Spirit

Maggie May will be 11 years old soon, and her hip sockets are pretty much gone.  I had not been to our lakehouse for 2 years and one of the reasons is because it sits high on a ridge with many stone steps down to the water and then when the lake level is so low as it has been from the drought, the rock ledges are another obstacle course for her to negotiate. Buchanan is the top lake in the chain of lakes near Austin and while the other lakes have been overflowing from the Spring rains, Buchanan only fills when the rain falls in the watershed out near Abilene and San Angelo.   But Maggie lives for fetching sticks from the lake so I had to throw a few for her.  The night we arrived was unusual in that there was no breeze so the water was as still as glass and while taking some shots of her, I wondered if I could get some low key images.  I am not sure if a true low key shot must have flash that illuminates the subject since I think the term originated with studio images, but I like how the setting sun edges the water ripples.  Maggie has such a strong will and along with the strength in her front legs, she does not give up as long as the sticks are thrown but I am afraid it will not be long before we have to make a decision about surgery. 

 First we have to go down the wooden deck stairs, then the steep rock steps.  I have been glad of that handrail more than one time when going back up.

Then these are the rock ledges which are normally under water. Even the ledge to the left of where Maggie is standing (I had forgotten how much she blends into those rocks!) should be under water.  The lake still needs to rise at least 10 feet.  I do like having the rock to sit on and to swim in and out of rather than muddy and weedy water.  But several years ago our dock did not survive the winds and pounding waves they get during the winter so we no longer have any way to tie up the boat or Skidoo.

We can walk along the ledges to the point several lots over from us, and it has a much more gradual slope of rock ledges for Maggie to swim from but it is not our property.

And here you can see another reason I have not been back to the lake for 2 years --- the boat traffic is horrendous.  Well, not exactly, and not even during the summer months ... but believe it or not, that solitude can get old after several days!