Day tripping

Yesterday, my sister and I day tripped to Bastrop.  Our primary reason was to see

“The 2019 Texas Wildflower Season --- the Best One in 10 Years”

No, we didn’t see that.  Yes, there are wildflowers between here and there, beautiful small patches of Indian Paintbrush, Bluebonnets, Coreopsis, Primrose but – the best in 10 years?  uhhhhhh – surely not.

Still, it’s not a bad drive and made for a nice day away from big W. 

  

Bastrop is the county seat of Bastrop County, Texas and is located about 30 miles southeast of Austin (it is considered part of the Greater Austin metropolitan area). The population was 7,218 according to the 2010 census.  Bastrop's namesake, Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop, was actually a commoner named Philip Hendrik Nering Bogel of the Netherlands.  Neri was accused of embezzling for personal gain in 1793, so he left his family and fled to Texas.  In 1820, he met with Moses and Stephen F. Austin and assisted them in getting land grants from Mexican officials to bring Anglo-American settlers into Texas.

I’ve been to Bastrop several times and in those past times, there has been very nice interesting shopping/looking – lots of unique stuff, arty stuff, unusual stuff, fun stuff.

Like the shop that had a huge selection of Witch Balls

OK – Did You Know? witch balls entice evil spirits with their bright colors; the strands inside the ball capture the spirit and prevent it from escaping

Unfortunately, it seems that the unique, arty, unusual, fun shopping/looking is no longer available.  Now, there are bars, café’s, restaurants, grills and other eateries.  There were several clothing shops – you know – the sort you look at and think where in the world would you wear that??  But not much else.  Heavy sigh.

Still, we did stop at one place just outside Bastrop that is worth making the drive up there.  So, if you are ever on Hwy 71 and see this place, STOP!

Now, I hate to call this just an Antique Store.  It is soooooooo much more.  There are three buildings – two huge warehouses and one really big store.  And, boy oh boy, do they have STUFF!  Now follows pictures – many pictures of what you might find and I haven’t even hardly scratched the surface of what all they have …….

doors

  

and doors – who do you
think they’re keeping out?

and more doors

Ready to hang at your house?  No, most needed work.  Reasonably price?  No, most were $2500 and up and needing a lot of major work.

screens or maybe windows

I don’t know – this thing was huge

Books ‘n Bucks ‘n Clocks

yep – bowling pins

Jesus in a box

Actually, there were so many religious icons I have to wonder if somebody looted churches from there to everywhere else.

coffee any one?

actually not sure what this is but
I kinda like it!  looks dragon-ish.

I feel like that sometimes.

I don’t know.  Maybe wood or other

plant matter like acorn caps
but not quite.

Oooookay

A wood box of locks

different – I kinda like the guys with the hats

And, last but certainly not least ----

Yep! aluminum trash cans

old painted aluminum trash cans.

expensive old painted aluminum trash cans

Ok, one more and I swear I’m going to quit –

a stuffed frog band!

3 April 2019

Waiting on 50 degrees

Honestly, this morning I expected to hear my part of the universe saying –

because the thermometer looked like this –

It’s not supposed to say such things in April, here in the hot part of the universe.  It is supposed, on a good day, to say 55°.  On a not-so-good day, 65°.  Honest to god – would somebody take the controls away from the three-year old currently playing with the thermostat and rain hose!

My youngest daughter came out to visit.  She doesn’t live too far away but with busy schedules and work, I don’t get to see her as often as I’d like.  While here, she took on one of the items on my current PROJECT LIST.  Painting the shed. 

Really, there’s not too much I wanted to paint – just the front right now (I have grandiose plans for the seeable side) but, when I paint, I need to dress like this –

because I get paint ALL OVER MYSELF!

She painted and ZIP-ZOP-ZIP it looks like this (and she only got a little paint on her hands and a small smudge on her cheek) –

My “on going” part of the painting section on the PROJECT LIST is to respray paint all the yard furniture.  I can do that without the above suit as long as I think about where the wind is and wear gloves.  Oh, and old clothes and old shoes.  No, I don’t paint anything the same color – how boring is that!  So my table looks like this

and other things, like this –

It’s all going to look bright and pretty by the end of April!

When I spray paint stuff, I drag whatever over to the designated “spray paint” part of the back yard, put down a small bit of cardboard, and go forth.  Yes, I do get paint on the grass (Michael would have apoplexy, were it still possible) but it’s GRASS.  And, when I’m finished – it’s brightly colored grass!

Of course, the big thing on the list is to finish the borders on the flower beds.  That’s why I’m waiting until the temps reach 50-ish. 

I mentioned in an earlier blog my tea cup bird feeder.  I’ve had a red-headed woodpecker perching awkwardly on the saucer trying to get at any seeds there.  So, I bought a Woodpecker Seed Log, complete with hanger. 

Originally, I hung it beside the tea cup.  No interest.  Ultimately, I moved it to be back yard because, I noticed wrens pecking at it also.  Fine.  Put it on a shepherd’s hook in the middle of the yard.  Good.  Yesterday, I saw this –

Sigh.

1 Apr 2019

Yesterday is gone but not its memories.

Yesterday was Weed Appreciation Day.  And, yes, I know I mentioned recently that I have spent days (weeks) weeding.  That said, I don’t have a great big problem with certain weeds in the grass.  I’d be happy if my entire yard was covered with creeping wood sorrel.  It doesn’t have to be mowed, it makes a little yellow flower. 

Or, wood violets.  Cute, heart shaped leaves, pretty purple flowers.

Or even fleabane, evening primrose, and wild onions. 

All except the fleabane (according to Rohde's Old English Herbal, it has medicinal qualities - 'Fleabane bound to the forehead is a great helpe to cure one of the frensie.') are edible.  All make flowers.  None survive our hot summer but all return without any encouragement.  I’d be fine with any of those IF they would agree to stay out of my flower beds. 

So far, that has not been the case and so I continue to dig weeds from the flower beds.

Yesterday however, I did something I genuinely HATE to do.  I went clothes and shoe shopping.  Aaaarrrggggghhhhh!!!!!

So, first of all – I live in Wharton.  We don’t have too much clothes shopping here.  That meant I had to go to the closest place – Rosenberg.  It’s not far 30 miles.  The only problem – you have to get on Hwy 59.  It’s under construction.  Has been for under construction for years and will be for many more looooong years.  You know what construction and highway mean, right?  Not moving traffic.  A trip that should take 25-30 minutes, taking 45-50 minutes, mostly stopped. 

Then, have ya looked for clothes lately?  Noticed the “new” spring colors – dull orange, olive green, drab blue – all looking as though they’ve been soaked in tea making the colors even more dreary, flat, lackluster, plain, icky.  Hellllllooo – spring – bright cheery colors – noooo, none of those. 

I went looking for something to wear to my granddaughter’s pending high school graduation in May.  Something not designed for a 12-year old.  Something without 90% spandex (some of us have reached an age where bulges, bumps, and love handles are not attractive to the general public).  And you know, I’m pretty sure I had this conversation same time last year.  As I recall, last year everything reminded me of the 1970’s with psychedelic colors and paisley prints.  This year we’ve regressed further to the 1960’s.  All the dresses were sheaths (which are not bad, well except for the colors, but need a body with lifted boobs, flat belly, and tight butt - sigh, no – none of that).  Or, late 60’s with calf lengths (those make me look 4 feet tall and wide).  Fine!  I didn’t want a dress anyway.

I did find a pair of cargo shorts – one – one pair in my size – only one – lots of other sizes – one.  Sigh.  So, I guess, it wasn’t a total loss.  (Hmmmmm – wonder if I can wear cargo shorts and a t-shirt?  No, probably not.)

However, shoe shopping was a whole other deal.  No, nope, none, nada.  Nothing even close to a size I can wear.  Argh!  (OK, cargo shorts, t-shirt and tennis shoes – no, probably not again.)

Then, I came home and made brownies! 

29 Mar 2019

Random

Thoughts

Over the past two weeks, since the official arrival of spring, I have worked in my front and back yards.  Worked, hard work, really, really, really hard work.  Every single day for 3-5 hours.  Digging up weeds, moving plants (which included digging large holes in the earth), enlarging flower beds (that means digging out grass – ick, ick, ick), weeding, finding places for new plants, putting out all the seedlings I started over the winter, pulling weeds, and this year, repositioning all the flowerbed borders (and, yes, I use what I’ve got – it’s all about recycling).  For some reason, it seems that the dirt pushed the bordering material out of the ground - grrrrr.  And, by the end of the work time, I have to make 75 trips from one side of the yard to the other to dump everything pulled out (like weeds) or cut down onto the trash heap. 

Random Thought:  This is good exercise – walking, bending, stretching, twisting, lifting, stepping (like step on the shovel, lift out the dirt, dump, repeat).  I am building muscles.  Yes!

In my part of the universe, I have March, April, and most of May to get done outside everything I need to do, want to do, to have a yard I enjoy.  Why you ask?  That would be because come June 1, it is hot and humid and mosquito-ey, and hot and humid.

Random Thought:  Oh ugh – mosquito time is coming.  My yard is already full of fire ants and feisty spiders.

You may remember from past posts, my commenting on the large amount of rain we received in October, November, December, January, February.  Remember I said I wasn’t really complaining, just commenting?  Well, evidently, the three-year-old that controls the rain has turned it off, completely.  Digging in the yard is likened to digging in cement.  Hard and it comes up in big chunks that takes a hammer to break up.

Random Thought:  Muscles – building muscles, if I had circles to close, they’d all be done by 11AM.

Most mornings I have a little routine – put away the clean dishes from yesterday, do a 10-minute pick up around the house, wind clocks, open blinds, have breakfast, and finally sit at the computer and see what’s happening in the news.  Some days – I skip that last part.  Honestly, the world, in general, is going to hell in a hand basket. 

  

Random Thought:  The humans running everything are not adults they are, I swear, hormonal thirteen-year-olds – tantrums, denials, boasting, bullying, the silent treatment, door slamming, crying, ignoring the adults (that's you and me) -- drama queens.

Several months ago, I injured my foot.  As does most of the world, I went to the computer for a self-diagnosis and treatment plan.  Okay – ice (check), exercises to stretch the tendon (check), over the counter shoe insert (check).  No, it didn’t get any better.  So, off I went to see the podiatrist.  He prescribed a custom made orthotic.  A very expensive orthotic that 1. Does not fix the problem; does not even somewhat relieve the discomfort, 2. Is very uncomfortable; you try walking on a piece of hard plastic, 3. Does not fit in any shoes except my athletic shoes which I am not planning to wear 24/7.  Arrggghhh.

Random Thought:  #$@%&^%*(!!!!! 

I have read a couple of good books lately –

White Plague by James Abel

“In the remote, frozen waters of the Arctic Ocean, the high-powered and technically advanced submarine U.S.S. Montana is in peril. Adrift and in flames, the boat—and the entire crew—could be lost. The only team close enough to get to them in time is led by Marine doctor and bio-terror expert Joe Rush.”  It’s a good story – not exactly an end of the world as we know it type but could be close. 

King’s Deception by Steve Berry

The story is about a CIA operation to find the answer is a long-buried secret.  A secret that calls into question the legitimacy of the entire forty-five-year reign of Elizabeth I, the last Tudor monarch.  There are assassins, traitors, spies, and dangerous disciples of a secret society along with modern geopolitical crisis’, diplomatic showdowns, and one over-all-save-the-day hero.  Also, a good story.

Random Thought:  Hmmmmm – my current book (Jane Seymour, The Haunted Queen by Alison Weir) is calling me so I have to quit now.

26 Mar 2019

Adventures – Yesterday / Yesterday’s Yesterday

Yesterday, I spent four hours working in the yard.  I’d say I was “enjoying the wonderful spring sunshine” except I was doing hard, heavy lifting work.  In my shed, I have two sets of metal shelves that mostly hold – you know – crap.  And, because I like to try to grow things from seed, this time of the year I usually have many, many pots of things that need to be put somewhere until I can find someone to give them away to (anybody want 1. a Baby Plumeria, now 1 year old or 2. a Catalpa Tree almost 4 months old???).   So, I decided to move one set of shelves outside to hold plants.  This was a good idea (which I kept telling myself over and over).  It was a struggle to get the shelves off the stand, get the stand out of the shed, get the shelves back on the stand.  All the little baby plants learned a goodly number of really bad words!  But, it works well and I’m happy with it. 

Later in the evening though I discovered something I am not happy with.  At some point while working inside the shed (a haven for spiders), I got four spider bites on my neck and shoulders.  Ugh.  Now, they hurt, itch, and are the size of quarters.  Double Ugh.

Yesterday’s Yesterday – back to Independence, TX and the Antique Rose Emporium.  As I said yesterday, it is a great place to just walk around and enjoy all the gardens.  Lota pretty flowers.

From there, we drove over to Washington on the Brazos.  And, once again Siri took us on all sorts of back roads including one very curvy dirt road.  Interesting.  Pretty.  Semi-alarming.

Washington-on-the-Brazos is "the birthplace of Texas" because it was here that, on March 1, 1836, Texas delegates met to formally announce Texas' intention to separate from Mexico and to draft the constitution of the new Republic of Texas.  Now, it is a 300-acre state park along the Brazos River.  In addition to the beautiful country side, there is Independence Hall, Barrington Living History Farm, and the Star of the Republic Museum. 

All very interesting.  At Independence Hall, one of the park rangers gives a talk about what all happened there in 1836.  Okay, now, I’m from Texas.  I’ve had Texas history, I swear, since first grade.  I pretty much knew everything the ranger talked about (most of the others were foreigners – like from Colorado or the Northeast).  However, I did learn something new. 

So, Did you Know?  Sam Houston, twice president of the Republic of Texas, once governor of the state Texas and once governor of Tennessee, made a run for the presidency of the US?  Yep - Houston and John Bell were the two major contenders for the presidential nomination of the newly-formed Constitutional Union Party, which consisted largely of Southern unionists.  John Bell won the primary and ran against Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas.  You know how that turned out.

Oh, and I learned something else - The name "Washington-on-the-Brazos" was used to distinguish the settlement from "Washington-on-the-Potomac.

Now, while I’m pretty sure we didn’t walk all 300-acres, I’m thinking we covered at least half of them.  And, as we were in the hill country, everything was up.

Barrington Living History Farm is located in the park at the home of the last president of the Republic of Texas, Anson Jones.  Docents dress in period style clothing and answer questions about life 150 years ago.  They plant crops from that time, plow with the help of oxen, spin cotton fibers into thread and make soap.  All the farm animals are heritage breeds that would have been found on the plantation back in the day.  It’s all pretty cool.

The Star of the Republic Museum was also very interesting – time tracking from the beginning of when to statehood. 

And, then we drove back to Wharton.  Adventuring!

21 Mar 2019

Adventures – Yesterday / Today

Today is Ostara (the Vernal Equinox).  Yea!  Spring is now officially here.  Quick while it’s sunny, go outside and enjoy all the beautiful flowers, the new “spring green” the trees are producing, mild temperatures, and blue skies.  Walk your neighborhood, work in the garden, visit a state park.  We’ve all been trapped inside with dreary, rainy, cloudy, chilly weather so go outside NOW!

Yesterday a friend and I had a day long of adventuring.  We left here early and drove to Brenham.  

Brenham is the county seat of Washington County in south central Texas and is known as the “heart of Bluebonnet country”.  It has one other major attribute.  It is the home of the Blue Bell Creamery (the-best- ice-cream-in-the-world). 

The highway between here and there tends to be bright with wild flower color from March to April.  There weren’t as many blooming as we’d hoped – probably due the late cold snap – but the ones we did see were beautiful.

We did see several large groves of Acacia trees in bloom.  I think I need one of these.  The flowers are cute little round yellow fuzzy balls.

First stop in Brenham, was, of course, the creamery. 

You can tour (sort of) the creamery and watch as containers are filled and sent along to the cold room (-40° cold).  It was interesting to watch and honest-to-god, if I worked there, I’d weigh 500 pounds.  I can remember when you could only get Blue Bell in Brenham and Houston (1960’s).  They expanded to the rest of Texas and then, by 1990

Nice.

And, yes, while we were there, at 11AM, before lunch, we had ice cream.  One scoop = $1.  One scoop was huge!  My favorite – Moo-llennium Crunch.  Full of all kinds of really good stuff.

Our next stop was to be The Antique Rose Emporium in Independence, TX. 

Independence is an unincorporated community northeast of Brenham.  It was founded in 1835 and was the center of the Republic of Texas.  In 1845 it became the first site of Baylor University and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.  Unfortunately, Independence declined giving a right-of-way to the railroad, saying the Brazos River would always be transportation king and faded into obscurity.

To get there, Siri took us via all the small back roads, which was nice.  While traveling down one stretch, we came across a number of large properties with gates guarded by

Honest-to-god, these guys were the size of

real live deer!

Ooookay.  Pass on driving
in there.

Maybe they're a rock band

Guns, Bucks, and Eagles

There was one more, which I didn’t get a picture of unfortunately ---- carousel horses.  Sort of didn’t fit with the others.  Still I like merry-go-rounds so those worked ok for me.

The Antique Rose Emporium is a wonderful place to visit.  Not only do they have an amazing selection of antique roses, they also have a huge assortment of anything else you might want.  And, if you don’t want to buy anything – go for the gardens.  The grounds are massive and include several buildings – like a small church, a farm house, two or three out building all nestled among well-tended flower beds.

Just a few of the things that caught my attention

Oh, and this.  I neeeeeeeeed one of these!

It’s like a million feet tall and made from rebar.  This one is planted with roses!  How cool is this!

Ok, now I have to stop and continue with the adventure tomorrow or, I’ll miss today.

20 Mar 2019