AND SO THE SUMMER BEGINS....

Those of you who live in a climate where you still have to wear a sweater or long sleeves - ENJOY IT!!! We have already achieved record-setting temps and it isn't even the end of May. Can only imagine what summer will have in store for us. I am already sick of walking out the door at 8 in the morning to be blasted in the face with 80+ degrees. One positive note: the high so far has only been 99... so at least we are not yet in triple digits.

However, unless a person is willing to sit in the air conditioned comfort of their home for the next solid six months, a certain amount of bravado needs to be mustered so that life can continue and adventures can still be embarked upon. Two weeks ago a neighboring community held its annual Main Street Festival. We trekked to Grapevine, Texas to sight see, walk among the historical buildings, and ride the vintage steam train.

The train was my favorite part of the adventure. I am a sucker for old trains... or actually, any train at all. This one is glorious! It was once referred to as The Tarantula Train, but apparently the name was rather off-putting to some potential passengers and age groups, so in the effort to increase ridership the locomotive was renamed Puffy - apt enough for such an engine, I suppose.

The interiors are all redone and beautifully appointed in wood and period upholstery. We chose to ride the open-air car, hence the reason there are no passengers in this enclosed, air conditioned car. The weather was quite lovely the day we set out to Grapevine. We concluded the day with a seafood dinner at one of the local establishments.

.......... THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND.............

We traveled to the days of kings, queens, knights, ladies fair, and jousts!! The annual venture to Scarborough Faire is a favorite springtime destination. Acres and acres of medieval village life and venues abound. The costumes and pageantry never cease to intrigue me. Above you see "the" King and Queen of the Ren Faire. Their costumes are highly detailed and intricate. I asked one woman how they survive the heat in so many layers of brocade and velvet. She said the main rule to follow is "walk slow". She also shared a secret. She says they go to a florist and get those capped vials for roses, fill with water, freeze them, and then put them down their bodice to keep themselves cooler. Great idea!

The "family" above was adorable. The mom and dad dressed in royal blue velvet and the little boy dressed to match. Some of the attendees make a really big deal out of this and go to great lengths to be as authentic as possible. Others just throw together a costume that looks more reminiscent of a Halloween costume party, not quite sure which century they are trying to re-live, than "the real deal".

The day always ends with a joust between rival knights. One knight always "kills" the opponent, which I managed to capture in a photograph this year.

As much as I'd like to continue my revisit to the Middle Ages, I need to get busy doing other stuff anyway...using modern conveniences and appliances.... in modern air conditioning, using modern electricity. THANK GOODNESS!!!

Until the next adventure.....

Life in the Old City ....

First there was a ruckus in the street....
Then the bounty hunter came to town....
After more people got shot, the bounty hunter got the bad guy.

No, these photos weren't taken yesteryear in the 1800s. They were taken about 2 weeks ago during a visit to Old City Park. (It has since been renamed Dallas Heritage Village). This is a jewel of a tiny haven just south of all the cement and steel of the skyscrapered skyline of Dallas, Texas. They offer a glimpse of life as it was known in that bygone era. Most all the buildings and facilities are functional. By that I mean the blacksmith shop holds demonstrations, the print shop actually prints samples, the saloon serves [root] beer, the kitchens of the houses prepare and serve meals, and the farm houses actually grow crops. The photo above is the once-upon-an-era train depot for Dallas.

This bank building fascinated me! I walked inside and immediately felt a sense of calm sweep over me. I don't know if it is because I was born a few generations too late or what. Something triggered this enormous feeling of "going home". The squeaking wooden floors are incredible. The only alterations which have been made....granted, they are HUGE....have been the addition of air conditioning and electricity. I've said many times if I could take the internet and air conditioning with me, I'd gladly go back to the good old days!

A trip to the doctor's office would have been an adventure. Here is the apothecary portion of his office, where the powders and potions were measured and weighed. Made me think of the scene in It's A Wonderful Life when druggist Mr. Gower prepares the wrong medication and formulates a poison instead!

The porch and swing sent another whiff of "home" to me. It made it seem as if even the hottest of days could have been tolerated in the shade-cooled breeze of such a wrap-around porch.

No doubt the meals served here were just as tasty without the microwave, state-of-the-art stovetop oven combination, and designer placesettings!

How many Presidents and other statesmen were educated in a one-room classroom? Of note during the visit were the 38 stars on the flag. [And if I knew how to work the photo editing software better, I could have published these photos in sepia tones as they no doubt would have appeared in their day!]

The visit was marred only by the heat and humidity of the day. It was 92 degrees with a humidity to match. The first few days of those temperatures are always the roughest. By the end of the summer "only 92" will seem cool. This was our first 90+ day since last October.

Will be adventuring to a few places this weekend. Will share those as time permits.

Until the wanderlust is appeased....

Lack of Posts.....

It has been quite a while since I last updated this blog. Truth is, I've got nothing to say. Right now life is serving lemons and I didn't stock up on the necessary sugar to make lemonade. I'm being torn a million different directions by a thousand different people and circumstances. I am not making any headway. So for now I am withdrawing into my safe, private inner self for some reflective healing; some personal down time. This will pass.... until then I will check in periodically to see what is going on with the rest of you......

A Day of Smiles

At one point today I confided to the S.O. that as a result of my keen interest in photography I was looking at the world through different eyes; that things took on a whole new perspective when one tried to see the photo-worthiness of a person or object. He countered with the statement that when he first got a camera he took pictures of everything, even things for which he had no true interest. At that point I realized that I don't take pictures of anything just to be taking a picture. I take pictures of things that make me smile! The list isn't extensive: flowers (nature), architecture, small-town America, trains, and animals.

So today was full of smiles. It started when we drove to Midlothian, Texas for their annual Spring Fling. We drove to the town square to park and I immediately smiled when we had to do head-in parking along the square.

Since we started going on weekend drives (aka adventures) it has surprised me that in nearly every small town we've visited there has been a quilt shop in the downtown square. It is almost as though I've started going on mini shop hops. Midlothian proved to be no exception. The shop is called Quilts and More. Likewise it seems easier to justify a small fabric purchase at a shop in these small towns because I can claim it is a memento of the day's travel. Today I couldn't resist the bright red batik shown below. Oh, and I finally broke down and got a bit of Maypole by April Cornell.

After spending time in Midlothian, we hopped on Texas Highway 287 to head east because we knew Waxahachie was only about 15 miles away. Waxahachie has some of the most wonderful architecture in the state when one is talking about old courthouses and downtown squares. Here is the Rogers Hotel. Most everything was constructed in the late 1800s or shortly after the turn of the century (19th to the 20th).

This building, the county courthouse for Ellis County, Texas is one of the most exquisite pieces of 19th century architecture in the state. Literally. There have been featured documentaries on television about this structure. It is completely restored to its original splendor and is still the working courthouse for the county. On another occasion I was fortunate enough to tour the building and sitting in the balcony of one of the courtrooms reminded me of a scene from To Kill a Mockingbird!! The wood appointments are all solid mahogany (I think I remember being told it is mahogany) and even the tables, benches, jury boxes, etc. are all refurbished originals. It is truly a magnificent sight to behold.

Unfortunately, no courthouse is complete without the adjacent jailhouse. Here is the Ellis County Jailhouse, circa 1920. It is no longer being used, but no doubt Waxahachie has plans to keep this building for later renovation.

This building is now the Ellis County Museum. I don't recall what it used to be. Today was a photo expedition rather than a tour.

More of the courthouse. The entire structure is made of quarried rock, including several colors of granite.

It was a wonderful day, full of many smiles. After taking photos in Waxahachie we continued in the easterly direction to Ennis, Texas.... home of the annual National Polka Festival that is always held Memorial Day weekend. We ate lunch at a Mexican restaurant (in honor of Cinco de Mayo???) that served some of the best Mexican food we'd eaten in ages. It was better than any of those in our immediate neighborhood, that is for sure!!

Until I post again.........