We had a beautiful sunny Thursday to drive east of Austin and out to La Grange … to Old World Antieks! Bruce had already discovered it, and that’s how we found out about it. Sadly, no photos, but what an amazing antique store!!!
They bring in, weekly, items from Europe, India, Egypt and Turkey, and sell it in 55,000 sq ft of showroom and warehouse. Amazing doors, furniture, church antiquities… it was just too overwhelming to adequately describe!!
But, alas, nothing much would fit in our suitcases; only one small item will head back to Redtail Rise!
We went up to Waco to have lunch and a visit with a high school friend of Dad’s… they haven’t seen each other since 1959, but have kept in touch all these years!
We aimed for lunch at Magnolia Table… we arrived at 11:30 am and there was a 2 hour wait for a table, so … we went to the BBQ place next door!
After lunch we went out to Magnolia Market Silos (The Silos) and wandered through their Market.
They had a 1951 Willys at The Silos …. Brian had one for a while 40 years ago, in Edmonton.
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The Silos themselves are not yet renovated, but plans are in the works. Here, Mom & Dad and Brian are sitting in The Garden, by one of the silos…
Just not with Waylon and Willie and the boys!! 🙂
Mom and Brian & I headed west to Luckenbach (Dad stayed home for a quiet and restful afternoon). They had an acoustic jam in the afternoon.
The old Post Office/General Store is still there… it’s no longer a Post Office, but it is still a store – the front part and rafters is more museum, with items that had been sold in the distant past, and the rest of the store sells “Luckenbach merchandise”.
The old Dance Hall is still there too! Build in the 1880’s and still being used! There was a concert Saturday night, but it was sold out.
The afternoon jam was out back of the store, under Live Oaks … beer, burgers, dogs, fries and HUGE sour pickles! …
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Over by the creek were some more big ol’ Live Oaks …
We spent the afternoon and evening hanging out with Bruce and Connor & Jasmine.
We checked out Connor’s “ride” … 2015 Subaru something. 🙂 He and Bruce have worked on it together and Connor loves it! Brian drove it for a test drive (I squished into the almost non-existant back seat – but hey, if Connor’s friends can do it, so can I!!)
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Then Bruce, Mom & Dad and Brian & I hopped into Bruce’s “ride” and headed to Lakeway (about a 20 min drive from Bruce’s, still apart of Greater Austin). Lakeway is over by Lake Travis.
We went to look at where Bruce’s garage will be built … it will give him a place to work on his cars and meet other car enthusiasts.
We went to the local bar, and these wild periwinkles were growing …
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We were only a few blocks from Lake Travis, so we went down to have a beer and nachos on the lake shore!
Then it was Supper at Bruce’s, so we got to visit more with Connor & Jasmine too!
Mom & Dad and Brian & I headed out mid-morning to San Antonio… and passed through ….
Kyle, Texas!
March 2, 2020
First stop in San Antonio?… The Alamo!!
March 2nd happens to be Texas Independence Day … on March 2, 1836 settlers in Mexican Texas officially declared independence from Mexico and created the Republic of Texas. Unfortunately, news didn’t reach the Alamo in time and its Texian defenders were wiped out on March 6, 1836.
Because we arrived on the anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo, there were several re-inactments. Here, soldiers are shooting muskets.
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The Alamo itself was one of the early Spanish missions in Texas, originally known as Mision San Antonio de Valero … it was a mission and fortress compound founded in the early 1700’s by the Catholic Church.
Here, Mom & Dad are standing by one of the original walls … beside a shrub called Peregrina or Spicy Jatropha …
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A close-up of the Peregrina flowers …
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In a lovely courtyard, with several bronzes commemorating the soldiers who died in the Battle of the Alamo, was this lovely tree … I think it might be a Wisteria …
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There was a Texas Independence Day Celebration in front of the Chapel of The Alamo …
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Then it was off to San Antonio’s River Walk … what an amazing place! Everything at river level, gardens, restaurants, bars, shops … absolutely beautiful, and unique to San Antonio!
Photobomb!!!! …
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A little bridge over the river …
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We took the River Walk Tour …
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One big ol’ OLD Live Oak Tree …
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Looking down into the River Walk from street level …
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Mom & Dad down in the restaurant … you’ll have to look close!
We’ve been enjoying the milder weather and new snow! We had 8″ of new snow on Saturday, the 1st and a glorious cross-country ski in the sun on Monday, the 3rd!
After nearly two weeks of chinooks, a storm blew in from the north on Saturday (Feb 1st). We were supposed to get an inch or so of snow… well, they sure got THAT forecast wrong! In about four hours we got 8″ of snow!!
On Sunday, we got up to beautiful, blue skies!! Perfect for taking snow photos!! But, dang it, as I waited for it to warm up a smidge, the dang clouds came in! I was able to get a couple photos before I lost the sun completely.
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I strapped on my snowshoes and off I went…
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Still beautiful blue sky off to the east and northeast!!
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It was the perfect snow to get caught up in the dogs’ paws! Sundance is almost 12 years old… other than some white around his eyes and muzzle, he’s still young-looking and is in great shape! He still loves to run!!
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And then the sun was completely gone! Here are some photos in the woods…
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And wouldn’t ya know it? The blue sky was back and the sun came out several hours later! Brian plowed us out, the ponies were fed and the dogs had a second run!
On the last day of January, we continued on with our “Merry Making”!
The Gewurztraminer (Guh-voorts-truh-meener) was finished fermenting, so we racked it into a carboy. The Wine and the Mead went downstairs for clearing (if you look closely, you can already see sediment is dropping out onto the bottom of the carboy) and for aging …
February 1, 2020
We’ll bottle the Gewurztraminer in early-mid March — it will be ready to drink in July. We’ll bottle the Mead in mid-April. The taste-tests will have to wait a while yet!!
We brought in (from our storage shed) another shelving unit from Mom & Dad – Wow! what great shelves!! Thanks Mom & Dad!! We rearranged our creations and equipment, making room for next creations to come!
February 1, 2020
Speaking of “next creations”… we started our “Sangria” for the Summer! This Pomegranate Wildberry Wave will make a great base for Sangria… we’ll just add a wee bit of citrus, possibly some soda water, and ice cubes!!
February 1, 2020
The “Sangria” will be racked mid-February and bottled along side the Gewurztraminer in early-mid March.
We’ve had a lovely week, full of chinook arches and temperatures above 0°C (32°F). Even a couple nights stayed above freezing! After a long, cold blast, it has been very welcome! It has been wonderful to get out to walk with the dogs this week!
Here are some photos from yesterday’s walk, at about 4:35 pm:
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And the sun going down, just peaking out below the chinook arch, at about 4:55 pm
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The arch passed over us sometime after we went to bed, and we woke up to a beautiful, sunny morning with lots of blue sky! Gotta love chinooks in the dead of Winter!!
