Hill Country Vacation

Conversation between Jason & I last night...

Jason: Did you blog about our trip to Fredericksburg?

Me: No, why?

Jason: Because I wanted to read it.

Me: Why? You were there. You know what happened.

Jason: Yea, but I wanted to hear your opinion about it.

Me: I can just tell you my opinion about it.

Jason: No, you are much funnier in writing.

There you go folks... my own husband only finds me amusing in writing. Anyhow, I guess I'll share a few tidbits about our vacation.

Day 1

Jason and I headed up to Fredericksburg on Thursday. We stayed in a cabin just outside of town. It's actually located in a small old railroad community called Cain City. It was a fabulous little cottage perfect for 2 people. The front porch was very relaxing.

Since it was built way up on a hill, it had great views of the countryside.

And the best part of it was that we could bring Radar along. I mean, what pet wouldn't love to get away from the city and enjoy a nice quiet weekend in the country?

Apparently our dog. This picture was taken just as Radar realized he was brought to the country for a weekend. Right now he is probably trying to scratch his way back into the air condition where he will remain for the rest of our vacation.

So Thursday evening, Jason and I went to a few of the wineries along Hwy 290 between Fredericksburg and Stonewall.

They were very enjoyable. I can't say the wine was as good as our Sonoma trip earlier this year, but it was still fun.

This winery, Becker Vineyards, was hoppin. Jason and I felt a little snubbed here though, because all the high rollers were buying cases at a time. We shared a $10 tasting and bought 1 bottle. Oh well, it was still nice. After our tastings we went to Cabernet Grill for dinner. It was very good and I would recommend it.

Day 2

Friday started out by reminding us of all the joys of being an adult. We stopped for breakfast on the way to Enchanted Rock, and realized my car was leaking anti-freeze. Being the environmentalists we are, we wanted to get it checked out so we weren't leaking poison across the Hill Country. We ended up spending all morning at the auto mechanics. We didn't even really get the car fixed, only patched up for the time being. Soon I'll be posting about the joys of new car shopping.

So, since we missed the prime Enchanted Rock hiking time, we headed back to the cottage to get our bikes. The plan was to bike about 8 miles from our cabin to the Bat Cave and Alamo Springs Cafe. Blame it on the hills or the heat, I only made it half way and we went back for the car. It had nothing to do with how out of shape I am of course. ;)

This is the Bat Cave. I expected a man in tights with a cape, but got stinky stream instead. The bats are supposed to come out in the evenings, but even in mid-day we could see them fluttering around down at the end of the tunnel. Crazy little rats with wings.

So Alamo Springs Cafe was definitely a highlight of our trip. Texas Monthly named this joint as the 3rd best burger in Texas, and Jason and I can contest that it was the best burger we have ever had. A man working at the cafe made fun of me for taking pictures of the burgers. What-ev man, your burgers are picture worthy whether you like it or not. I mean, look at the behemoth.

The rest of the day we just rested and then met my parents in Kerrville for dinner.

Day 3

We finally made it to Enchanted Rock on Saturday morning.

Hiking it was not nearly as easy as I remember as a child. It only took us 20 minutes to get to the top, but there was definitely some huffing and puffing along the way on my part.

And then, this big rock started tumbling down the hill and I had to go rescue the children and the bunnies from getting smooshed. Good thing Jason had my camera to capture the heroic venture.

Naw, but my parents did want me to re-enact a picture they had of me as a kid holding this rock up.

Around lunch, we met the parent folk and Trey and Melanie in town. We did a bunch of the little shops along Main Street.

Then we headed back to the cottage to grill some dinner. We had fajitas, sausage, beans, guacamole, watermelon, and cantaloupe.

We spent a lot of time hanging out on the porch watching the wildlife.

In addition to deer in the evenings, we had roosters in the morning, and numerous hummingbirds (like an infestation if you ask me.) But, they were nice to watch.

So, that was our Hill Country adventure. It was a very nice trip and it was great to spend time with family.

Note: This picture was taken the first night before Radar fully realized that he was outside near dirt, bugs, and heat. Sad, sad story.

Discovery Green's Farmers Market, Gus Wortham Golf Course, & Miller Outdoor Theater

Yesterday was very much a Sunday Funday. We had made plans with Ferryn and Steve to go watch A Midsummer Night's Dream at Miller Outdoor Theater, so I started the day off by visiting the local farmer's market to pick up some grub for a picnic. Jason's afternoon soccer game got canceled, so he and Steve went golfing and Ferryn and I tagged along. I used the opportunity to snap some pictures of some more East End attractions.

Urban Harvest & Discovery Green

The farmer's market is put on by a local non-profit group, Urban Harvest (http://www.urbanharvest.org/). Urban Harvest's mission is to "promote healthy communities, sound nutrition and respect for the environment by educating children and adults and facilitating harvest and habitat gardens." The organization actually houses out of a building in the East End on Canal Street. They promote two farmer's markets a week - one on Saturday morning on Eastside and one Sunday afternoon at Discovery Green.

Discovery Green (http://www.discoverygreen.com/), while technically not in the East End, is on the east side of Downtown and is definitely worth checking out of you are ever in the area. It was built just over two years ago and converted parking lots into an urban green space. It was designed with "green" elements in mind and has some really neat features including dog runs, open green space, play grounds, water features, and more!

This was the farmer's market. They even had a band playing. I have a feeling that the Saturday farmer's market on Eastside has more vendors and a better turnout.

There is a lot of open space and some unique art pieces.

The kiddos were loving this water feature in the 100+ degree heat.

You can race small sail boats around this little lake.


Discovery Green has two restaurants. This is the more affordable, family friendly one...

And this is definitely the fancier one.

Gus Wortham Golf Course

Yesterday afternoon, Jason and Steve decided to go golfing so we headed to the golf course next to our 'hood. Gus Wortham Golf Course (http://www.houstontx.gov/municipalgolf/wortham.html) actually used to be the Houston Country Club. I believe it celebrated its 100 year anniversary in 2008. It is now owned by the city, and even during my limited time as a Houston residence, I've heard several plans about it being restored to its original beauty. But then again, that would probably mean a hike in green fees, so I'm not sure we're that upset about its current condition. It's actually quite picturesque even as it is.

Location.

Jason's practice shot.

View of the cemetery across the bayou.

Swing!

Steve and Jason putting.

View of the bayou.

Ferryn coaching the men.

Did I use any correct golfing terms during this segment? After yesterday's game, I know the difference between a "hook" and a "splice." I also know that they threaten to take your cart away if you drive to close to the green. Yikes.

Miller Outdoor Theater

After golfing, we headed to Miller Outdoor Theater (http://www.milleroutdoortheatre.com/) for a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. The theater is actually located in Hermann Park, just south of the Museum District and just north of the Med Center. Lawn seats are always free and it's a great time for everyone - families, friends, couples, even pets!

Our picnic before the show.

Caprese salad (with fresh basil from our garden), guacamole, & fried chicken. We also had hummus, cantaloupe, watermelon, cherries, and wine.

View from the lawn.

Act I. Scene I.

Jason enjoying the show.

What happens when you stay out pass your bedtime on a work night.

I was only resting my eyes... I swear! ;)

Rug Swapping

So we bought a rug for the master bedroom. I'm surprised that this was the last room we got a rug for considering every other night I wake up to Radar's nails going "click, click, click" on the wood floor. I found a rug online and ordered it, not really being able to tell what colors were actually in it. When it arrived, we realized it didn't have an ounce of blue in it, so we switched it out for the rug in the living room. We were thrown off a bit at first, because we assumed each rug was 8' x 10', but the original rug in the living room was 7'10" x 10'10". We kept wondering why everything wasn't aligning as it was before. But anyways, we finally got everything situated and this is how it looks now:

The original rug from the living room - now in the bedroom.

Another view.

The new rug in the living room.

A close up.

It has a lot of different tan, brown, green, and orange tones in it. Now that we have a rug that doesn't have red in it, we really do want to get the red chair re-upholstered. That poor chair has been in the family for over 10 years and has lasted through 3 teenage boys (Jason & his brothers.) It looks terrible, but it is just too dang comfortable to get rid off.

I feel like it's a never ending circle of consumerism... we buy one new thing, and the old thing next too it looks 10x shabbier than it did before. Will it ever end?

Unwinding

After a particularly stressful day at work, I came home to find I had a Country Living magazine in my mailbox. Combined with a glass of wine and a good record it was a perfect way to unwind.

Coming home to this silly face never hurts either.

Another happy moment today: I checked my personal inbox and had an email titled "Love of God." This is what it said...

Dear Trinity (the church we used to go to in the Woodlands),

I just wanted to send you a short note reminding you that you are loved by God.

Take a deep breath and allow the Spirit to touch your soul.

You are loved by the God who made you. Pray, "I am loved by God."

Peace,

Father Gerry+

Master Bedroom & Jason's Birthday Dinner

Master Bedroom

So I promised you a post with a master bedroom update, so here it is...

This is a picture of our bedroom just a few mere weeks ago.

And this is a picture of it this evening. Notice any differences?

Well, for one, our glass and metal side tables are gone (thank goodness.) As are the college desk lamps. Finally, our flimsy Target bookshelf has been replaced as well.

So here is a pic of one of the new side tables (and lamp - another HomeGoods purchase.)

Here is a pic of the other side table.

And this big ole piece was delivered today. It was supposed to be delivered a week ago, but rain kept that from happening.

Here is a close-up of the detail. It's an English antique that we found at an antique shop in the Heights.

So what about the other side of the room?

Well this is the before pic.

And this is the after.

This is the new piece on the other side of the room. Another English piece. We found it at the same antique shop. The two pieces are from separate dealers, but match surprisingly well.

Jason really likes all the new furniture. Doesn't he look excited?

The lady who helped deliver them said our bedroom looked very Tudor now. Hmm. We still want a rug and some new curtains... preferably in a color other than blue and brown.

Dinner

It's also Jason's birthday today. And guess what? I finally cooked this summer!! I found these recipes on Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen website.

This is baked cilantro and parsley snapper.

And these are roasted potatoes and vegetables.

Fish and veges combined.

It was yummy.

Although I rather not have had to be the one who cooked it.

And I did the dishes.

Dang I'm a good wife.

Radar kept me company while I cooked.

Wow, between this picture and the previous one of Jason, we are one exciting family.

We can't contain our excitement.

Woooo.....