Bandera!

Well, unfortunately we have been unable to spend much time in the Cowboy Capital of Tejas. Two cats that have needed medical attention have kept us in Houston for this whole month.

Recently, I got a letter from the RV park in Bandera warning that from time to time there is a risk of our rig floating away if a huge thunderboomer blows by. Seems the area is flood-prone! The city will actually fine you if your rig floats down the 'river'.

We just spent a little time in Bandera and we'll be returning in a couple o' days. The creek didn't rise, and the weather looks good for a while.

Last night, some of the folks in the park did a little pickin' and grinnin'. Nothin' like some home-grown Hill Country country music to make yew think of.... beer. Barbeque. Big ol' steaks. Beer.

Makin' some music.

Mo' Hill Country

Wednesday. Austin, TX. Blue skies. Slightly chili, er, chilly. Lotsa hot air from the Capitol building.

Thursday. On the road to Marble Falls, TX. Wandering along a ridge trail. A herd o' wild turkeys wanders past. There goes a fox! Blue skies, room temperature. Inks Lake, near Marble Falls, TX. Watching a red-headed wood pecker a' pecking. There goes a racoon...

Friday, Near Boerne, TX. Colorado River flowing slowly over loose, polished gravel. Steep sandstone cliffs on the other side o' the river.

Bandera, TX 77 degrees. Sunny. Blue skies. It's so dry that my wrinkles have wrinkles. Et some 'Hubba Bubba Barbeque' boneless ribs. Every other vehicle is a pickup truck. There goes a cowboy riding a horse in town. Ooops. Someone needs to clean up the horse doo on the street. Chili cookoff starts Saturday. Um, well, I have to be at work this weekend, so's I'll be missing the heartburn.

Bandera, Tejas

Dubbed the "Cowboy Capital of the World" by locals as well as visitors, Bandera is a historic and inviting city full of antique shops, arts and crafts stores, dude and guest ranches and hunting opportunities. The city's namesake park is an idyllic 77 acres of woods and crystal clear waters nestled on the Medina River and State Highway 173 in Bandera, Texas. The bald cypress-shaded Medina River provides opportunities for day use activities such as swimming, tubing, kayaking and fishing, as well as relaxing riverside picnics and bar-b-queues (BBQs). According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, this segment of the Medina River is the fourth most popular for floating in Texas and has exceptional water quality. A small spillway dam on the west side of State Highway 173 maintains a fairly constant water level in the park.

At 1/2 mile in length, the park provides hikers and nature lovers with views of native vegetation, such as Ashe juniper, sycamore, hackberry and live oak. Over 200 birding species have been identified in Bandera County, including yellow-throated warbler and summer tanager. Bandera City Park is part of the Heart of Texas Wildlife Trail (East) -- one of several driving trails in Texas that have been developed to help birders and other wildlife enthusiasts discover and celebrate Texas nature.

Overnight camping is not permitted within the park, but there are numerous RV parks, motels, bed & breakfasts (B&B's) and dude ranches in Bandera.

~Wild Texas

Farm Fresh Onions

Robert Earl Keen's song, 'Farm Fresh Onions' epitomizes what's good about the Tejas Hill Country. This bit o' heaven is becoming more popular as many retirees are building retirement houses on the beautiful hillsides. Never-the-less, the spirit o' the Hill Country will live on as more and more folks move there to enjoy natural beauty.

Farm Fresh Onions:

Truth is all I'm looking for
From town to town
And door to door
Happiness is nothing more
Than Sunday at the zoo
Ridin’ high inside the wires
Is the sum of all my desires
Earth and rain
All I want is love for me and you
Farm fresh onions

Big and round
Sweet and real
Good to eat and they appeal
To anyone who wants a meal
It’s sure to fortify
Kiss the stars
And sweat the ears
It appears that all your fears
Won’t bring to you those happy tears
It feels so good to cry
Farm fresh onions...

Now that's poetry.