My cousin, Carrie has visited us in Texas a few times since we bought our place here.
Hubs and I have enjoyed touring her around and I’ve especially enjoyed the fact that she loves to walk and hike.
My feature photo was taken at Quinta Mazatlan, a fascinating and fun place to visit in McAllen, Tx
We found this mural while hiking the trails that surround the historic adobe mansion.
As I was making this post, I was reminded of the Beatles’ song, “All You Need is Love”.
I’m out of sync with my regular post times this week.
This is a busy week, so today will be my only post.
On Saturday, we made the two hour drive to Kingsville, TX to take in the Ranch Hand Festival.
This was our third trip to the festival and our second trip there with good friends from home who winter in a park near here.
One of the demonstrations that was new to all of us was the one by TAMUK (Texas A & M University Kingsville) arts department Javelina Printing Club.
Their printing press was a steamroller! My feature photo is a screenshot from a movie I found about them on Facebook – not my own.
The process: Designs are carved into a block of wood, and then ink is rolled over the whole slab.
Once this step is complete, the slab is laid face up on the ground and a large sheet of paper placed over it, and then thick matting is layered on top of all.
The steamroller then drives over and backs up over the lot.
And voila!
It was fun and interesting to witness this unique process!
There were many prints done over the course of the day, and this was apparently their 12th year at the Ranch Hand festival.
I don’t know how we missed it on previous visits, but am happy we found it this time!
We’ve been stopping in Llano, TX every year on our way south since 2019.
I found the subject for my feature photo during a walkabout on our first visit there.
Now that we’ve finally settled in to our winter home, I’m able to resume some of my normal routine for blog posts.
I still have several murals to contribute to my Monday Murals theme, and a couple of other travel posts to add to my 2016 theme.
The M/W/F posting schedule seems to be working out, so my plan is to continue with those days.
I’ll also continue with Foodie Friday posts.
The mural in my feature photo is in Weslaco, Tx (a town a few miles from here that we visit often).
The mural’s message is a good reminder.
From our first taste in 2019, hubs and I became seriously attached to Blue Bell ice cream.
Made in Texas, this brand is the next best thing to home made ice cream and we love that every year, new flavours are added to the line.
Both of my parents were avid “at home” bird watchers, and had many feeders around our yard. They loved to share with us kids, what they learned through this hobby, so I grew up loving and appreciating birds.
A part of the enjoyment of wintering in South Texas is the new varieties of birds we get to experience there.
I was fortunate to catch this shot of a Great Kiskadee at one of the many birding locations in the RGV, and was pleased that I also caught a decent reflection.
Dec 07, 2023 – Ceremony at The Alamo in San Antonio, TX for the reading and loan of David Crockett’s last letter from Tennessee. Davey Crockett, aka “King of the wild frontier”, died in the battle of the Alamo.
Radically Retired 