Escape

"We're about to run out of time," he said. It expires in a few weeks and I'm going to be upset if we waste it.

About this time last year DH was at a fundraiser for breast cancer.* I missed the dinner because of a conflict in our schedules and came home to find that he was the big winner in "chicken shit bingo." Yes, there really is such a thing. Apparently a grid is created on the bottom of a large caged enclosure. Individual boxes on the grid are numbered. People pay for numbers and then hope the chicken enclosed therein eliminates on their number. If you are the lucky person with the corresponding number, you win a prize.*

In any event, DH won a gift certificate for a goodly amount to be used at a B&B in the Texas hill country. The gift certificate was valid for one year. We've been busy, but we were running out of time.

We love the hill country and spend a few weeks there every year. But we never stay in Fredericksburg, because it has become overrun with tourists. We often drive through (slowly crawling through the ridiculous traffic and dodging wayward pedestrians). It is on our best direct route to the river (and even this little "slow down" will not keep us from the river). We stop at the Nimitz Museum and eat at local restaurants. If we have time we might try a specialty shop or two. But we have never stayed here until now.

Our trip (finally planned and scheduled in relative haste last week) was uneventful. Along the route are familiar towns. Recent rains have greened the countryside. Yellow wildflowers line the highway - sunflowers, broomweed, and others I cannot identify from the car. Oldman's beard,** a favorite, is obvious on the fence line.

Many new wineries have sprouted all along our route. Grapes now rival peaches as the focus of local agriculture. And we may try a wine tasting or two. But we did not stop on our way to this town, founded by German immigrants so long ago and rediscovered by retirees and tourists alike.***

Our cottage is lovely. It is reminds me of my grandmother's house.

The quilts really do remind me of some "comforters" my grandmother had.

DH immediately makes the place his own. I love this. [I let DH proof this post and he laughingly explained that these are not his. Perhaps they were left by the last occupant.]

Our porch with one of the Althea's (for which the cottage is named) just beyond the railing.

Welcome. The lights were on inside. We were expected.

The bookcase in the living room contains old and new books. This one is fairly old - no date, but I would guess 1800s as the author's name is provided thusly "Miss Mulock" on the cover and "by the author of John Halifax, Gentleman" on the title page. Her actual name is Dinah Maria Mulock Craik****

I wonder if this illustration foreshadowed an evening visitor.

One of our kitchen cabinets.

We are supposed to be "within walking distance" of the shopping area and I have scoped out the potential breakfast spots (it is a B&B and breakfast coupons are provided!). Two are within an easy walk.

Oh, and there seems to be a pretty little park across the street!

But for now I am going to put my feet up and read to the gentle sounds of DH napping. In an hour or so we will head to the Presbyterian fellowship hall for the meeting of the local chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas. The lecture is about milkweed plants and Monarch butterflies and is made to order as "advanced training" for our Master Naturalist certification. Why waste an opportunity?

Look who won one of the door prizes.

After we returned home DH was unloading the car and discovered a neighbor wandering about. He was clearly begging and was disappointed we had nothing for him. He reluctantly posed and we said goodnight.

He wanted to come inside, but there are strict rules about animals in the house.

NOTES

*Feel free to "Google" it. I do believe I have heard of this game played with other farmyard animals - Cow pie bingo and the like. http://www.fundraising-ideas.org/DIY/cowpie.htm

**You've seen it here before and will see it again. http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CLDR

***http://www.visitfredericksburgtx.com

**** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinah_Craik