Port Aransas

This past weekend we headed down to the Texas coast and stayed in a condo right on Mustang Island Beach.  The weather was perfect - sunny, windy, and in the high 70s.  This was Ella's first beach trip and our first time to the Port Aransas area.  It was such a delight watching her running down the beach chasing the waves and the birds. I couldn't help but reflect on my pre-baby beach days when I sunned on the beach, read a book and enjoyed a frosty beverage for hours and hours.  My how times have changed.  Our days on the beach were spent chasing the little one.  She could just run and run and run.  There was no "sunning" nor was there any reading.  My brother and his family also joined us.  Such a wonderful thing for Ella to experience playing on the beach and watching Frozen with her older cousin who knows all the words to Let it Go.  Ella has been singing "Go" and turning around in a circle like her cousin.  So sweet. Our vacation was short but filled with memories.  We can't wait to go back.

Bluebonnets!

Pieous and Argus Cidery in Dripping Springs

Today was a new adventure for us and Miss Ella. We love discovering new places especially if they're in our neighborhood! So, off we went to the one of the new pizza places, Pieous, which has been open for about a month and is a stone's throw from our home. My husband ordered the Pastrami plate and order the Rocket pizza which had prosciutto, arugula and fresh mozzarella. Both were amazing! I also loved the vibe. Chalkboard walls with cool art drawings. A wraparound bar around the pizza oven so you can watch the action. And it's family friendly. We'll be back for sure. After lunch, we headed down Fitzhugh dropped off some groceries and back out again. On our way to RR12 and downtown Dripping, we passed a sign that read "ARGUS CIDERY". We turned in of course and was excited to discover this sweet gem of a cidery that makes 'hard cider'. The owner gave us a tour and we tasted two of the featured ciders which were actually really good. I loved the decor - vintage sofa, farmhouse tables, big sliding doors, and a custom light fixture. The owners were there and behind the bar. It was great chatting about the experiences they had developing the ciders and opening the cider in Dripping. We're anxious to see more from them.

Going to Luckenbach, Texas

Last Sunday, I celebrated my birthday in Luckenbach, Texas with my husband and sweet baby girl. We enjoyed good ole pork bbq sandwiches, pickles on a stick, fried potatoes (thin crispy potato chip style) and of course a shiner. We lunched at the picnic tables under the big oak trees just off center stage where the picker circle was going on -- three singer songwriters taking turns singing and playing. They were really good. It was such a relaxing day and perfect with all the things I love about Texas, including sunshine in February. One of the funny things about the day was listening to the roosters that were perched on the roof of the bar and were clucking and crowing away.

Oh Blessed Rain

It has been raining since Sunday. And we are blissfully happy.

Perfect Ride

I had the perfect ride at Slaughter Creek on Saturday morning. I love that trail. Admittedly, I am not in the best mountain bike shape but I somehow managed to sprint the entire 5-mile loop and had a blast doing it. Then yesterday, I started on another quilt for my 2 1/2 year old nephew who absolutely LOVES skulls. This one was a lot more fun than the wedding quilt and cute too! Stay tuned!

Flying Around

Listen at dusk and at night for the rolling, seemingly endless call of the Chuck-will’s-widow. For months, I have been searching for the sound I've been hearing at a distance. It's loud and its voice carries. Finally, I can put a name to the bird sings ALL night long so when he's on a roll, we have to keep our windows closed. Also, flying around our bird feeder lately is this lovely little House Finch. I love its red plumage. And above all, the most amazing sight I've seen was a wild Mama Black ShoulderPeacockand her little peachicks. Earlier this week, she and her chicks were in the road near my house. I of course stopped and patiently waited as she and all her chicks crossed the road. Such an adorable sight. Especially the last one who straggled a bit behind and then hightailed it across the road.

Wildseed Farms

A couple of weeks, my family and I explored Wildseed Farms just outside Fredericksburg, Texas. It was simply amazing. Bluebonnets, poppies, paintbrushes, just about any wildflower indigenous to the Hill Country was in full bloom. You can also pick up a catalog and order seeds to plan your own garden or you can even pick up the plants and seeds there at the Farm. We can't wait to plant them this Fall. Poppies everywhere!

Fall in Central Texas

I love the contrast of the green cedars against the brown, yellow and red grasses with just a splash of orange. Can you name that "orange" tree?

Name that tree, name that plant

Last week we consulted with an arborist and landscape designer to help us identity plants that are in and would work within our landscape as well as identity and prioritize issues. Since we're both from other areas (East Texas, Boston, MA), we have had a lot of difficulty identifying the plants, trees, shrubs and flowers on our land. Within a few minutes, the designer rattled off everything he could see. Sure beats referring to a book! Stay tuned.

Washed Away

Wow. All of central Texas is flooded thanks to Hurricane Hermine. It's amazing how much rain we've received over the last few days and now we're at a record for the YEAR!

The Beautiful Purple Martin

I finally spotted the much anticipated Purple Martin at my feeder. It's so weird how obsessed I am with birds, vegetation and wildlife. I think it's because I always knew what things were in my part of the world but now that I'm in Central Texas, I don't recognize anything. Soon I'll be able to call this part of the world home. :)

Just another day in the Hill Country

You know you're in Texas when one of your neighbors knocks upon your door and tells you that he's going down in the woods near your home armed with .22 and a beer to defend himself (and his dogs) against the coyotes that charged at him last night. This particular neighbor is rarely seen without a beer in his hand. In fact, I have NEVER seen him without one. The first thought that ran through my mind when he told me of his plan was ha! I gotta see this! Then I thought better of it and locked myself and my pups in my house and away from the windows. I don't want an errant bullet to strike one of us instead of the coyotes. Well, the excitement quickly waned when I saw the old guy return, get in his truck and meander back to where he came from. No shots, no dead coyotes. Recently, I have been hearing coyote yells late in the night but I have no desire to go looking for em. We have a lot of deer that come onto our land and yard as well as quail, dove, and rabbits. They're probably just trackin that big buck my dogs chased after just the other day. Or so I hope. I guess it's about time I started packing more than a baseball bat and mace.

Photo compliments of TPWD and copyrighted by Bill Reaves

Rainbow Sunrise

This morning's sunrise was a rainbow of colors ranging from red to yellow to blue. Gorgeous!

The Jack-Rabbit of Texas

I see a lot of black-tailed jackrabbits around our house here in the Hill Country. They remind me of Alice in Wonderland or the story about the Tortoise and the Hare. After googling about them, I found this article written in 1881 and published in the NY Times. How cool is that??

Trade Days

I have been a long time fan of flea markets, antique shops and Trade Days and have very fond memories of traveling with my mom to First Monday Trade Days in Canton, the largest flea market on the planet. However, Austin doesn't really have a flea market, at least one that I am completely unaware of. So, when I saw a sign advertising Trade Days in Fredericksburg, I made a mental note to visit the next one. That next one is happening right now! We made a special trip there yesterday and was pleasantly surprised. It's nowhere near the size of Canton but there are a lot of good finds. Shabby chic furniture, antiques, hats, food, jewelry, everything Texas, and my favorite rocking chairs. I can't wait to go back with a truck.

At the Birdfeeder

I saw a Painted Bunting hanging out with a couple of cardinals. Yay! The birdfeeder is working its magic.

Texas Sage

One of the coolest things about living in a new place is the joy of discovering what your landscape looks like every season. I came home earlier this week to beautiful purple flowers blooming on the sage bush at the front corner of our yard. I wish I had more of them!

Photo of Texas purple sage flowers © Nancy Lee on Flickr - noncommercial use permitted with attribution / share alike

Flying Around

I love watching hummingbirds! A female Black-chinned Hummingbird, just like the one above has been a constant visitor to our feeder. This species is very popular here in Central Texas. I'm still waiting to see a more colorful male and other species. I'll keep you posted.

Flying Around

Birds have been pretty scarce around our place. However, I noticed alot more activity after putting out a couple of birdfeeders. Sparrows, hummingbirds, and a little fellow that looks just like the above picture showed up this morning eyeing my windchimes. He's a beautiful Golden-fronted Woodpecker (nod to allaboutbirds.org). I love his orange and white crown. I hope he comes back!