San Rafael Valley, AZ ~~ Photo by Bill Haas

Monday, March 30, 2009

WILD!

Wildflower bloom hadn't peaked in the Texas Hill Country when I breezed through in mid-March.  Nevertheless, the "show" was more than adequate for this wildflower junkie.  If wildflowers aren't your bag, you should probably skip the next few pages.
Phlox
Drummond Onion
Fleabane
Penstemon
Evening Primrose
Plains Coreopsis
Texas Greeneyes
UNK!
Blue-Eyed Grass
Showy Primrose
Baby Blue Eyes
Stiffstem Flax
Blackfoot Daisy
Texas Paintbrush
Golden  Columbine
Prairie Spiderwort
Buckeye


Texas Bluebonnets (Lupine)

Dandelions!
It's a flea market.  It's an antique mall.  No, it's white elephants as far as the eye can see.  It's one person's junque and another person's treasures.  (And if you're wondering "Where's Blue Boy?" you're older than dirt too!)































ROUNDTOP...

...the terminus of a 15-mile emporium along Highway 237 known as the Great Texas Antique Weekend that begins in Warrenton, TX.  But of course you can buy stuff during the "Preview" weekend, the "Set Up" weekend, the "Take Down" weekend, and any day in between during early April!



















Not a watch dog!








Not a watch dog either--more like, "Where's my human?"



LUCKENBACH...

...the "town" made famous by Willie and Waylon is still a thriving step back in time (if you can find it) where "Everyone's Someone," and cowboys, cowgirls, bikers and rednecks and tourists come to hang out, dance, listen to the music, smoke Marlboro Reds and drink beer!



























Bottle caps and pull tabs are creatively recycled!

Sunday, March 29, 2009

FREDRICKSBURG


Someone recently said that life is a series of U-Turns!  Having "done" Fredericksburg a few years ago, I almost drove through it without stopping today.  Then I saw it.  DOOLEY'S!  The magical pull of DOOLEY'S hooked me into one of those U-Turns!  Fredericksburg does not need Dollar Stores or a WalMart.  It has DOOLEY'S!









Girls just wanna have fun.  And these girls shared my love of silly hats.  Yes, we had fun! Complete strangers; instant bond!

Alma Mae (yes, that's really her name) stocks, restocks, works the cash register and always wears a smile.

And the truly remarkable thing about Dooley's?  Its employees.  This trio's combined years of employment at Dooleys is over 100 years.  So, OK, that says something about Dooley's management as well.  Awesome!
~~~~~~~~~~




























Hair nets, silk flowers, gingham nightgowns, yarn, John Deer scooters and wagons, ribbons, bows, buttons, stoneware, cast iron cookware, spinning eyeballs that light up, hats for "regular" people, Aquanet, oil cloth by the yard.  If Dooley's doesn't have it, you don't neeed it!