Having fun, being different, saving gas

With gas prices going up and up, I have been toying with idea of getting from one place to another in a different way. My solution - a scooter. I used to have one a long time ago and I really liked it. I purchased one this last weekend. I am already having fun.
Here's the deal- it's a mile to work, a mile to wallyworld, a mile to heb, a mile to the hardware store, all on backroads with the speed limit of 30 mph or less. So I'm going why not. It gets 115 miles per gallon. Full coverage insurance is $95 for whole year! I know, I'll the lose argument if I hot a truck, and maybe be vegetable the rest of life, but at least I'll be smiling. I've got a helmet and I thinking about getting me a big flag, and hang it off the back, just like the the guy down the street that drives his riding mower everyday for coffee to Dairy Queen!

Saturday in Cuero

Saturday we went to Cuero and spent part of the day there. While we were there I went through the Wagner Hardware Store. It's been there since 1949. It's one of those old timey hardware where you can find the things you really need, and there are people there who know what they are talking about. We also stopped by the Cuero Wildflower Museum and picked up a map of where the wildflowers were growing. I got some really great pictures. We also went through part of the older part of town checking out some of the old buildings in town. Posted is a picture of the courthouse in the process of being restored.
We found a place where the locals eat called Rosa's. It's a good Mexican food place, located in a building that use to sell wagons way back in the late 1880's.

We also went through a place called Gram's Attic located above the hardware store, owned by the Wagners. It's got all kinds of antiques and such.

Okay, the triva question of the day is what is picture of thing that looks like an oval shaped barrel?

Hardware and Jazz

Jazz
Last week end we went to the Temple Jazz Festival, where Abby was playing with the High School Jazz Band. We picked up Becky's mom and took her with us over to Temple. She really enjoyed being able to hear Abby play, and the chance to just get out. We went over to Texas Burger and had burgers for supper. It's one of those places we don't have in our part of the country and the burgers aren't too bad. Not as good as a Moo Moo burger, but pretty good. While we at her house, I took a picture of the mock orange tree growing along her fence. It was one of the plants that Becky's dad planted before he passed away years ago. I may try to get start off of it to plant one here.

Hardware
Hey, I was Cuero last Thursday and came across this hardware store. Because of time I didn't get a chance to go through it. However Becky, and I are planning a road trip to Cuero this Saturday to tour town, so to speak, and check out the hardware store, and find a place where the locals eat. I saw a bbq that had alot of cars around it that might be worth checking out.


P.S. Update on the blood pressure, the doc wants to put me on some bp medicine. Naturally, he said lose weight, start exercising, in other words get my act together.

Easter's Over, Spring has Sprung and so on

It's been busy. We had our annual Easter pageant. As you can see by pictures, we completely built a new stage for the front of the church. We gave 3 performances, with 300 plus at every performance. In the middle of all of that, I got sick with an ear infection. Fun, Fun Fun!

I got my raised bed gardens in. I put in two of them that are 4 ft x 8 ft. I am tired of mealy tasting tomatoes. I want the real thing. So, I have planted a salsa garden. Tomatoes, lettuce, cilantro, onions, and just because, some pole beans, squash, and cucumbers. They tell me birds are problem around here. I am ready. I have located some netting and broke out the pellet gun. I have taken the screen off the window facing the backyard, and am ready for war.

Ok, springhas sprung here in South Texas, and I am taking pictures of flowers once again. The question for all you biologist out there is, what is the name of this flower? It's worth a cherry vanilla coke at Moo Moo Burger, but you will have come here to claim it.

P.S. While at the doctor's office, the lady doc told me my blood pressure was up. She made the mistake of asking me why? So I told her my waiting in the waiting room would do it every time. She wanted me to set there for 10 minutes, and she would be back to check it again. I told her it would higher. Well, it was. She told me I needed to learn to slow down. I told her she needed to run a more professional office. It went downhill from there. I haven't been back, and she hasn't called.

Religion and Church Stuff

Every year about this time our Ministerial Alliance holds it's annual Community Palm Sunday Service. I do not look forward to it. It seems every preacher wants his church to have some part in it, and when these guys get to pray or speak, they feel the need to preach some sort of min-sermon. ( Can you tell I don't like it?) I call it a dog and pony show. All the ministers will set together on the front row together. I guess its to show unity or something. Two years ago they made the mistake of asking me to lead worship. I stuck to my guns, so to speak, and had a worship service. ( I haven't been asked since then) Last year, I was reminded I needed to set on the front row, and to dress the part. Naturally, I refused on both accounts, and sat and dressed with the common folks. This year, I sat on the back row, and watched the parade.

My wife says I have mellowed over the years. I don't know about that. One of my minister friends greeted me last night, and asked how the rebel was doing. The very thought, put a smile on my face. Why, because I have always thought that Jesus was the ultimate rebel. Aren't we supposed to become more like Him as time goes by?

Get real- Get God- Get goin'- Life's too short for more dog and pony shows.

Another Week of Twists and Turns

Let's see I was in Uvalde on Thursday, for A Singing Men of South Texas Concert. It is a group of around 50 men who are music ministers that serve in Baptist churches in South Texas. We did a concert at the First Baptist Church in the evening, and did a mini concert at the First State Bank there. Here's the twist, the bank's primary stock holder is former governor Dolph Biscoe. He had requested we sing at his bank. It turned out to be a really big deal. Lot's of government types and bigwigs. The bank is not your typical small town bank. It speaks of money, lots of money. I found out that Dolph is the largest land owner in the state of Texas.( over 1 million acres) In the lobby of the bank there are hanging 2 original Rembrant etchings. The bank itself speaks of an elegance found years ago. You know the kind I'm speaking about, old Texas money.

Here's the turn. 3 week ago, Dolph Briscoe's twenty year old grand daughter was killed while riding a horse on his ranch. He was very close to her, and this was his first public appearance since that happened. He came into the bank using a walker looking very weak and frail. He was very attentive during the concert and very gracious. Towards the end of the concert, as we were singing Texas, Our Texas, I was close enough to see a change his facial expression. As we started the song, he sat up a little straighter, and about half way through the first verse, he pulled himself up, using his walker, and stood straight as an arrow, until the song was over. It made the hair stand on the back of my neck. Afterwards, he spoke with us. You could see the fire in his eyes and hear it in his voice. I don't remember to much about him as a governor, but he impressed me that day. Man oh man, I'll bet 30 years a ago, he was a force to reckon with.
Here is picture of me with him and one of the other Singing Men.

Back with Various Things

I have had two or three things interfere with my blogging for a awhile. First off, my dear sweet bride had to go to the emergency room for a kidney stone and a kidney infection. She had a pretty painful evening. It happened on Valentine's day. I told her it was the most expensive Valentine's gift I had ever bought her. (She didn't think it was funny then, and doesn't now.) The kidney stone?- who knows!

Second, I have been helping the RA's make pine wood derby cars, build a new race track and
then help out with an evening at the races. Here is a picture of some of their cars. I found out more about these kind of cars than I wanted to. They came up with some pretty good designs.
We did have 2 winners out the bunch.

Third, I've got a pile of sand (7 yards) in the driveway that I am moving to the backyard to fill in some low spots and to build a raised bed garden. I want to put in a salsa garden. You know, all the stuff you need to make salsa. I can tell you right now, I am sore, seven yards is alot of dirt to move from one place to another with a wheel barrow.

Fourth, the lime tree is blooming, and I think we will have some fruit this year. The tree is on probation for now. I have told it, no fruit, no live. You know, one nice thing about a tree, it can't talk back to you.

The rest of my free time is spent getting the choir and everything ready for the Easter musical. I took two different musicals, rewrote some of the dialog, and sort of spliced them together. I'm getting the choir ready, but I farmed out some of the other work. Like getting non-singing parts cast, building the stages, directing, lighting, etc, done by other people. That way we've got more people involved.