Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot returns and we love it!

Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot returns and we love it!

Pam at Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot

Pam LeBlanc jumps with happiness at the finish of the Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot. Chris LeBlanc photo

It felt great to get out and run the Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot this morning.

I logged a slow time – 2 minutes slower than 2019 and 4 minutes slower than 2017 – but I’m OK with that. I’ve been focusing on other things and haven’t put in the miles lately.

It’s always fun to head downtown and watch the turkeys on parade. Here are the highlights of this year’s run:

 

Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot runners

Runners in costume prepare for the Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot. Chris LeBlanc photo

  1. Running across the MoPac access bridge just as a train locomotive rumbled past and blew its horn.
  2. Gazelle’s running coach Gilbert Tuhabonye’s smiling face as I ran past him on Cesar Chavez Street.
  3. The guy who ran the entire race in a plush turkey suit. That had to be hot and heavy.
  4. Listening to Rob Hill call out everyone’s names (including mine!) as we ran past on the First Street Bridge.
  5. Listening to the patter of thousands of running shoes on pavement. I love that sound!
  6. The beating of drums on the porch of a church that we passed.
  7. The signs people held along the way, including one that said, “Hurry up and finish so we can drink!”
  8. The weiner dog in a red knit cap.
  9. That feeling of finishing a run. I’ve missed it!
  10. Running through downtown Austin with thousands of people just happy to be back on the streets after so many race cancellations.
    Runners at turkey trot

    Runners prepare for the 2021 Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot. Chris LeBlanc photo

 

About Pam

I’m Pam LeBlanc. Follow my blog to keep up with the best in outdoor travel and adventure. Thanks for visiting my site.

Where is Pam?

Click to open a larger map

Follow Pam

Howler Brothers celebrates first decade with a book

Howler Brothers celebrates first decade with a book

Howler Bros

What’s “howler?” Vintage western, surfboards and cool. Pam LeBlanc photo

I know a classic Howler Brothers shirt when I see it – a pair of funky crawfish, a couple of cacti, or a flapping seagull embroidered above each front pocket, plus a track of pearl snap buttons.

But that’s just the tip of the Howler iceberg, it turns out.

This week the Austin-based company, founded by Chase Heard and Andy Stepanian, celebrated the 10th anniversary of their company by releasing a book packed with photos, designs and patterns.

It’s kind of cool – a 300-page homage to everything from vintage western wear to fly fishing to surfboards and vinyl records, with a good helping of monkeys and at least one shot of the Broken Spoke honkytonk thrown in for good measure. It’s a nod – and, yes, a pitch for – the company’s product line, too, with images of ball caps, pearl snap button shirts, board shorts and Ts.

Howler Brothers book

Howler Brothers has released a book to celebrate its first 10 years. Pam LeBlanc photo

The company calls the book as a visual statement of what “Howlery” means, and you too can have a copy, for $75.

The 12-by-12 hardcover features a foreword by Austin fly fishing guru JT Van Zandt, plus an introduction by Howler Brothers founders Heard and Stepanian, who explain how they started the company out of a garage in Hyde Park.

Read more: I love my new puffy pants from Mountain Hardwear

They had zero experience in the apparel business back then but have built a company with a devoted following. (A quick on eBay turned up half a dozen pre-owned Howler Brothers embroidered “gaucho” shirts selling for close to $300 each.)

Howler Brothers book

Howler Brothers celebrates its 10th anniversary with this coffee table book of photography and design. Pam LeBlanc photo

Can’t get enough Howler? This is your book.

Heed the Call, as the founders would say, and buy one at www.howlerbros.com.

About Pam

I’m Pam LeBlanc. Follow my blog to keep up with the best in outdoor travel and adventure. Thanks for visiting my site.

Where is Pam?

Click to open a larger map

Follow Pam

My Mountain Hardwear down pants are the bomb – thanks to a Greylag goose in China

My Mountain Hardwear down pants are the bomb – thanks to a Greylag goose in China

Mountain Hardwear down pants

I love these new Stretchdown pants by Mountain Hardwear. Self-timer photo by Pam LeBlanc

First let me say I love the new slate blue insulated pants that Mountain Hardwear sent me to test drive.

They’re light. They’re fluffy. They’re slightly stretchy, yet oh so strong.

I tugged on the pants, which you might mistake for a down jacket, when I woke up to 48-degree temperatures last weekend while staying in Vincent VanGo, my campervan, at Seminole Canyon State Park. I slipped them on in the morning, when I got up to heat water for hot tea.

In a word, yum. Pulling on these pants felt like curling up in a bird’s nest lined with clouds, whipped cream, and silk.

Truthfully, I didn’t expect to love them. Who wants puffy pants? The Stay Pufft marshmallow man?

I was wrong.

Read more: What’s biltong? A less sweet, higher protein type of beef jerky

I’ll wear these pants on cold mornings when I’m camping. I might even wear them around the house on really cold days. They’d have come in handy during Snowpocalypse in Austin last February.

But I’m still chuckling, because the $250 pants came with an RDS – that’s Responsible Down Standard – tag to reassure me about the contents of the fill. Curious, I logged into the www.trackmydown.com website and typed in the lot number on the tag. Within seconds, I knew everything about the exact batch of down that was used to craft my puffers.

What are my Mountain Hardwear down pants filled with?

Mountain Hardwear down pants

These slightly stretchy down pants are perfect for camping. Pam LeBlanc photo

My pants, it turns out, were made with down from grey goose in China. The down was a byproduct of the food industry. The geese in question were Greylag geese, which are larger than ducks, and therefore grow larger down clusters.

It all reminded me of the episode of “Portlandia” in which a couple visits a restaurant and asks about the organic chicken on the menu. The waitress shows them paperwork with the chicken’s name (Colin) and the farm where it lived.

“They do a lot to make sure their chickens are happy,” the waitress clucks.

My down-filled pants have two hand pockets, one hidden zippered coin pocket, and elastic bands at the cuff. I’m not sure the name of the grey goose that contributed the fluff that fills them, but I certainly appreciate the animal, and I’m glad it was raised under strict animal welfare standards.

You can buy your own pair at REI or online at www.mountainhardwear.com.

 

 

 

About Pam

I’m Pam LeBlanc. Follow my blog to keep up with the best in outdoor travel and adventure. Thanks for visiting my site.

Where is Pam?

Click to open a larger map

Follow Pam

Free park admission on Nov. 14

Free park admission on Nov. 14

McKinney Falls

Visitors wade in the river at McKinney Falls State Park in August 2021. Pam LeBlanc photo

Heads up, park junkies.

Daily entrance fees at all Texas state parks will be waived on Sunday, Nov. 14, to commemorate Veterans Day.

Not sure where to go? We love Inks Lake State Park, Garner State Park , McKinney Falls State Park and more.

“The dedication, sacrifice and service displayed by the women and men that serve in our country’s military is unparalleled and is a source of pride throughout the country,” said Rodney Franklin, director of Texas State Parks. “Their commitment to service undoubtedly inspires us at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. To celebrate their service, Texas State Parks would like to once again invite everyone to spend the day at any one of our beautiful State Parks for free.  I am glad that we are able to encourage families to get outside in honor of our veterans.”

chris at McKinney Falls

Chris LeBlanc rests on the knees of an old cypress tree at McKinney Falls State Park. Pam LeBlanc photo

If you plan to visit a park on Nov. 14 (or any other day), reserve a day pass in advance, because some sites will reach capacity. To make reservations go here or (512) 389-8900.

And one more thing. When you buy a hunting and fishing license, you can make a $1, $5, $10 or $20 donation to the Veterans Commission’sVeterans Assistance Fund. Donations help fund grants to veteran service organizations and nonprofit charitable institutions that assist veterans and their families at the community level throughout Texas.

About Pam

I’m Pam LeBlanc. Follow my blog to keep up with the best in outdoor travel and adventure. Thanks for visiting my site.

Where is Pam?

Click to open a larger map

Follow Pam