It's a beautiful morning...

Gate leading out to nature trail. Hand hewn pitchfork. I want one. Sun shining, white puffy clouds in the beautiful blue Texas sky, rooster crowing. Hot, delicious coffee in a handmade mug, I head outside with a thick blanket to enjoy the crisp morning here at Star of Texas. Settling myself into the chair on the porch doesn't last long because I feel a need to capture what beauty I can. Too bad pictures don't capture the wonderful smell of a fire.....but it's there. 

Right in front of where I'm sitting. There is a little star stuck into the tree and a metal plaque of sorts at the base. Love the vignettes they've created around here. 

Hand hewn pitchfork....I want one this is where I've set up camp, the chair with the blanket. 

Gate leading to nature trail. After breakfast we are heading out on a hike. Stacy said "brrrr" when I suggested it but it will be invigorating and beautiful. 

Beautiful vignette at the corner of our cottage showing the name. Love this place, perfect choice for a getaway. 

Stacy greeting the morning. 

Coffee on a crisp morning. 

Bucket list of sorts....

Stacy has lived in San Antonio since 1979 if I remember right.  You know how it is when you live somewhere, you don't do the things the tourists do.  He hasn't EVER been to the Alamo and he's a native Texan.  Being the tourist type brain I am, I want to see and do all the things around here and explore.  So....we have an agreement.  Every weekend we are going to do "something".  Whether it's hunt out a new coffee shop, walk to the stores down the way, go to one of the many nearby museums or sites....  San Antonio, seventh largest city in the USA, there is plenty to do.  Most of those posts are going to be in my Vagabond blog, tab above.  That is the "Texas and beyond" blog.  But this week....

Last Friday night we went to Earl Abels, a local spot with food much better than I expected.  I guess it's a San Antonio institution and been around for ages.  Now this isn't the first time we've been here, but this time we actually accomplished one of the things we wanted....Stacy got his picture taken with the maitre d'.   Next time it's my turn.

He's a statue of sorts, by the way.  The maitre d', not Stacy.  

You never know who is around the next corner....or at the end of the picnic table in this case....

One night Stacy and I went to Gruene, Texas to see The Chubby Knuckle Choir play.  While watching the band, we noticed there was a man at the front of the tables we were sitting at, singing along to the music, talking to the children of band members, and working with clay.  He had an incredible dog that resembled HANK THE COWDOG mounted on top of a beer bottle.  THAT was what caught my eye.

I figured the man must be a relative of the band or something and asked a friend (band wife) about the guy. She said they hadn't met him until this weekend but he was a follower of the band through his girlfriend.  She told me....."if you want to see what he's doing head over there cause at the end of the night he smashes it all up and its a ball of clay again."

So.....Sandy drags Stacy to see this artist.  We first introduced ourselves and started chatting.  Turns out Will (the artist) studied more formal art in his past.  He is from a smaller town just six miles south of New Braunfels.  His daughter has sold his art to pay for her tuition, in turn giving what would be his profit to a charity that is dear to his heart, thus winning his support.

Will is an artist....flamboyant, ready to talk and teach constantly.  He took my hand and started showing me how people see the hand but in reality how it is.....thumb sideways, not flat.  Pointing out lines and pads and putting what he saw into the hand he was making.  Yes.  THAT hand below.

A plastic drink cup he used to have wine in now held a person I thought.  Well, it was an embryo to be more precise....incredible.  Weird.  Disturbing.  Inventive.  Creative.  Breath-taking and inspiring. I think people's thoughts swing all over looking at these things.

I found them fascinating.  I like things a bit different, things that make you think.  Books and art.  Looking at this picture of the embryo, he noticed the foot was bent incorrectly and proceeded to make a "correct" one and pop it into Stacy's hand.

......and then there were the heads.  Not even upright, but I found them laying all over the table.  So....I propped them up and he made sure I noticed Sarah's and he pointed out how much she had learned and improved in just a day.  (Sarah is the daughter of my friend in the band and he's right....she's darn good and ended up finishing someone's horse head and doing some animals of her own.  Impressive girl!)

And below is Sarah and one of her creations.  An artist in a weekend.  What an opportunity for a kid.

What an awesome addition and pleasant surprise this was to the outing.  Will, singing away to great original tunes, sipping his wine and playing with clay.  Enjoying the hoards of people coming to talk and take pictures and just doing what was important and enjoyable to him.  He's found one of the great secrets in life.

Fiesta!

Took my daughter with me on a whirlwind 24 hour trip to San Antonio to get a "Stacy-fix".  We ended up parking, walking and exploring.  It happened to be the first weekend of FIESTA and we strolled along the Riverwalk  to get to Market Square.   You've got to read the Fiesta website to get an idea what this is, but even then, I think it eludes you.  Probably takes living her and experiencing it a bit to understand.

Anyway as I understand it's hispanic culture, a bit tongue in cheek humor, fun.  Think Mardi Gras hispanic style.  Bright colors everywhere, party city!  There are events for 10 days and MANY all over town.  Parades (plural), music galore.....I've only hit the tip of the iceberg.  Fiesta de los Reyes is what we experienced at Market Square.  CROWDS.  And with Stacy's shoulder/collarbone situation that made me nervous. 

10 days of wild celebration.  I missed the river parade but apparently it was televised so I'll be looking for it on the interwebz.  So much to see and do in San Antonio.....much more to come.