So I wanted to be where I had easier access to state parks and stuff that I really love.

“When my boyfriend, Eric Anderson, and I started dating, that was something we had in common. We talked about moving in this direction once our kids were a little older.

“Then I heard about an opening in Dripping Springs ISD, and I was offered a position at the middle school doing yearbook. When I got the job, Eric suggested that we look for an RV park and buy an RV. Since I love camping and being outdoors, that sounded great. So I came up here and went to like 12 different RV parks, and I found this beautiful little place. The way it’s laid out reminds me of a state park.

“I love that I now spend so much more time out in nature. With a small space, you live very minimalistically, and you don’t stay inside a lot. You get out. You go hiking. We cook our meals, and bring them outside to eat. We set up a projector outside for movie nights.

“I used to get the itch to go camping all the time. I’d watch the weather and try to plan things, so I could pack my stuff quickly and go on weekends. But I don’t feel the urge to do that so often now because I live only 15 minutes from Pedernales Falls State Park. If I want to go, I just go.

“It was difficult to part with the house. It was in the family so many years. It’s where I grew up and my kids grew up. But it was time for a change for us and for the kids. We wanted to shake things up, get them out of their comfort zone, and be a model for taking risks and trying new things. We just love it.”

— Laurie Adcox Haffelfinger

Both of their daughters moved into the same RV park, living in their own places. “We’re all right there in a little triangle together.”

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Before our coronavirus staycation began in earnest, me and the Mrs. escaped for a quick trip east of our Baytown home to check out a few of our favorite things. In one day we hit up Sea Rim State Park in Sabine Pass, Village Creek State Park in Lumberton, and Big Thicket National Preserve in Kountze. As you might have guessed, we were pretty tired by nightfall. But all that hiking was worth it. Not only to help celebrate her birthday, but to enjoy lots of fresh air, nature and peacefulness in the midst of this weird moment in time.

At Sea Rim, we had the beach all to ourselves. At Village Creek, it was just us and the trees. By the time we made it to the Big Thicket, we were worn out, so we didn’t stay long. But the next morning, with a little more pep in our step, we stopped by Beaumont Botanical Gardens to view the beautiful scenery.

All in all, it was a nice getaway before returning home to hunker down for who knows how long.

What have you been up to during the coronavirus pandemic? What activities are helping to take your mind off the situation — for a little while, at least? If you care to share, use the message feature on The Baytown Project’s Facebook or Instagram page to submit a photo and a few thoughts. Or you can email baytownproject@gmail.com. I’d love to share your story with others.

— David Berkowitz

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“Where I grew up in Wisconsin, we used to have these little stores called Ben Franklin. One time, my mom had to go into town to pick up something, and I went with her. When we walked into the store, I saw this little, crappy skateboard. I was 7 or 8 years old, and I had never seen one before. I remember thinking, I want to try that. It cost about $10, and I had enough to buy the thing. I started playing on it between snowfalls. When we moved down here in 1979, I really got into it. I met a kid, and he was skateboarding. He showed me what a real skateboard was. It was all downhill from there. I have a lot of great memories being on a skateboard. I never got very good at it, but I’ve always enjoyed it. It’s just fun. I don’t know how else to explain it.

“I’ve always liked doing stuff outdoors. I’ve done scuba diving, mountain biking, hiking, motocross on two-wheelers and four-wheelers. I’ve never been a stay-inside, video-game kind of guy. Get me outside. Get me in nature. That’s where I’m most comfortable. That’s where I’m happiest.”

— Tony Wo

Tony, 53, travels the sidewalks and streets of Baytown on his electric Boosted board. Using a hand-help remote control, he goes up to 16 miles per hour in intermediate mode. Check out one of his adventures.

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“I’ve always really loved nature, and especially animals. That’s been a fascination for me. My dad goes canoeing and he likes the outdoors. So I was exposed to that, even if it was just a little bit at a time. And we had pets growing up. I loved our cats. I loved seeing animals at the zoo. To be honest, I’m not always that great with people. But I feel really comfortable being outside, being in nature.

“I’d really like to do research because I love learning more about animals and how they interact with each other and with the environment. I like wild animals because they’re connected to all of these systems that are so interesting to me. I’d love to contribute to scientific knowledge about wild animals, and I’d love to maybe even do something that would help preserve habitats for them or help preserve the environment for people.

“I became a Texas Master Naturalist during my first semester of college. Going through that program really expanded my knowledge of what was going on locally and connected me to so many other people who are passionate about nature. So I’ve been doing a lot more volunteering since then.

“There’s a project in Clear Lake called Exploration Green. It’s revamping an old abandoned golf course to become a park and nature conservancy. I’ve been working a lot with that. Every once in a while they have tree plantings and wetlands plantings. I also help with prairie plantings and prairie tours, and I go on Christmas bird counts where we collect data. It’s really opened my eyes to a lot that’s going on here with local environmental issues.

“On the Christmas bird count in Clear Lake, we were touring new urban development in that area. We passed what seemed like mile after mile of new neighborhoods and new shopping malls coming up. They pointed to one house in a new neighborhood and said, ‘This is the last place we saw sandhill cranes in Clear Lake. They’ll fly over, but they don’t stop anymore.’ That’s kind of startling.”

— Emily Blumentritt

In her spare time, Emily enjoys writing and painting. Check out some of her artwork.

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The post Nature more comfortable place to be for student appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“Dad was born and raised in Texas. After marrying our mother, who became pregnant with me, he got a job teaching high school science in Tula Rosa, New Mexico. It’s northwest of Cloudcroft (a village within Lincoln National Forest). They would go to Cloudcroft on weekends to camp and hike the trails with me in a baby carrier, from what I’m told. They even filled up jugs with water from the streams there to take home for drinking. Dad loved it there. He thought it was the most beautiful spot in the world.

“But then two more kids came along, and the teacher’s salary wasn’t stretching so far. The kids my dad taught from the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation were none too happy with him regarding their grades. He actually expected students to work for their grades. So they would come by and shoot at our chickens in the yard. Dad was afraid us children might get hurt, so that was another deciding factor on moving.

“We all moved back to Texas, and Dad took a job at one of the many oil refineries in the area. He hated that job, but it earned enough to take care of his growing brood. He always wanted to go back to visit Cloudcroft, but we never managed to do it. He told us many times over the years about Cloudcroft and his wish to be cremated and scattered there. So we made it happen.”

— Nina Peery

Don Peery passed away in June 2017. Nina Peery is the oldest of eight children. The family gathered to scatter Don’s ashes. They picked the highest spot in Cloudcroft, following a narrow mountain trail to about 8,600 feet elevation.

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“I was an art major in college, and I’ve been painting for many years. But I recently got interested in painting outdoors and joined the Bay Area Plein Air Painters.

“Plein air is French, meaning open air. The point is to be outside and paint directly from nature. It’s what I enjoy. Doing stuff inside is fine, but outdoor painting is just more honest, I think. You’re not relying on a photograph. You’re not in the comfort of your home. You’re out in nature, and you have to get a quick impression of what you’re doing. There’s less time for trickery or thinking. It’s all done in the moment.

“I like a quick impression that’s honest. It may have rough edges and it may be imperfect, but it’s an honest way of capturing something.”

— Bob Tiefenwerth

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“My plan is to become a fishing and hunting guide. You’ve got to love what you do, and I’ve always loved to hunt and fish. I just enjoy being outside. I can’t be inside. I worked at Academy for a short period of time in the hunting and fishing sales section. That just wasn’t my thing.

“I want to be my own boss, too. I see people who are self-made and it really appeals to me.

“I want to make something out of myself and my business. One day, hopefully, when I have kids and they’re grown up, they can take it over from me.”

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